UT Austin counseling and mental health (CMHC)

The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) starts most care with a short brief assessment. Call 512-471-3515 and choose option 3, or ask for a Brief Assessment counselor at the front desk on the 5th floor of the Student Services Building, weekdays 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

You don’t need to know which service you want. The counselor asks what’s going on and helps you find the next step. If you have a preference, such as a counselor’s experience, say so then.

You need to be a currently enrolled UT Austin student. CMHC eligibility for fall 2026 runs from August 1 to December 31, 2026, and spring 2027 starts January 1, 2027. You must be 18 or older and physically in Texas when you’re seen. Under 18? CMHC has a separate consent form.

CMHC appointments Brief assessment

UT says scheduled appointments usually happen within 1–2 weeks of booking, depending on your needs and how busy the clinical team is. Same-day crisis appointments are available.

For a faster first talk, CMHC @ WCP offers same-day walk-in single-session counseling, and you can book it online for the current week through the MyUHS/CMHC portal.

CMHC @ WCP

CMHC counseling and groups are free. Psychiatry is $15 a visit, and CMHC doesn’t bill your health insurance.

A missed visit or a cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice is $25 at the main center and with CARE counselors. At CMHC @ WCP the notice is 2 hours.

You don’t pay at your session, and payment plans are possible. Charges show up as “Student Fee” on What I Owe, your UT bill, so a parent with access to your bill won’t see what they’re for. UT says students are never turned away for not being able to pay.

CMHC charges

Call the CMHC Crisis Line at 512-471-2255 any hour, any day, and a crisis counselor will talk with you. You can also call or text 988.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

During office hours, the main center also has same-day crisis appointments. CMHC @ WCP doesn’t handle crisis care.

CMHC crisis resources

UT doesn’t give one number. You get the number of sessions that fits your needs and resources, and CMHC care is short-term.

Individual counseling sessions are 45 minutes and weekly for a set period. If medication makes sense, psychiatry covers 4–6 appointments, usually through the rest of that semester.

TimelyCare, the free virtual option, gives you 9 scheduled counseling visits a year.

Individual counseling

After your assessment, CMHC may refer you to an off-campus therapist, and its case management team helps with the referral. They can point you to affordable options even if you don’t have insurance.

CMHC doesn’t bill insurance, so your own plan only matters for off-campus care. The UT Student Health Insurance Plan (AcademicBlue, from Blue Cross Blue Shield) covers care off campus, in or out of network. Its page doesn’t list therapy benefits, so check the plan summary or call Blue Cross Blue Shield at 800-521-2227.

Case managers can also help if you’re having trouble reaching therapists, including by sitting in on calls or helping with emails.

Clinical case management Student Health Insurance Plan

Yes. Scheduling, session content, and records are confidential under federal and state law. Your parents, professors, and roommates can’t get information without your signed permission.

The limits: if staff think you’re likely to hurt yourself or someone else, they may contact police or a physician. They must also report abuse of a child, an older adult, or a disabled person, and respond to a valid court order.

Your counseling record is separate from your academic record, but UHS providers can see it. Anyone with your UT EID and password can open it in the MyUHS/CMHC portal, so keep your login private.

CMHC confidentiality Records access and privacy

Yes. Counselors in Academic Residence (CARE) are licensed counselors based in UT’s schools and colleges. They offer short-term individual counseling and workshops.

Find your school or college’s CARE counselor and contact them directly. You can also get a referral from a faculty or staff member, or call 512-471-3515 and choose option 3.

Dell Medical School and School of Nursing students can book single-session CARE appointments online through the MyUHS/CMHC portal.

CARE counselors

Yes. TimelyCare is a free virtual platform for currently enrolled UT students. You pick a counselor and book your own video visit, up to 9 a year, if you’re in the United States.

TimelyCare also has health coaching, 24/7 TalkNow support for non-crisis needs, and providers in over 240 languages. Sign in with your UT email address ending in my.utexas.edu, not a personal one.

Sign in to TimelyCare About TimelyCare

Yes. TimelyCare’s TalkNow gives emotional support any hour, CMHC runs free drop-in groups, and the MindBody Lounges are open for self-guided relaxation.

The lounges are in the SSB on the 5th floor, in WCP 1.102, and in the McCombs Wellness Center (CBA 3.204). The free Thrive at UT app is on iPhone and Android.

All CMHC groups are free, confidential, and open to all students. Some drop-in groups ask you to register first, and others start with a short talk with the facilitator.

CMHC groups MindBody Lounges Thrive at UT

Yes. CMHC psychiatrists evaluate you and, if medication is recommended, can treat you for 4–6 appointments. Each visit is $15. You start through a brief assessment or a referral from a counselor or medical provider.

CMHC doesn’t prescribe some medications, including benzodiazepines, and it needs recent psychological testing to prescribe ADHD stimulants. If you need longer treatment, CMHC helps you find an off-campus psychiatrist.

Psychiatric services

Checked November 11, 2026. Costs, hours, phone numbers, and rules come from UT’s Counseling and Mental Health Center pages.

• CMHC: crisis resources for students
• CMHC: brief assessment and referral
• CMHC: short-term individual counseling
• CMHC: appointments
• CMHC: charges
• CMHC: TimelyCare
• CMHC: Thrive at UT app
• CMHC: contact
• CMHC: CMHC @ WCP
• CMHC: Counseling and Mental Health Center home
• CMHC: groups
• CMHC: MindBody Lounges
• CMHC: eligibility
• CMHC: psychiatric services and medication management
• CMHC: clinical case management
• Healthyhorns: Student Health Insurance Plan
• CMHC: confidentiality
• CMHC: mental health records access
• CMHC: Counselors in Academic Residence (CARE)