By last week, the search for funding, feelings of isolation in a new city and a sense of academic stagnation led social science master’s student Alice* to call the Counseling Center in Schmitz Hall and make an appointment.

“I was nervous because I had a single hour to explain my life and the different problems that brought me to counseling in the first place,” Alice said when describing her first meeting. Alice received counseling during her undergraduate years, which helped in some ways to prepare her for the interview.

“I felt insecure and awkward about discussing my problems so frankly,” she said. “But the counselor was very professional, for which I was extremely grateful.”

Alice was lucky to see someone quickly for her intake session. While the services at Schmitz Hall are often praised, the scheduling system is reviled.

“Scheduling is very, very difficult,” said Aaron Blumenthal, a master’s student in the Evans School of Public Affairs. “Demand is quite high, and counselors are primarily limited to available doctorate students who are on a school schedule.”

Blumenthal also blamed Schmitz Hall’s system of having counselors be in charge of their own schedule without access to voicemail.

Another reason for scheduling nightmares is that the Counseling Center is understaffed, in part as a result of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s decision to veto a bill allowing the UW to hire an additional counselor last year. Despite the center’s limitations, however, employees do strive to serve the student population, sometimes by suggesting options to circumvent the center’s long waits for appointments or ease the financial burden on patients.

“My counselor recommended I switch to Hall Health because it offers longer-term counseling for people who feel they need it,” Alice said. “There are also cheap counseling services she recommended in Argosy University and Antioch University if I run into a lack of funds.”

Ellen Taylor, director of the Counseling Center, recommends that students come to Schmitz Hall for help as soon as they have a problem so that she and her staff can help before any challenges get out of hand.

“No problem is too small,” she said. “We’re here to help. Coming in before a problem becomes overwhleming can make a big difference.”

While the referral to Hall Health was beneficial for Alice’s needs, it came with additional burdens. Unlike counseling in Schmitz, which is available free to any matriculated student, the Hall Health facility charges students and staff for its services. Graduate Health Insurance is key in affording counseling at the center. Intake sessions are priced at more than $200.

“I was extremely disappointed that after one free session at Schmitz Hall my counselor gently told me that I had ‘too long a laundry list of problems’ for them to help me and directed me to Hall Health,” said Aurea Astro, a second-year master’s of public affairs candidate. “At Hall Health, I accumulated over $1,000 in services by the end of the year because I had had an unknown break in my coverage and didn’t realize the sessions were $100 each.”

Even for those with graduate insurance, coverage of services is limited, and often, it is the hidden costs surrounding therapy that prove to be the real burden in seeking help.

“Student insurance will not cover any pre-existing condition during the first three months of coverage. … That means if you are not enrolled over the summer, then there is no coverage for medications during the fall term, even if you were enrolled in the spring,” explained Chastity* who is completing her final year of graduate school. “Going without medication is a terrible option, especially since most depression medication takes time to build up in your system.”

Finances also limit which mental-health care options a student can participate in.

“My doctor wanted me to participate in group therapy,” said Chastity, whose coverage has shifted between regular graduate-student insurance and TA/RA insurance depending on the quarter. “It sounded terrific, but because insurance did not cover the entire cost, I had to pass on it.”

Other students with fewer economic constraints had high praise for Hall Health’s services.

“The on-site pharmacy and refill phone line are very convenient,” said Jessica Reyes, another public affairs student. “The pharmacist always makes a point of finding the least expensive generic option, and I am sometimes surprised by how inexpensive prescriptions are with student insurance.”

“Schmitz and Hall Health both have an incredible diversity of programs, which includes mindfulness training, group meetings, couples counseling and more traditional counseling, and the staff is caring and hard working,” said graduate student Mike Foote.

Current university cuts guarantee that almost everything students have come to rely on will be affected in the days and years to come. Though Chastity is graduating this quarter, she worries about the effect cutbacks will have on student health and people like Alice who are beginning their journey with counseling services.

“I think that cuts in mental [health care] will have a very bad result,” said Chastity. “Graduate school is extremely stressful. It takes a huge toll on students mentally, some more than others. It just seems foolish not to provide for mental-health care. However, there is a stigma about mental-health issues, and I believe illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder, etc. are not always taken as seriously.”

In addition to her concerns, there is the argument that these cuts particularly harm female faculty, students and staff who use counseling services more frequently than their male counterparts.

This isn’t to say Chastity doesn’t appreciate what the school offers and hasn’t benefitted from it.

“I’m grateful that the Counseling Center exists,” she said. “Despite financial limitations, it has been of great help to my work and definitely helped me to finish school.”

While graduate students like Chastity wish services were better, they are glad to have some form of assistance available to them.

Graduate students are pushed by their advisers and themselves to sacrifice all to their research — to the pursuit of answers, the examination of questions, and to our drive for innovation and excellence.

The pressures of graduate school are challenging enough that most graduate students cannot afford to slip due to illness. Whether they suffer from mononucleosis or depression, nobody wants to be compromised as they navigate the academic labyrinth.

“When I had trouble because insurance would not cover my fall quarter medications, it was extremely stressful. It did effect my work,” said Chastity. “If your brain is not healthy, it’s hard to get things done. It’s difficult even getting out of bed, which is frustrating when you are normally excited about your work. When you have to miss class because of medication issues or limited appointment availability, it can be embarrassing to approach a professor and explain what the problem is, so students are left looking irresponsible or unengaged.”

Reach reporter Elizabeth Brady at features@dailyuw.com.

*Names have been changed to protect sources’ privacy.