Uni Cancelled Access to Licensed Therapists Right Before Exams?!
I am absolutely furious right now. On December 1st—right before exams started—our university suddenly cancelled our access to licensed therapists without any announcement or heads-up. No emails, no notice, nothing. It just happened, as if our mental health doesn’t even matter.
Exams are over for me now, but that doesn’t make what the university did any more acceptable. This is supposed to be the time when students need support the most. Exams were already stressful enough, and for those of us who relied on therapy to stay on track mentally, this was a huge blow. It felt like they were saying, “Good luck surviving the semester, but don’t count on us for help.”
What makes this worse is the lack of transparency. How can they just cut such an important service without consulting students or even giving us time to prepare for the change? I feel completely blindsided and abandoned.
Has anyone else experienced something like this at their school? How did you handle it? I’m trying to process this, and it’s really hard to accept that they pulled funds from such a critical service. Would love to hear your thoughts or advice.
I’m sorry this happened. I’ve never experienced it but you definitely didn’t deserve it. My advice would depend on what resources you have access to. If you can afford it you’d be able to find therapy here on Cups or in your area - otherwise I’m not sure. It depends on what other resources are available at your university and what you need to cope with stress. I wish you the best of luck.
@AquaSylph
I’m terribly sorry to hear that. I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to take advantage of therapy when I was an enrolled student at the time. Even if I did, their resources are limited compared to those outside of the campus life. You are very fortunate to have had this.
With my active health insurance, I don’t pay out of pocket at all. Just gotta find therapist(s) and/or other specialists willing to accept insurance strictly or at least with small co-pay. I am in the process of finding myself another professional since my former therapist has since relocated. So far, this has worked out for me. ;]
-e
@empressMx
The therapists/specialists who accept insurance have crazy long wait lists, I'm talking like 6 months for 3 years. The ones who force you to pay out of pocket, start a minimum 1k per session, although I can afford it, I'm not willing to. I'm far better off than most of my classmates, and I'm well aware most of them won't be able to afford such pricing.
@AquaSylph
That’s crazy!! For a short period of time, briefly, I only had to pay $40-50 per 50-60min out of pocket session. When she renewed her contract, health insurances including one of mine were accepted.
At the time I filled out an in-take application and returned, it took less than 2 weeks for a pro to reach out to me. (My waiting list was up to 6 weeks.) Im guessing based on what I had listed down, it invited (specific) counselor or therapist partnered through that office to reach out to me directly.
Jesus, a year long+ waitlist! I know having insurance may not guarantee one to book an appointment immediately. But even if upwards of 1k (which is outrageous unless this involves intensive shock/trauma, exposed therapy), it still can be draining and difficult to find the right mental health professional.
If you can source online like teletherapy/telehealth and other related licensed specialists, you might not need to wait long. My former therapist and I met “face to face” using telehealth (akin to Skype or Zoom) before I met her in person sessions later.
Most therapists, in my experience, charge $30-60 hourly. I can only imagine how Canada work differently.
@AquaSylph
I’m really sorry you’re going through this - it’s completely understandable to feel furious and frustrated. The sudden removal of such an important service, especially right before exams, is absolutely unfair and inconsiderate. It’s important to share your concerns with the student union or any available student advocacy groups - they might be able to raise awareness about the impact of this decision.
There are online platforms and communities, like here on 7 Cups, which offer emotional support and could help in the interim. If you’re comfortable, it might also be worth reaching out to professors or academic advisors and letting them know how this has impacted your well-being—it may not change the situation, but it can help them understand what you're going through.
It’s okay to feel angry about this. I hope you can find the support you need during this tough time💙
@izzyy528
I did reach out to my profs at the time, though not much could be done since this is an university policy it's out of their control. If we had any complaints we had to take it up with the president of the university. And to some degree, it feels like way too much of a hassle to deal with bureaucratic system just to fight for basic mental health care access.
@AquaSylph