UF Counseling and Wellness Center @ Radio Road - Gainesville, Florida

Veronica D.

I was never able to get an appointment even after submitting all necessary documentation. In my three years here at UF so far I have only been granted a group consultation session wherein the moderator did next to nothing, allowed one student to berate others attending, and no one ever responded to my request for an individual follow-up appointment. I was redirected another time to find an off-campus therapist however none provided were covered under my insurance. When I asked my counselor if I could have some assistance finding someone who would be under my insurance, she told me I need to find alone (which, thankfully, I finally found one a year later). The CWC is not as inclusive or accepting of POC or the LGBTQIA+ community as it appears on paper so keep that in mind if you do decide to go. I spent three months with a counselor last fall, she only was able to provide wellness tips and some school management topics; while she was very kind, I felt as though I was not being supported or truly cared for as a student. Universities everywhere should be on top of their game with mental and physical wellness facilities considering the population they are suppose to help grow and guide for. The CWC is just another example of how UF has chosen to lag their funding/development.

John J.

I was on my way to my appointment at a tele-office on campus and was hit by a car. I was contacted by the CWC and told them the story while bleeding from my hand. I filled out all paper work and scheduled a meeting but the car accident cut into my appointment time. After that day I have yet to get a call, email, or follow up about my account or safety. I could have died on the side of the road that day, because all I said on the phone is that I was hit by a car and not going to make it. I don't think that a wellness center should not care about helping students book appointments when the reason they are calling is because of mental or physical wellness. I very much struggle to book any sort of help for myself/ mental health and I now don't feel helped or looked after by the people that are paid to care. But maybe they don't get paid enough so they don't, that could be it.

Carole

It has been an interesting experience so far.

When you register for service and fill the paperwork online, you schedule a meeting. Unfortunately, nobody tells you that the first meeting is a "triage" (a french word that means sorting through something). This is basically a stage where they select who needs service the most. 'My triage was horrible. This woman left me thinking that everything happening to me was my fault. She even stated that it was my mother's decision if she got upset after I talked about my depression and mental state. I still scheduled an appointment.
It was great. The counselor I saw made me feel like I did the right thing coming back. After more than a decade of suffering and negative experiences with counselors, my second visit at the counseling center was worth it.
There are however some people there that cannot empathize with people of color.

Ronald F.

UF needs to dedicate more resources to the mental health of their students. This is not a counseling center. It is a short-term help center that will provide little help accommodating students who need longer term therapy. You will not get more than a few appointments here before you are cut off. The psychiatry center is also overburdened and has absurdly long waiting lists for certain things.

How much money did the fancy new baseball stadium cost? I bet some of that could have been used to improve mental health services to students.

On one positive note, the staff is nice and I have had two good doctors here.

Meg R.

Don't even bother trying to get help here. I've had appointments as well as been an in-crisis walk in and all they do is tell you to go somewhere else. I've had three friends share the same sentiment. One of the most attractive things about the CWC option is easy accessibility, both financially and in location, but they send you off to private practice without regard for what works best for you. UF should feel pretty ashamed of this sorry attempt at caring for mental health.

Amy P.

The CWC offers videos and maybe short term help for suicidal students. Read the reviews CWC and take action! Other than that, they let my student and many others fall through the cracks. My student had her triage appointment , recieved one email stating they would contact her asap and now 4 months later as I write this, NO ONE followed up. I guess because she wasn't trying to commit suicide and she is not being abused? This lack of attention to her made her feel WORSE and I had to step in. What about students who don't have parents to rely on? This place is absoloutly unacceptable and my child in one of hundreds not getting the help they need.

DJ T.

This place is a joke. Maybe it’s the university’s fault more so than the people working in the CWC, but they completely let me fall through the cracks. When I was a student at UF 5 years ago, I suffered from depression and had a tumultuous relationship with my parents that resulted in a shaky-at-best support system. I came here for help and to get back on track, and after one consultation they told me I’d need to look for outside help. I was depressed, poor, alone, near unable to even call someone on a telephone by myself… and they basically just told me figure it out. I had no expendable money and parents not willing to help. Even though people say you should ask for help if you need it, it’s something I’ve always struggled with. To take the leap of faith and ask for help just to be told through actions that you’re inadequate/unworthy… I think they did more damage to me than never trying at all would’ve.

Aadit K.

I have been participating in Movie Mondays and Wellness Tuesdays organized by Dr Dylan Harrell and Shinlay Riviera and had a great time at both events. I'm glad to see such services provided by UF because they had only just started these back at NUS.