Counseling with a therapist | UK Human Resources

Are challenges becoming too much or has a concern come up?

Talk to an experienced mental health professional for the short term

Whether a concern has suddenly come up or existing challenges have become too much, there are many reasons to connect with a therapist. We offer empathy and understanding plus assistance in figuring out what’s next. Consider us your supportive starting point.

Options at no charge to you

Mental health screening
Diagnostic assessments
Talk therapy
Referrals for long-term support

For all ages — children, teens and adults

You’ll be supported with your concerns and empowered to move forward

You or your family member can see us for any reason

Mental and emotional health including depression, anxiety and grief
Family matters including parenting, separation and divorce
Work situations including challenges with performance and communication
Alcohol and drugs
Communication and relationships
Challenging situations including crisis, grief and change
Making sense of new diagnoses, whether emotional or physical conditions you or someone close has received
Uncertainty if you’re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition

Five appointments every fiscal year at no cost to you

Sessions are available in person, by phone or online meeting. Generally, a session lasts 45-55 minutes. All sessions are confidential.

Due to board licensure requirements, all mental health therapist telehealth appointments must occur in the state of Kentucky. If you live and/or work from a location outside Kentucky, please schedule an appointment with LiveHealth Online at www.livehealthonline.com, which is currently offering $0 co-pays for behavioral health services.

Request an appointment with the therapist of your choice. Each therapist has several areas of focus as well as a breadth of experience in working with anyone.

When you view their calendar, you’ll be able to suggest an appointment date. After your appointment, you may continue scheduling with them for all five sessions if you’d like.

Employees with a full-time equivalency (FTE) or 0.5 or greater are eligible for five free sessions per fiscal year, as are UK retirees, sponsored dependents or spouses. Any unused sessions do not roll over into a new fiscal year.

Appointment availability

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
plus limited availability 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Each therapist begins and ends their workday at different times to accommodate these timeframes. When scheduling, please check the different appointment times for each therapist.

Let’s work together to identify what might help

Employees can choose a therapist based on specialty.

Ann Bassoni

“I’ll meet you where you are in life.”

Parenting and children
ADD/ADHD
Mood
Self or family substance use
Grief
Suicide awareness and prevention

Meet Ann and schedule an appointment

Rhonda Henry

"I create a safe and supportive environment for our work."

Life transitions
Relationship challenges
Identity issues
Navigating individual and community trauma
Work-life satisfaction

Meet Rhonda and schedule an appointment

Kim Releford

“I’ll provide support and a safe space for you to explore your goals, values, and strengths in order to navigate life’s challenges.”

Anxiety and Depression
Substance Use
Grief and Loss
Anger and Stress Management
Trauma and Abuse
Family and Relationship Issues

Meet Kim and schedule an appointment

Jonathon White

“I like treating the whole person.”

Behavioral health
Addiction
Engagement with diverse populations

Please call (502) 656-0963 to schedule an appointment.

LaTasha White

“I offer a warm, safe and nonjudgmental environment to discuss life issues.”

Addiction
Trauma
Depression
Anxiety
Life transitions

Please call (502) 509-7207 or email
lwhite@soarcounselingconsulting.com to schedule an appointment.

Eric Wilkinson

"I'll emphasize your strengths, interests and values."

Mindfulness
Interpersonal problems
Anxiety and depression
Parenting and children
Life goals
Trauma and grief

Meet Eric and schedule an appointment

Frequently asked questions

How does scheduling work for children and teens?

If you are scheduling for a child or teen 18 years or younger, please have the last four digits of their social security number available when making the appointment.

If you are age 18 and out of high school, you must make the appointment yourself. No one else can make the appointment for you.

Will my information remain confidential?

All information is confidential unless otherwise mandated by law. Your information is not part of your personnel files, nor is it part of your medical record.

Are there options for more than five sessions a year?

Our counseling for individuals is a free and confidential benefit that allows up to five free sessions per employee or retiree, per each fiscal calendar year (July 1 through June 30). This means a total of five sessions are allotted to each employee to use for themselves or to share with a spouse or sponsored dependents. This does not mean each member of the employee’s family gets five sessions.

Our counseling service provides short-term therapy, assessment and referrals. We have found our service to be comparable to those at benchmark institutions.

Please talk with your therapist about additional mental health options if you need long-term mental health support.

Are you available to mediate between two employees?

The therapists do not provide mediation services.

As a supervisor, how can I support the mental health of my team members?

Being informed about mental health is important for everyone, including supervisors. Please review our article for supervisors on how to support mental health and respond to concerns. This covers several key facts about mental health, suicide and how to refer employees who might need support.

For more tips on proactively supporting your team members, review our supervisor tools for mental health.

Can graduate or professional students visit with a therapist?

Graduate and professional students are not eligible for free visits with our mental health therapists. However, the UK Counseling Center provides individual therapy and support groups specifically for graduate and professional students.

Do you offer therapy to remote workers outside of KY?

Due to board licensure requirements, all mental health therapist's telehealth appointments must occur in the state of Kentucky. If you live and/or work from a location outside Kentucky, please schedule an appointment with LiveHealth Online at www.livehealthonline.com, which is currently offering $0 co-pays for behavioral health services.

Updates

June 3, 2020 Statement on race-based tragedies from our mental health therapists

We express our grief, sorrow and compassion to all those who have been impacted by the race-based tragedies that have been occurring across our nation.

From our blog

September 15, 2021 Mental health blog: Music to my ears Eric Wilkinson, MSW, LCSW

5 min. read

November 25, 2020 Nature Meditation and Haiku Writing Exercise Eric Wilkinson, MSW, LCSW

5 min. read

November 25, 2020 Substance abuse and the holidays Cindy Bowling, LCSW

2 min. read

Podcasts

Becoming Wildly Resilient: Moving Forward with Our Well-Being
Jakob W. Hester, MS

67 min. listen

Cultivating Radical Acceptance
Eric Wilkinson, MSW, LCSW

10 min. listen

Becoming Wildly Resilient: Listen to the Music Play
Jakob W. Hester, MS

63 min. listen

Mental health therapist counseling

We offer five sessions with a mental health therapist per year for you or an eligible family member. Regular and STEPS employees in roles set at half- to full-time work status are eligible, in addition to retirees. Sessions are no cost and confidential.

Contact our office

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(859) 257-9355 (WELL) Option 1
employeementalhealth@uky.edu
Breckinridge Hall Office 203 and 204

Need support from another specialist?

We offer more consultations and counseling for all health and well-being needs.

Talk to a health coach about wellness goals
Talk to an exercise specialist about movement
Talk to a registered dietitian about food
Talk to a financial expert about money
Talk to an elder care specialist about caregiving
Talk to a tobacco specialist about quitting

More mental health services

From UK insurance-covered services, to telehealth for talk therapy or prescription medication in any state, to 24/7 help lines, you’ll find more options available.

Mental health

Counseling with a therapist Easily access short-term mental health care for employees and their family members at no cost.