FORT MYERS, Fla. — Getting mental health support can be expensive and appointments can take weeks to secure, but Florida Gulf Coast University says it has a solution to both problems.
The university's Community Counseling and Education Center has doubled its number of graduate student interns since last year, meaning more people in need can access affordable mental health services.
Watch Fox 4's Allie Kaiser take us inside the treatment rooms at FGCU:
"Seeing how much power is in therapy led me to think that I can use this to also help other people," said Rosa Saldana, an FGCU graduate student and intern at the center.
Saldana provides counseling as part of her training and says the hands-on experience has benefited her education.
"Having this experience - practicum - to get to see real life clients really kind of helped me solidify my choice in continuing this," Saldana said.
The graduate students work under the supervision of licensed professionals like Julieta Wenk, who coordinates the program and serves as an instructor.
Wenk and other licensed staff observe sessions through live or recorded feeds to ensure the quality of care.
"I love seeing how they start learning to trust themselves and trust what they learn," Wenk said.
She emphasized that real-world experience is crucial for developing counseling skills.
"You can learn from books, you can learn from practicing, but once you're meeting with a real human being, then you have to kind of train and prepare yourself to use all the knowledge and all the training you have received and tailor it to that particular person," Wenk said.
The center offers sliding-scale fees based on clients' hourly income, with sessions ranging from $5 to $25 per session, making mental health care more accessible.
You can find more information about the program here.
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