Wellness

Maintaining and enhancing your health is essential for the successful pursuit of your goals at King Hall and beyond. The UC Davis  Wellness Portal contains campus resources to help you stay well, including medical, mental health, substance abuse, and other wellness programs and services. 

Counseling Services for Law Students

The School of Law and Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) offers law students several options for free and confidential, short-term individual counseling services on campus, as well as off campus options for more frequent or longer-term services.

On campus individual counseling services:

Psychologist embedded at  the School of Law:   Dr. Margaret Lee is the SHCS psychologist embedded full-time at the law school. She is available by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00pm, and has an office conveniently located in King Hall. To make an appointment, email her directly at  counseling@law.ucdavis.edu, and include all of your available open times for an appointment. Or, if you are a 1L student simply indicate your section. This will facilitate obtaining a timely appointment.

At your initial appointment, Dr. Lee will talk with you about your counseling needs and recommend a course of treatment. She can also make a referral for you to see an off-campus therapist using your SHIP insurance, or with a Case Manager who will help you find a therapist in the community regardless of your insurance.

CS Counselors on main campus: Some law students might prefer to meet with a counselor outside of King Hall, for greater privacy/anonymity, choice of therapist or availability. For an appointment with a counselor from the main campus Counseling Services (CS) center, call 530-752-0871, or web-book an appointment from Health-e-Messaging (HEM).

Urgent Mental Health Needs: Urgent counseling care services are available for same-day evaluation and treatment by a CS Psychotherapist on Duty by calling 530-752-0871.

Off-campus individual counseling services:

  • For students with SHIP insurance: You will need a referral from an SHCS counselor (such as Dr. Lee) or physician in order to use your SHIP insurance to see an off-campus psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Beginning Fall 2021, there is a $0 copay for these visits. If you want to continue with a therapist you have been seeing, or have otherwise already identified the provider you want to see, you can contact Insurance Services directly on HEM with your provider’s name and contact information and ask for authorization. Providers within the SHIP/Anthem Blue Cross network can be seen with $0 copay. You can also see an out-of-network provider on a 60/40 share cost basis. Contact Insurance Services on HEM for specifics.
  • For students with private insurance: First check to see if your health insurance covers mental health services by calling the member services phone number on your insurance card or logging onto their online portal. You can find a list of in-network providers either on your insurance company’s website or by calling the phone number on your insurance card for “behavioral health” or “mental health” services.
  • If you need help finding an outside therapist, regardless of your insurance, you can web-book an appointment with a CS Referral Coordinator on HEM or call 530-752-0871. Or, Dr. Lee can refer you to an CS Case Manager to help you navigate the system.

Online Counseling Services: Many health insurance carriers now offer online or telemental health options:  https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/online-visits

Psycho-educational and wellness programs are provided throughout the academic year, and when requested by students, faculty and staff. Examples of programming include the Zen Tuesdays weekly meditation sessions, and lunchtime lectures on such topics as managing stress, imposter phenomenon,  managing vicarious trauma, and how to recognize and respond to students in distress.

Wellness Room at King Hall

King Hall students who want a quiet space to relax can visit the Wellness Room (Room 2255) where students can stretch, pray, practice yoga and meditation, or simply unwind. 

Lawyer Assistance Program, State Bar of California

Other wellness and assistance programs, specific to the law profession are provided at the State Bar of California's  Lawyer Assistance Program website. This site includes self-assessment tests for anxiety and depression. While these tests cannot substitute for a professional evaluation, they can help determine if you should receive a thorough professional assessment regarding depression, anxiety, or the use of alcohol or drugs.

Student Disability Center

The Student Disability Center (SDC) offers advising, assistance and resources to students with physical, communicative, or learning disabilities, as well as for temporary impairments. Learn more about services and accessibility at our  Student Disability Center page.