With January comes a slew of New Year’s resolutions, visible in packed gyms and sidewalks clogged with joggers.

Though many students openly are trying to improve their physical health, few so frankly talk about the importance of mental health.

There are a variety of options for students seeking counseling on and off campus that meet a range of needs.

Matt Orbell, who works at the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation, said people often assume only those with diagnosable mental disorders need psychological counseling.

“Counseling and therapy is helpful for everyday people with everyday problems,” Orbell said. “People don’t get a lot of coaching . to help navigate feelings.”

A good resource for students seeking short-term therapy is Counseling and Psychiatric Services at the University Health Center, referred to as CAPS.

Chuck Zanone, the associate director for outreach and consultation at CAPS, said it was designed to provide brief treatment to serve more students, with normal treatment time lasting less than 10 sessions.

“That brief treatment model meets the needs of the student population,” Zanone said.

But those without an immediate need may have to be patient.

Students must go through a series of steps to assess their needs before they can make an appointment.

“It’s important to emphasize that we don’t turn students away who are in acute distress,” Zanone said.

After the initial screening, CAPS presents students with options and may place them on a “to be assigned list” for ongoing counseling.

Zanone said those with more urgent needs begin working with a counselor more quickly.

“We try to give clients a more realistic assessment of the wait,” Zanone said.

Gayle Robbins, director of CAPS, emphasized some think the possible wait time is an indication that CAPS is not sympathetic to the needs of students.

“We take the well-being of students very, very seriously. It concerns me that people think CAPS is unresponsive.”

“We carry beepers 24/7,” Zanone said, “and the clinic is open on weekends,” explaining the measures CAPS takes to ensure they are available to students in need.

Students may be referred to other counseling options either on campus or in the Athens area if they require long-term care or if the volume of patients is too high.

Robbins said she has seen an increase in the amount of students seeking psychological counseling and their level of distress and severity over the last 10 to 15 years, and a more immediate increase since August.

“Through the student health fee, we’ve been able to get additional clinical staff,” Zanone said. “The new staff is recognition of the high demand for our services.”

Both Robbins and Zanone brought up the stigma associated with mental health issues.

“One of the first things a client will say is, ‘Am I crazy?’ It speaks volumes about their internalized stigma and social beliefs about what it means to be healthy and well.”

Students seek counseling for a variety of reasons, but Zanone said the “top three” they see are anxiety, depression and relationship concerns. Robbins added that behind those three are eating disorders and substance abuse issues.

Zanone said students come in to continue medication they were prescribed by another psychiatrist.

There are 22 specialists employed at CAPS, including psychologists, psychiatrists, post-doctoral trainees and social workers.

CAPS is not the only outlet available to students seeking help.

The Psychology Clinic, run by the University’s psychology department, offers a broad range of services students and Athens residents can pay for on a sliding scale based on monthly income.

“All therapy is done by grad students training to be licensed psychologists, supervised by licensed psychologists,” said Melissa Mattox, administrative assistant at the clinic.

The Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluations is another option for those who want or require more immediate care.

“For counseling, we don’t have a wait at all,” Jill Kleinke, administrative assistant at the center, said.

Like the Psychology Clinic, the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluations charges patients on a need-based sliding scale, with sessions ranging from $10 to $30 each.

“It’s great for people because rates are so low,” Kleinke said. “It’s one of those community resources that people really don’t know about.”

There are other options off campus. Tom Camp is the executive director of Samaritan Counseling, where counselors try to help patients through spirituality and positive life changes, such as nutrition and exercise.

Camp said there are many mental health care providers in Athens, but care may not be available across the board because of limitations from medical insurance.

“We want students to develop a preventative mindset,” Zanone said. “We try to normalize seeking mental health services.”