A University of Florida program is filling an important gap for Alachua County residents who cannot afford treatment for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.

Run by student volunteers in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions’ Clinical and Health Psychology Ph.D. program, Free Therapy Night is believed to be the only student-led free psychology service in the country. Every week, students provide telehealth counseling for area residents who would otherwise not be able to access mental health services.

“It is very powerful to see how access to free mental health services can support individuals through challenging life circumstances, serving as a bridge to more comprehensive and long-term systems of support,” said Dakota Leget, a clinical and health psychology doctoral student and Free Therapy Night co-director.

Florida consistently ranks near the top in the U.S. for the number of people with mental health conditions. Many of Free Therapy Night’s patients report they struggle to get the mental health care they need because of lack of insurance, the high cost of insurance co-payments and difficulty getting appointments with providers.

In 2024, 43 Free Therapy Night student volunteers provided more than 200 patient appointments under the supervision of Department of Clinical and Health Psychology faculty members. Following an initial one-hour visit with a student coordinator to determine eligibility, a patient can participate in five weekly sessions with a psychologist-in-training.

Free Therapy Night is one of three student-led clinics in the College of Public Health and Health Professions that offers no-cost health care services for people who are uninsured or underinsured. The OT Equal Access Clinic provides free telehealth and in-person occupational therapy services, and the PT Equal Access Clinic offers physical therapy evaluation and treatment. All care is provided under faculty supervision.

For Shar Aghabeigi, a clinical and health psychology Ph.D. student and Free Therapy Night co-director, witnessing patients’ commitment to treatment fuels her passion for volunteering.

In addition to treating patients for a broad range of mental health conditions, students help patients develop problem-solving and coping skills they can apply long after treatment ends.

Students say Free Therapy Night is a powerful mechanism for gaining real-world experiences while directly supporting the community.

“Through this program, we are expanding the accessibility of mental health services for those who cannot otherwise afford this type of care,” said Ph.D. student and Free Therapy Night coordinator Hannah Johnson. “Prioritizing mental health should be a right, not a privilege, and I am so grateful to have even a small role in this shift in Alachua County.”

Jill Pease is the public relations director for the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.ndation of North Central Florida.

Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of columns sponsored by the University of Florida.