Mental Health & Counseling

If you're experiencing stress, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, and you need to talk to someone, or you're just looking for more information about mental health and well-being, then check out the following resources to learn more or to find counseling and therapy, often at little to no cost to you.

FOR SOM STUDENTS (includes HPP & BSGP)

• Steven Sanchez, MD – Dr. Sanchez is a psychiatrist who sees SOM students at no-cost. He provides short- and long-term therapy, and can prescribe medications when needed. You can contact him at ssanche0@salud.unm.edu.
• Raven Cuellar, PhD – Dr. Cuellar is a UNM Psychologist who sees medical students, residents, and fellows at no-cost. She can be contacted at Ravencuellar@salud.unm.edu. 
• Rebecca Ezechukwu, PhD – Dr. Ezechukwu is a UNM Psychologist who sees medical students, residents, and fellows at no-cost. She can be contacted at Rezechukwu@salud.unm.edu.
• Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) – SHAC provides quality health and counseling services to all UNM students to foster student success. Fees charged at SHAC are much lower than community rates. SHAC is funded in part by student activity fees. For more information, you can contact them at 505-277-3136 or shac@unm.edu.
• TimelyCare – University of New Mexico students have FREE, 24/7 access to virtual care services with TimelyCare — a virtual health and well-being platform designed for college students. Students do not need insurance to access TimelyCare services. For more information, click the link above or go to https://timelycare.com/UNM.

FOR RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS

• Raven Cuellar, PhD – Dr. Cuellar is a UNM Psychologist who sees medical students, residents, and fellows at no-cost. She can be contacted at Ravencuellar@salud.unm.edu. 
• Rebecca Ezechukwu, PhD – Dr. Ezechukwu is a UNM Psychologist who sees medical students, residents, and fellows at no-cost. She can be contacted at Rezechukwu@salud.unm.edu.
• Katherine Kilgore, MD – Dr. Kilgore is a psychiatrist who sees residents and fellows at no-cost. She provides short- and long-term therapy, and can prescribe medications when needed. To get in contact with her, please search for her name using Outlook.
• Outcomes – Provides counseling, education, conflict resolution and other services for residents and fellows. For more information, you can contact them at 505-243-2551.

FOR FACULTY

• PeerConnect – Healthcare is rewarding work, but it can also be challenging. Sometimes the best support we can get is from someone who understands the kind of work we do. PeerConnect is available for peer support when you need to talk. It's safe and confidential. If you'd like to be connected to a peer supporter or are interested in becoming a peer supporter, please email peerconnect@salud.unm.edu or follow the link above for more information.
• CARS: Counseling, Assistance and Referral Service – CARS promotes a healthy work-life balance by providing on-site services to assist UNM faculty and staff members with professional and personal concerns. Relationship difficulties, anxiety, stress and job burnout, depression, eldercare, coworker conflicts, alcohol or other drug abuse, managing change, grief and loss issues and preparing for retirement are just a few of the issues CARS can address. For more information, you can contact them at 505-272-6868 or cars@unm.edu.
• Employee Assistance Program (for VA faculty) – Everyone has personal problems from time to time. The Employee Assistance Program offers professional, confidential counseling and consultation that can help you resolve these issues. Services are available at no cost to you.
• GAMA Lifebridge^TM – The Greater Albuquerque Medical Association (GAMA) is proud to announce an exclusive member wellness program. LifeBridge^TM is a CONFIDENTIAL counseling program staffed by highly trained therapists who have been vetted by GAMA. Open to all active and retired GAMA members.

FOR EVERYONE

• Frequently Asked Questions about Seeking Help for Mental Health Concerns [PDF] – A collection of common questions asked by medical school students that is a useful resource for not only students in medical school, but those who have completed medical school as well.
• UNM School of Medicine Support Guide (2024-2025) [PDF] – If you are new to UNM, the Health Sciences Center, or are wanting to learn more about counseling and therapy resources both on- and off-campus, then take a look at this helpful guide put together by our office.
• Test anxiety management tips [PDF] – If you're a student and you have trouble managing your anxiety during tests, follow this link for some helpful tips on how to manage it. Also useful for anyone who has trouble managing their anxiety.
• SHAC emergency and after-hours information – Although SHAC is only available for students enrolled at UNM, the emergency and after-hours information page has resources that are available for others as well. Follow the link for more information.
• Therapy Assistance Online – TAO Self-Help will help you to manage your own emotional well-being without the help of a counselor. TAO Self-Help includes modules for developing your ability to bounce back from disappointments and setbacks, often referred to as resilience training. Anyone with an @salud.unm.edu email address can sign up.
• UNM Campus Climate Resources – Link to LGBTQ Resource Center, Counseling and Referral Services and UNM Police Department.
• UNM Psychiatry Center – The state's largest community mental health care provider, UNM Psychiatric Center provides a full spectrum of behavioral health care for thousands of New Mexicans each year. Call 505-272-2800 to schedule an appointment.
• UNM Psychology Clinic – Call 505-277-5164 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
• UNM Women's Resource Center – The Women's Resource Center offers FREE Remote counseling and crisis intervention. Short-term counseling is available for a wide range of issues and immediate support and referrals for any student, staff, or faculty. For more information, you can contact them at 505-277-3716 or at wrccounseling@unm.edu.
• Mental health resources for underrepresented communities – Check out this list of national mental health resources from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Preventing suicide in LGBTQ communities – The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is focused on sharing and expanding suicide prevention strategies, programs, research initiatives, and public policies to prevent suicide in LGBTQ communities and supporting the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ people.
• Adult Survivors of Child Abuse – Adult Survivors of Child Abuse is an international self-help support group program designed specifically for adult survivors of neglect, physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse. For more information, you can contact them at info@ascasupport.org.
• Oxford Happiness Questionnaire – Where would you sit on a scale stretching from ‘not happy’ to ‘too happy’? Find out in this five-minute test from psychologists at Oxford Brookes University.
• Are you anxious, stressed or drinking too much? – Take a mental health test from Mental Health America.
• Are you kind to yourself? – Take this test to see how self-compassionate you are.
• How self-confident are you? – Learn to improve self-confidence by building self-efficacy with this quiz from MindTools.