VALDOSTA – VSU FamilyWorks now offers walk-in and telehealth counseling to expand access to affordable mental health care.

Release:

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program is breaking barriers to better mental health by offering walk-in and telehealth services through FamilyWorks, its campus-based brief therapy clinic. The goal is to increase access to affordable, high-quality counseling services for individuals, couples, and families, including children as young as 3 years old.

“By expanding our commitment to community mental health beyond the traditional appointment-based model, we’re making care more responsive to real life,” said Jessica Millican, FamilyWorks clinical coordinator, licensed marriage and family therapist, and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy-approved supervisor.

“Walk-in sessions allow people to receive support in the moment they need it most, while telehealth removes barriers like transportation and distance, scheduling conflicts, childcare and family responsibilities, and cost. Together, these options allow us to meet people where they are by ensuring that quality mental health care is both accessible and adaptable.”

Walk-Ins at FamilyWorks

FamilyWorks offers flexible walk-in services from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, with a goal of expanding this availability in the future. Walk-in services are free of charge and allow community members to receive timely support without a prior appointment.

“Walk-in services are designed for individuals who, for a variety of reasons, haven’t been able to schedule regular therapy,” Millican said. “This may include busy schedules, uncertainty about starting therapy, questions about whether therapy will be helpful, or simply wanting to try a single session. Many clients use walk-in services as a way to ‘test out’ therapy and see if it’s a good fit. We welcome this.”

“Walk-in services are also available for those facing an immediate concern and looking for a solution-focused conversation,” she added. “Each session is brief but treated as a complete therapy experience. We gather information about the client’s concerns, work together to identify goals, and take steps toward addressing them — all within that one session.” 

Walk-in clients are not limited to a single visit. They are welcome to return to FamilyWorks as needed or transition to traditional therapy for deeper, ongoing work. 

Telehealth at FamilyWorks

Telehealth services at FamilyWorks are available to clients ages 18 and older who live in Georgia and have access to a computer, phone, or other device with a camera, microphone, and reliable internet connection. Each session is offered through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. 

Telehealth is designed to make mental health care more accessible for those who are unable to take advantage of in-person therapy sessions. It can be a helpful and convenient way to address a variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, anger, stress management, and relationship challenges. 

Telehealth services follow the same sliding-fee scale as traditional therapy services at FamilyWorks, with fees ranging from zero dollars to $20 per session. (VSU students receive services at no cost, making telehealth a convenient option for those enrolled online and living elsewhere in Georgia.)

“We are committed to being a no- and low-cost therapy clinic and never turn anyone away based on their ability to pay,” Millican said. “If cost is a concern, we encourage clients to talk with the intake manager during the intake process or with their therapist in the first session. Our goal is to make high-quality therapy accessible to everyone who needs it, regardless of financial circumstances.”

Training for the Future

In addition to serving the community, FamilyWorks plays a vital role in training the next generation of therapists. First-year graduate students handle the intake process, while advanced standing graduate students serve as the therapists.

Graduate students gain hands-on experience working with clients while receiving ongoing supervision and mentorship from their experienced Marriage and Family Therapy program faculty. The goal is to prepare students to become skilled, ethical, and culturally responsive clinicians.

 “I love being able to give back to the community,” said Alex Harvin, a graduate clinician who hopes to complete her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy in July. “We get to see so many different family dynamics and different perspectives and backgrounds. I enjoy the fact that we help everyone.”

Millican noted that walk-in therapy offers a unique learning opportunity not widely available outside of a few community mental health settings. Training in single-session, brief therapy gives VSU’s students a distinctive skillset, allowing them to gain experience that many master’s-level clinicians do not have before entering the workforce.

“Walk-ins help us make the most of our sessions and teach us that sometimes therapy is not an ongoing thing. Sometimes people need tools to cope then and now that can carry over into day-to-day life, without needing extensive therapy,” said Harvin, who was grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, and returned to raise her family after serving in the military. 

Emma Wulff, a graduate clinician who calls Athens, Georgia, home, said she enjoys walk-in therapy because “we get the opportunity to help people work through things as they present in that moment, which isn’t always the case with traditional weekly therapy sessions. I find it to be a unique and wonderful experience.”

Telehealth is increasingly being integrated into clinical practices, as well as used by agencies and community mental health organizations, Millican shared. Gaining training and hands-on experience with telehealth equips VSU’s students to meet the growing demand for these services.

“It’s a privilege to be able to have practice in these areas, and I 100 percent believe it will translate into my work throughout the span of my career,” said Wulff, who plans to complete her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy in July. “Not only that, it expands my opportunities to try different things and see what works and what doesn’t work for me or my clients.”

For those who have questions about services offered through FamilyWorks, the main intake office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Telehealth and traditional therapy sessions are typically available seven days a week, including evenings. The clinic is located in Farbar Hall on the Oak Street side of VSU’s Main Campus.

On the Web: 

https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/education/human-services/marriage-family-therapy/familyworks