Thank you for your constructive reply. I am familiar with W&M’s counseling services, and I did look into it at one point. I am a very proactive person, and I sought out support through the Dean of Students and Ombudsman. I wholeheartedly recommend W&M’s graduate ombuds system, by the way! They were so attentive and caring.
I ended up going to a few support sessions off-campus at a private establishment. A lot of W&M students get referred there, which honestly does not reflect very well on the school. Instead of treating and supporting these students, W&M health services refer them to a private establishment. The sessions are much more costly, and I truly feel bad for these students who have to cough up a high co-pay or even pay out of pocket. More than half of the people that attended the sessions were from W&M.
I stopped going to these support sessions after a certain point because I felt like I was back on track. It was interesting to meet fellow students and hear about their struggles. Some of them were severely depressed. In my case, I simply needed someone to talk to during a difficult time. My parents and friends were occupied with other issues so I did not want to burden them with my problems. (I know I could have, but I prefer to handle things myself whenever I can).
On the other hand, my undergrad college roommate had a wonderful experience with UVA CAPS. I even escorted him to a few sessions because he did not want to go alone. UVA CAPS did not charge for no-shows or cancelations, which is a common problem for depressed patients. Private clinics did charge (as I learned the hard way due to a schedule conflict), and I felt like it was very greedy and borderline shady. Like I said before, I really feel bad for the W&M students that get referred to this particular private clinic.
Nevertheless, CAPS is not perfect, and UVA student health does have plenty of room for improvement. Some of the psychiatrists complete their residency at CAPS and do not plan on staying long-term. These doctors come and go, which is unfortunate. That is what happened to my roommate’s shrink. It was tough for him to open up to a new psychiatrist.
The thread you linked me about UVA CAPs has plenty of good comments as well. Many of the posters recommended the OP to seek CAPS. I’m not sure why you think CAPS is inadequate based on that thread? OP and student did give it a try. I think that OP mainly had an issue with being rejected so many times. Elections for dorm office/clubs/studco can be quite competitive at UVA. Rushing greek is also tough. Sometimes it takes a while to find your niche in college, and I can relate to getting turned down from a coveted position in an student organization. This is not just exclusive to UVA, but rather all colleges, including W&M. Landing a leadership position or getting into a popular frat is not easy.
Overall, I respect UVA CAPS a lot for not pushing my roommate for a medical withdrawal. His counselors and professors wanted to help him get through school and depression. There was no reason for him to discontinue his studies as long as he attended his therapy sessions.
Compare that to W&M’s immediate suggestion of a medical withdrawal to a graduate student with good grades and no previous history of depression (aka me)! I said I was feeling depressed and wanted to transfer. Feeling depressed, not crazy or suicidal lol! I had to resist rolling my eyes at that comment.
(I apologize for the typos and rambling. I pulled an all-nighter due to work).