Mental Health Services
A diagnosis of HIV can trigger very powerful emotions. Stress, anxiety, and depression are common responses to living with HIV. Whether you are dealing with emotional difficulties, mental illness, substance abuse, or the desire for alternative, specialized, or holistic therapy, there are resources available to help you and your loved ones.
Waterloo Counseling Center
The Waterloo Counseling Center (WCC), a privately owned nonprofit organization serving Austin since 1983, provides affordable mental health counseling services in an accepting environment with an expertise in gender and sexual diversity. The services Waterloo provides are:
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Couple counseling
- Family counseling
- HIV support counseling
- Transsexual/transgender support therapy
- Coming out issues centered therapy
- Abuse/trauma issues therapy
Learn more about the Waterloo Counseling Center
Community AIDS Resources and Education (C.A.R.E.)
The C.A.R.E. Program, provided by MHMR Integral Care, offers case management, mental health and outpatient substance use treatment to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The mental health services C.A.R.E. offers are:
- Psychiatric care
- Financial assistance for psychiatric medications
- Individual and group counseling
- Acupuncture-detoxification and yoga groups.
- The Journey outpatient substance use treatment program, where individuals living with HIV/AIDS and addiction learn to live and recover from the complex illnesses they face.
Learn more about C.A.R.E.
The Wright House Wellness Center
The Wright House Wellness Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses make healthier life-style choices, employ holistic health therapies to delay illness, and contribute back to the community. Through their Disease Management program, they offer mental health services including:
- Mental Health
- Complementary Therapies
- Massage Therapy
- Free Iyengar Yoga
Learn more about the Wright House
AIDS Services of Austin (ASA)
AIDS Services of Austin is the region’s oldest and largest community-based organization addressing the local AIDS crisis. Through their medical case management program, ASA provides comprehensive individualized psychological assessments and supportive counseling.
Learn more about ASA
David Powell Community Health Center
The David Powell Community Health Center provides HIV-specific health services through a coordinated team effort that includes mental health services.
Learn more about the David Powell Clinic
Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services
Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services offers prevention counseling, community education, and other counseling services.
Learn more about City services
Communication with your healthcare providers about your mental health is an essential part of your success in receiving treatment. Antiretroviral drugs can affect your mental health, so have your mental health evaluated before you begin treatment. Furthermore, some of the opportunistic infections associated with HIV/AIDS may have an impact on your mental health that lead to changes in behavior and functioning, so it is important for your healthcare provider to have a clear picture of your mental health from the very beginning.