Getting Started

To get started with our counseling services, visit us during our wellness clinic hours.

We honor the courage it takes to seek support.

Our wellness clinics provide a chance to meet with a counselor for the first time to discuss your needs and learn about your care options at The Women’s Initiative.

Clinics are free, offered four days a week, and are open to all women and members of the gender-expansive community.

Wellness Clinic Hours

Call-In Schedule

Call 434.872.0047

Mondays: 10am–12pm
Thursdays: 5–7pm

Walk-In Schedule

Tuesdays: 9–11am
Main Office, 1101 E. High St.

Wednesdays: 2–5pm
(Spanish speakers: 2–4pm)
Main Office, 1101 E. High St.

Mental health clinic worker helps new counseling client fill out paperwork before a session
Two women laugh while one looks at the camera at a community event in Charlottesville

What to Expect:

A one-on-one session with a counselor in person or over the phone.

Offers immediate, short-term assistance, typically including:

  • Emotional support

  • Self-care planning

  • Referral support

  • Eligibility screenings for individual counseling

First come, first served: We suggest arriving or calling toward the beginning of the clinic and no later than one hour before the end of clinic hours.

Please let us know if you prefer to work with a therapist with specific lived experience, e.g. Black, Latine, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, mid-life or older age groups, etc.

Our clinics are not designed for crisis intervention.

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact one of the crisis hotlines listed below:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org, available 24/7.

Region Ten Emergency Services: 434.972.1800, available 24/7

Intake Forms and Health Account Setup

Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions on filling out the necessary paperwork to see one of our counselors.

How to Prepare for a Telehealth Session

A counseling session at The Women’s Initiative is a space to care for yourself. You deserve to give your full attention to this time. You and your therapist may touch base about some of the following topics:

Location:

Do you have a safe private space?

Distractions:

Although sometimes difficult, we encourage you to limit distractions as much as possible. Find a space that is yours. You will get the most out of your session if you are able to be fully engaged.

We invite you to read this letter from our counseling team with more suggestions for honoring this time.

Woman writes in yellow notebook during a community outreach event in Charlottesville

Since we work to expand access to mental health care for people who cannot afford it or are experiencing other barriers to services —

We often refer people with health insurance or financial capacity to therapists in the community.

However, because we honor the diversity of need in our community, eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis by the therapist in the wellness clinic session.

While we typically serve women and members of the gender-expansive community, we provide mental health services to all people with significant barriers to care through partnerships with organizations such as the Shelter for Help in Emergency and the Charlottesville Free Clinic.