Psychological Services Center
The Psychological Services Center (PSC) a behavioral health training clinic for UAA graduate students in the M.S. in Clinical Psychology and the Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology programs. These programs emphasize culturally sensitive training to provide services that honor and celebrate each person’s unique background. The PSC is available to the public across all communities of Alaska as well as UAA students, staff, and faculty.
(907) 786-1795
If our services might be helpful to you or someone you know, please call for more information or to schedule an appointment.
The PSC Director is Dr. Hannah Ekstrom. To contact the director specifically, please call (907) 786-1758.
Services Offered
The PSC offers a variety of therapy services depending on the semester. This includes individual, group, and couples therapy as well as psychological assessment. As a training clinic, our student-clinicians work with a small caseload of clients and receive regular supervision from licensed faculty psychologists. Please note that we are not a good fit for people needing acute or complex care. All sessions are by appointment only.
We require a brief and confidential phone screening before scheduling any services. During this screening, you can ask questions, and we will assess how we can best support you. If we determine that we’re not the best fit for your needs, we will provide you with options for other community resources. Phone screenings for minors must involve a consenting parent or legal guardian.
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Individual Therapy
The PSC offers individual therapy for adults and adolescents throughout the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Our clients come to us for a variety of reasons, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief, life changes, eating concerns, and more.
What to Expect
Clients will be matched with a graduate-student clinician based on your needs, the clinician’s availability, and your preferences to the extent possible. All therapy services are provided on a sliding-fee scale (down to no cost), which will be determined before your intake session. There are no session limits at the PSC; some seek brief services whereas others work with multiple clinicians across semesters.
Details:
- Who: Adults and youth ages 13+. Open to both UAA and non-UAA affiliated community members across Alaska.
- Where: UAA Social Sciences Building, Suite 255 or via telehealth (Zoom).
- When: During UAA in-session dates (see the academic calendar for details).
- Cost:
- Phone Screenings: Free
- Intakes: $25
- Standard Sessions: $0-$89 per session (based on a sliding fee scale)
- Additional fee reductions are available based on financial need.
- Group Therapy
Managing Intense Emotions: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group
Our DBT Skills Group offers a supportive setting for adults to learn and practice skills for managing intense emotions and life’s challenges. This group is intended for people who have been experiencing a range of concerns, including:
- Communication issues or relationship conflict
- Setting and achieving goals or problem solving
- Intense emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, or loneliness
- Managing stress and building self-confidence
Group Details
- Who: Ages 18+. Open to UAA and non-UAA affiliated community members. Rolling entry.
- Where: TBD
- When: Mondays 3:30-5pm in-person
- Cost: Free
Our DBT Skills Group is co-led by graduate-student clinicians under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. This group is designed for adults who are not experiencing severe mental health crises or active suicidal thoughts.
Trauma Support Group
Our Trauma Support Group offers a safe and supportive space for individuals to heal from traumatic experiences. The group helps members build a foundation of safety, develop coping skills, increase body awareness, and foster personal empowerment through a semi-structured format. This group is primarily based on the Seeking Safety treatment model, which was originally created for those recovering from both trauma and substance addiction, but is open to everyone, regardless of substance use history.
Group Details
- Who: Ages 18+. Open to UAA and non-UAA affiliated community members. Rolling entry.
- Where: TBD
- When:Fridays 2:30-4:30pm in-person
- Cost: Free
Our Trauma Support Group is co-led by graduate-student clinicians under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. This group is designed for adults who are not experiencing a severe mental health crisis, experiencing active suicidal thoughts, or in need of intensive medical or outpatient addiction treatment.
Eating Disorder Support Group
Do you struggle with your relationship with food or your body? You are not alone! We're offering a free, safe, and judgement-free therapy group for those struggling with eating disorder thoughts and/or behaviors.
Group Details
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Who: Ages 18+ UAA and non-UAA affiliated community members
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When: Tuesdays 3:30-5pm in-person
Additional Groups
The PSC may offer additional therapy groups on a semester basis. Examples of groups held in the past include:
- Mindfulness Through Art Therapy Group
- Grief Support Group
- Chronic Pain Group
Feel free to call the PSC any time to inquire about current group availability and offerings. You can also check our Facebook page for updates on new opportunities and upcoming group sessions.
- Couples Therapy
The PSC offers couples therapy primarily during the Fall and Spring semesters, depending on the availability of our licensed faculty supervisors and student clinicians.
Details
- Who: Adults aged 18+. We welcome both UAA and non-UAA affiliated community members.
- Where: UAA Social Sciences Building, Suite 255 or via telehealth (Zoom).
- Cost:
- Phone Screening: Free
- Intake: $25 per couple
- Sessions: $0-89 per session per couple based on a sliding fee scale
- Additional fee reductions are available based on financial need.
Note: We require a brief and confidential phone screening with all individuals in the relationship together (on one or separate lines).
- Psychological Assessment
The PSC offers a limited number of psychological assessments during the Spring semester (mid-January through early May) with doctoral students in the Clinical-Community Psychology program who are supervised by licensed faculty psychologists. These assessments typically only available during this time frame, though they may occasionally be offered during other semesters based on the availability of doctoral student-clinicians and faculty supervisors.
Psychological assessments at the PSC are comprehensive and include multiple sessions, which may involve:
- A detailed interview
- Completion of a range of testing and assessment measures
- A feedback session where your student-clinician delivers a full written report and recommendations
We conduct assessments for various concerns, including:
- ADHD
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- PTSD
- Dementia
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or head injury
- Learning disabilities
- Diagnostic clarification
Details:
- Who: Adults ages 18+ and adolescents on a case-by-case basis
- Where: UAA Social Sciences Building, Suite 255. Assessments for individuals living remotely outside of Anchorage may be considered depending on the ability to conduct testing via telehealth.
- When: Spring Semester (mid-January through early May). Occasional availability in other semesters may be announced.
- Cost:
- Phone Screenings: Free
- Assessment: $50 flat fee
- Fee reductions are available based on financial need.
We require a brief and confidential phone screening before scheduling an assessment. This screening allows you to ask questions and helps us determine how we can best support you and if we have availability. If we find that we’re not the best fit for your needs, we will provide options for other community resources. Phone screenings for minors must involve a consenting parent or legal guardian.
Contact Us: Call 907-786-1795 with any questions or to schedule your free phone screening. We recommend contacting us early in the Spring Semester (beginning mid-January), as assessment availability can change quickly. We do not keep waitlists; however, we encourage anyone who is interested in assessment to inquire about our availability and anticipated service offerings at any point during the year.
Payment
- Payment
To review our fees, payment options, and more, please look through our Fees and Financial Information.
Providers
- Providers
PSC clinicians are master’s and doctoral students who are supervised by licensed psychologists. All services available are confidential and meet the ethical guidelines established by the American Psychological Association and HIPAA (the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act). PSC HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Click here to meet our team this semester.
Location & Hours
Fall and Spring Semesters: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
The PSC is located on the second floor of the Social Sciences Building (Suite 255) at the University of Alaska Anchorage main campus. Note: While our clinic also serves UAA students, our clinic is distinct from the UAA Student Health and Counseling Center, which is located on Rasmuson Hall.
Address: 3190 Alumni Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508
Directions: From Providence Drive or Northern Lights, turn onto UAA Drive and then turn onto Alumni Drive. You will immediately see a parking lot on your right by the blue sculpture and parking garage.
Parking: We can provide parking passes for anyone without UAA parking permits.
