Expert Therapy for UAB Students
Advanced mental health care tailored to the intense demands of UAB's medical, research, and undergraduate programs. Choose convenient teletherapy between classes, or drive 15 minutes to our Hoover clinic for specialized in-person neurotherapy.
The Reality of the UAB Experience
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is an elite medical and research powerhouse. While the education is world-class, the pressure cooker environment of the Heersink School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and rigorous STEM/graduate programs takes a profound toll on student nervous systems.
High-achieving students at UAB frequently navigate extreme academic pressure, clinical fatigue, and imposter syndrome. According to research, medical and graduate students experience clinical burnout and anxiety at rates far exceeding the general population. We provide a highly clinical, deeply private framework to help you heal and perform at your best.
Specific UAB Stressors We Treat:
- Medical & Clinical Burnout: The grueling hours of clinical rotations, exposure to vicarious trauma, and the weight of patient care. We treat severe physician/medical student burnout.
- Academic Perfectionism: Managing the crushing anxiety and executive dysfunction that comes with high-stakes testing, research deadlines, and graduate defenses.
- Southside/Downtown Stress: The constant stimulation of living and commuting in downtown Birmingham. We help regulate hypervigilance and chronic stress.
The Best of Both Worlds: Teletherapy & In-Person Care
Taproot Therapy Collective is located in Hoover, just a 15-20 minute drive down I-65 from the UAB campus. This close geographic proximity gives UAB students a massive advantage for their mental health care.
1. Absolute Discretion
Because we are entirely separate from the UAB Health System, your mental health records will never intersect with your academic transcripts, clinical placements, or future residency applications.
2. In-Person Neurotherapy
You are close enough to access our in-office QEEG Brain Mapping and neurostimulation equipment—tools that cannot be administered over Zoom, crucial for treating severe ADHD and trauma.
3. Flexible Telehealth
Can't leave Southside? No problem. Utilize our secure teletherapy platform between labs or rotations, ensuring you get consistent, expert trauma care without fighting Highway 280/I-65 traffic.
Local Birmingham & Campus Resources
We advocate for a comprehensive, stepped-care model. While our private practice provides highly specialized, long-term trauma resolution and neurotherapy, we highly encourage UWA students to utilize these verified local resources for immediate, short-term support or crisis intervention.
UAB Student Counseling Services
Provides free, short-term counseling, crisis intervention, and wellness programs for enrolled students.
Location: Student Health & Wellness Center
Phone: (205) 934-5816
Visit UAB Counseling
Crisis Center Birmingham
Provides 24/7 crisis support, suicide prevention, and rape response services for the greater Birmingham area.
24/7 Crisis Line: (205) 323-7777
UTalk (Youth/Teen): (205) 328-5465
Visit Crisis Center
UAB Hospital Emergency
For immediate, life-threatening psychiatric emergencies requiring acute stabilization.
Location: 1802 6th Ave S, Birmingham
Emergency: Dial 911 or go to the ER
Visit UAB Medicine
Evidence-Based Interventions for the Nervous System
Standard "talk therapy" is often insufficient for severe medical school burnout, chronic anxiety, or complex trauma. We utilize advanced interventions endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to heal the subcortical brain and the nervous system directly.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing utilizes bilateral stimulation to process traumatic memories "stuck" in the brain's fear circuitry. Highly effective for medical trauma, PTSD, and severe test anxiety.
Brainspotting
Where you look affects how you feel. This visual-field therapy identifies and releases unprocessed trauma stored in the deep brain. Highly effective when delivered via secure video sessions or in our Hoover clinic.
Somatic Experiencing
Tracks bodily sensations to discharge "stuck" survival energy. Incredibly vital for resolving the physical symptoms of chronic academic stress, sleep deprivation, and panic attacks.
Meet Your Clinical Specialists
Our licensed clinicians have extensive post-graduate training in trauma, complex life transitions, and neurobiology. We are experts dedicated to resolving complex clinical presentations in high-achieving students.
James Waites, LICSW
Medical & Career Burnout
Expert in treating extreme academic burnout, men's issues, and the intense stress associated with UAB's demanding medical, nursing, and dental programs.
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Pamela Hayes, LMSW
Teletherapy & Trauma
Specializes in Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, and chronic illness. Perfect for busy students needing to regulate their nervous systems from the privacy of their apartment.
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Dr. Haley Beech, PhD
Women's Issues & Transitions
Expertise in navigating complex life transitions, maternal mental health, and supporting graduate students balancing rigorous research with family responsibilities.
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Dr. Jason Mishalanie, BCN
Clinical Director of Peak Neuroscience
Over 24 years of experience specializing in QEEG brain mapping and neuropsychological assessment. Crucial for definitively diagnosing ADHD and learning barriers.
View ProfileInsurance & Complete Privacy
We are proudly in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). However, we deeply understand the need for privacy—especially for medical and professional students. Many UAB students prefer to pay out-of-pocket to ensure their mental health care never appears on family insurance statements or university health records. To accommodate this, our highly trained LMSW clinicians offer accessible sliding scale self-pay rates.
Contact Us About RatesIf you are experiencing a mental health emergency, suicidal ideation, or are in immediate danger, please dial 988 for the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or go to the UAB Hospital Emergency Department immediately.