About Us
Walk-In Counseling Center began in 1969 with a shared belief that mental health support should be accessible. For over 55 years, volunteer counselors and community members have worked together to make space for conversations without the barriers of cost or insurance. Walk-In is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 1971. We offer free, anonymous counseling for people navigating depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, domestic violence, and other life challenges. You are welcome whether you have a specific concern or are unsure where to begin. We listen, build on your strengths, and work with you to explore next steps. Our work is grounded in dignity, equity, and the understanding that individual and community wellbeing are connected.
Our Mission
Walk-In serves unmet needs for accessible mental health counseling in our community. We help people stabilize during a time of crisis and resolve problems before they become severe. We provide free, anonymous, easily accessible services by professional volunteers who share the values of dignity, compassion, equity, and inclusion.
Join us! Each year, more than 100 volunteer clinicians donate their time, with services valued at more than $32 million over 55 years.
2025 Annual Report
- Last year we served approx. 1,500 individuals
- Provided nearly 3,700 free counseling sessions
- Our volunteers contribute services valued at close to $1 million annually.
- Offering virtual therapy 5 days a week and in-person 3 days a week.
- For a brief overview of our services in 2025, click here.
Who We Help
Our doors are open to everyone. We serve people navigating all kinds of life experiences, including:
- Anyone managing everyday stress and major life transitions
- Individuals facing complex trauma, relationship challenges, or systemic barriers to care
- People across all ages, backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, and economic situations
- Students, parents, veterans, recent immigrants, and those exploring their identity
- Caregivers and family members seeking support
- Individuals in post-acute care continuing their healing journey
- People with or without insurance coverage
What unites everyone who walks through our doors is the shared human experience of seeking understanding, growth, and connection.
WHEN EMERGENCY CARE IS NEEDED
It is important to note that Walk-In is not an emergency provider nor are we an appropriate referral for individuals experiencing active psychosis or other acute mental health crises. We understand however how to connect people with appropriate resources and how to navigate complex systems of care.
NAMI MN Info & Resources: https://namimn.org/support/information-and-resources/crisis-resources/
Roughly half of community members who visit Walk-In resolve their concerns in a single session; others return for brief treatment (typically 8–12 sessions). For longer-term support, we help community members connect with other providers.
Our History & Future
Our History: Free, Confidential Counseling Since 1969
It was 1969 — a time of conflict over civil rights and the Vietnam War, and a generation demanding that institutions do a better job of serving people. A group of psychologists decided that mental health care shouldn't require an appointment, an insurance card, or an explanation. So they started giving it away — free, confidential, no hoops to jump through — and Walk-In Counseling Center opened its doors that May.
We were part of something bigger: the free clinic movement, built on the belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege.
As Walk-In grew alongside its neighbor, the Teenage Medical Service, we began welcoming people of every age — not just the alienated young people the free clinic movement first reached. Over the years, Walk-In has done more than provide counseling — we helped build the community's response to domestic violence and sexual assault, supported the growth of services for LGBTQ+ people, and worked to protect people from exploitation by the very professionals meant to help them.
None of this happens without the people who show up to do it. Walk-In is a collective of licensed clinicians who've given their time and skill for over 55 years — learning from each other as much as from the work itself. Through funding shifts, a pandemic, and everything in between, one thing hasn't changed: when someone needs help, we're here — no appointment, no cost, no judgment.
