The Counseling Center offers a variety of mental health services, including short-term counseling, psychiatric evaluation and treatment, crisis intervention, group counseling, educational workshops, outside referrals and more.

To serve as many students as possible, we provide time-limited counseling and refer to outside providers when a student’s concern requires a specialization not available in the Center or is not appropriate for short term work. On average students are seen for 6 sessions but can be seen for up to 12 sessions if needed. Students who are referred to off-campus provider or specialist will need to provide insurance and/or a copayment fee.

Some of the issues commonly addressed in time-limited counseling include:

  • Personal issues: stress and anxiety, depression, loneliness, grief and loss, anger, lack of confidence or self-esteem, pregnancy, medical illnesses, body image or eating concerns.
  • Relationship issues: romantic relationship difficulties, sexual concerns, roommate problems, family issues, divorce.
  • Developmental issues: identity development, including gender, sexual and racial identity; adjustment to college, graduation and career concerns, life transitions.
  • Other issues including sexual harassment or assault, relationship violence, discrimination and racial trauma, immigration concerns, pornography dependence,

Services we do not provide include:

  • Students for whom short-term counseling would be detrimental or inappropriate for the clinical concern or diagnosis (for example, PTSD, dissociation, addiction, eating disorders, chronic or more complex mental health issues or multiple hospitalizations)
  • Students who desire or need to be seen more frequently or for longer that the CC can provide.
  • Students who are not motivated to engage in treatment as evidenced by lack of attendance at appointments or lack of follow-through on treatment recommendations.
  • Students who are currently receiving counseling from another provider and can continue this established relationship.
  • Students who are mandated by the court or the college to receive counseling.

Other clinical services include:

Emergency Services

If you or someone you know is in crisis, the Center has an emergency walk-in hour, Monday-Friday from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Typical emergency situations include thoughts of harm (self or others), a death or other major loss, inability to function as needed, or a sexual or physical assault (Counseling Center staff are confidential reporters for a sexual assault). If the emergency is after-hours, please contact your RA or Campus Security if you are a residential student or contact any of the resources listed on the left side of this page.

Individual Counseling

We provide short-term counseling and crisis intervention to all undergraduate students. In general we offer 8-12 counseling sessions per student or roughly the equivalent of one semester. Emergency consultation is available from 3:00-4:00 pm Monday-Friday.

Group Counseling

The Counseling Center offers longer-term group counseling to students who are appropriate for a particular group. Group counseling allows students to connect with other students who share similar concerns and can provide additional support. In addition to insights offered by a therapist, students have the opportunity to learn from one another and share experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

Outside Referrals

Those requiring long-term therapy or a specialist are referred to a counselor or therapist in the Greater Boston area. Students can receive help in finding out their insurance benefit information and a list of providers that best meet their mental health needs. Contact the Counseling Center for an appointment.

Medication Evaluation & Treatment

Our licensed psychiatrist is available to meet with students who are currently seeing a therapist at the Counseling Center. A student and their therapist will make a joint determination as to whether a consultation for medication with a psychiatrist is warranted. Please note that the psychiatrist is in the office on a limited basis and is not on-call. It is the responsibility of any student meeting with a psychiatrist to keep their appointments and manage their medication as instructed. The Counseling Center reserves the right to refer those unable to comply with these terms to an outside practitioner.

Educational Workshops

Educational workshops led by the Counseling Center staff are offered each semester based on the needs of the student population. Workshops on grief, learning about healthy relationships, leadership development, and stress management are a few programs that have been offered. If you are interested and would like information on a potential workshop, please contact the Counseling Center.

Consultation with Faculty & Staff Regarding a Student

Any faculty/staff member who is concerned for a student's well-being and has questions about making a referral is encouraged to call or come to the Counseling Center and speak with a counselor. The Center has emergency walk-in hours Monday-Friday from 3:00-4:00 p.m.; students can be referred or walked over during this time if needed.

Campus Response Team

The Campus Response Team is comprised of staff from Campus Safety, the Counseling Center and Residential Life. Members of the team are on call 24 hours a day. Campus Safety's emergency phone number is 617-735-9888.