Counseling Service

The Mount Holyoke College Counseling Service is committed to serving the psychological needs of the campus community. Our goal is to help students cope with or change impediments to the realization of their academic and personal potential. All services provided by the Counseling Service are confidential (see Guiding Principles for exceptions) and free of charge.

Students come to the Counseling Service to address a wide range of needs and concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, eating concerns, body image issues, addiction, loss, perfectionism, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, sleep problems, homesickness, coming out issues, hopelessness, sexual assault, academic difficulties, and issues relating to their family of origin. We work with students who are coping with the psychological effects of racism, sexism, classism, sizism, and other targeted aspects of their identities. If you are unsure if you would benefit from therapy, feel free to make an appointment to talk with a clinician about whether counseling could help.

Some students come in with a specific concern that can be addressed in one or two sessions, while other situations may be complex and require more time. We work from a brief treatment model and are able to see individual students for up to eight sessions during an academic year. While this framework meets the needs of most students, some presenting concerns are best addressed within a longer-term therapy. We will work with you to determine how to best meet your needs and will make referrals to off-campus providers when appropriate.

In addition to individual and group therapy, our staff provides consultation to parents and members of the Mount Holyoke community who may have concerns about the mental health of students. Whether you are a student worried about a friend or a faculty member unsure of how to help a student, you may call the Counseling Service to talk with a staff member about your observations and concerns. We will do our best to offer you support and guidance in your efforts to approach and help students.

This Web site is intended to provide an overview of our services and philosophy. We consider it a work in progress and would appreciate any feedback you may have about what is included or what you think is missing. If you have questions that are not addressed by the content, please do not hesitate to call us.