Using campus counseling

Most colleges have a counseling center for students, and at many schools it's free or already covered by your fees. What you say is confidential, with a few safety exceptions. You usually start with a short first appointment to sort out what kind of help fits, and many centers also offer quick drop-in chats, groups and same-day crisis help. You don't need a crisis to go.

What to know

1. Find it. Search your school's site for "counseling center" or ask your RA or student health. A school health or counseling center is one of NIMH's suggested places to look for help.
2. Know you don't need a crisis. Common reasons students go include stress, low motivation, breakups, roommate or family problems, homesickness, sleep trouble, substance use, grief, loneliness and sexual assault or harassment.
3. Book the first appointment online, by phone or in person. At the University of Maryland, for example, it's a roughly 30-minute brief assessment to talk about your needs and options. At UMass Amherst it's a 45-minute consultation, and most students get one within one to two weeks.
4. Expect paperwork first: consent forms, an intake form and short questionnaires about symptoms.
5. At the end, the counselor recommends next steps: individual sessions, a group, a referral, or psychiatric care for medication questions.
6. Need to talk sooner? Many schools have quick options. UMass's Let's Talk is a free 15-minute Zoom check-in, same day or next day. UW offers drop-in Let's Talk sessions too.
7. In a crisis, tell the front desk you need to be seen today. UMD, for example, offers same-day urgent visits and phone crisis help after hours. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.