Amherst College Counseling Center

30 Johnson Chapel (third floor)
Tel. No.: 413/542-2354, Email: counsctr@amherst.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

The Counseling Center provides counseling and psychotherapy to all Amherst students on a voluntary and confidential basis. Our purpose is to help people cope with dilemmas in their personal development or with painful events in their lives in ways that further their own growth and make their experience as Amherst students more productive.

There are many issues that are appropriate to take up with the Counseling Center: personal or emotional concerns, persistent difficulties in studying, bothersome moods, relationship problems or simply a wish to know more about oneself. No commitment is involved in an initial meeting, and sitting down with one of us is often the best way to decide if counseling might be useful in your particular situation. We have a diverse group of therapists who are trained to listen to and clarify various life dilemmas or troubling feelings. We appreciate the delicacy of attempting to talk directly about difficult matters, and encourage students to let the counselor know if the talk does not seem helpful and to ask for a different counselor if there is some serious incompatibility.

We have found that weekly sessions are ordinarily most practical and helpful. Some students get what they need in one or two sessions; others choose to continue longer. Although individual work is our primary focus, we are glad to consider other situations, such as meeting with a couple or with a group. If the difficulty in question is beyond our resources (for instance, an academic difficulty that could best be helped by tutoring or vocational counseling, or a problem that deserves more intensive therapy than we can provide), then we can refer you to other sources of help.

In order to preserve the confidentiality of our work, the Counseling Center does not intervene in matters between students and other departments at the college (grades, course extensions, room changes, etc.), nor does it communicate with outside institutions (such as graduate schools and government agencies) without the student’s explicit request and permission. That a student chooses to meet with a counselor is solely the business of that student, unless he or she chooses to share such information. There is no outside record of your visit here, and our own records are destroyed within a reasonable period of time after graduation. Read our Policy on Confidentiality for more details.

Please feel free to call us at 413/542-2354 or email at counsctr@amherst.edu with any questions. We look forward to meeting you.

Dr. Jacqueline Bearce, Director