Scheduling Your First Appointment at Counseling Services
If you are facing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to your local emergency room.
For all other urgent situations:
- During normal working hours (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday): You may call Health and Counseling Services at 413.559.5458 and ask to schedule an "urgent" or "same-day" appointment.
- After hours and on weekends: You may call Health and Counseling Services at 413.559.5458 and press 1 to speak with a clinician. Please know that during this busy time, there is sometimes a wait of up to 5 minutes before you connect with someone. Do not hang up.
Making an Appointment
To make an appointment with one of our counselors, call Health and Counseling Services: at 413.559.5458. You will likely speak to one of our office staff, who will easily set you up with a consultation. If you have a preference for a particular therapist, you should ask for that person and, if there is an opening that fits your schedule, you will be scheduled for that time slot. You are likely to get in more quickly, however, if you are able to be flexible about who you see.
We try to get people in for their first appointments within the week. During our busiest times (generally the last 6 weeks of the semester), scheduling can be tighter and it may be hard to find an open appointment time that fits your schedule. In these cases, you may need to be flexible with your schedule and take the first appointment that is offered. In urgent situations, we are often able to see you for a same-day consultation.
Your first appointment
A first appointment with a mental health provider can be seen as a consultation. Your clinician will likely ask you about your current concerns and what led you to make the appointment. The clinician may also ask a bit about your family background and about life experiences that may be influencing the current situation. Additionally, you should take this time to discuss what you are hoping for from the consultation and what type of support you believe will work best for you.