Your first contact

The first time you contact the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH), you'll be scheduled for a 10 – 15 minute phone or in-person screening appointment with a clinician. This brief discussion helps us assess the nature and urgency of your concern, and identify the most appropriate next steps.

This appointment will be made for a specific time, reserved just for you. Usually, appointments are available within two business days of your call. During the brief appointment, you'll be invited to talk about your situation, and ask and answer questions. If you have a phone appointment, it's important that you be available to talk freely when the clinician calls you.

At the end of the screening appointment, we'll discuss what to do next. Options might include an appointment for initial consultation at CCPH, referral to other campus or community resources, or both. If your situation is critical, CCPH also offers crisis and urgent appointments as needed.

CCPH provides short-term psychotherapy services. If you need or want a longer-term therapy relationship, your clinician can provide referrals to providers in our community.

For those seeking a medication consultation with a psychiatric provider, CCPH asks that you go through the same screening and initial consultation process, and at the end of the initial consultation your clinician will help refer you to the psychiatric provider who will be the best fit for you.

Initial consultation

During the brief screening appointment, you and your clinician may decide that CCPH services are a good fit for you. If so, you'll be scheduled for a longer, in-person appointment, called the "initial consultation." At this private meeting, your clinician will review your situation in much more depth, answer your questions, and help determine next steps.

**Please make sure to arrive about ten minutes early for your initial consultation, as we will have some paperwork that we will need you to fill out.**

Sometimes, people find this appointment has met their needs and no further services are necessary. Other times, your clinician may recommend group or individual psychotherapy at CCPH, or psychotherapy with a provider in the community. You may also be offered referrals to other campus resources, medical or mental health providers, or specialized care.

Hours and Locations

Hours

Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Emergency on-call services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Offices

Find our main office at Bartlett Hall (2nd floor, north), 130 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003-9269

Offices are also located at 425 New Africa House, 180 Infirmary Way. Metered parking is available in front of the building.

Anyone seeking care for a mental health emergency should go directly to our New Africa House location.