Frequently Asked Questions

We are open for services from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET. To get in touch with us, please call 617-747-2310. If we are not available when you call,  please leave a message including your name, email address, phone number, and student ID. Please speak clearly and slowly so that we may accurately get your contact information.

Personal counseling can help address the following issues:

• Depression or anxiety
• Adjustment to life at Berklee, in Boston, and/or in the United States
• Relationship problems with friends, roommates, parents, or a significant other
• Performance anxiety
• Procrastination or decreased motivation
• Communication issues
• Problematic drinking and/or drug use
• Trauma, assault, or harassment
• Loss, grief, or bereavement
• Concerns about sexual problems
• Developmental and identity issues
• Confidence and self-esteem
• Questions around sexual orientation
• Health and wellness
• Eating disorder and body image
• Sleep problems

Personal counseling can help alleviate signs of distress such as the following:

• Feeling tired, fatigued, or like everything takes a lot of effort
• Loss of interest in once-enjoyable activities
• Unexpected crying
• Bursts of anger or unusual irritability
• Recent changes in your sleeping patterns (e.g., trouble falling or staying asleep, sleeping all the time)
• Recent changes in your eating patterns (e.g., loss of appetite or eating more than usual)
• Feeling guilty or inadequate
• Wanting to avoid most people, even those you like
• Having thoughts about hurting yourself or suicidal thoughts
• Having panic attacks or experiencing intense physical discomfort for no apparent reason

Getting Support When the Counseling Center Is Open 

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency (i.e., thoughts or feelings of hurting yourself or someone else, paralyzing depression, or anxiety that limits everyday functioning) during our regular business hours of Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., we offer crisis stabilization without an appointment. These are typically 20- or 30-minute appointments that focus on immediate safety and stabilization. Please call our main number at 617-747-2310, and let us know that you are having a mental health emergency. We will work with you to determine the best way to help in the short-term and make recommendations for a follow-up. Similar to any urgent care or emergency room, one might have to wait for the next available clinician. However, we try our best to triage the most clinical urgent situations. 

24/7 Mental Health Emergency Support

Berklee Counseling Services also provides access to the My Student Support Program (My SSP) app, a service that offers 24/7 crisis, real-time, brief, and solution-focused counseling with a dedicated clinician over phone, chat/text, or video, or in person. Services are currently available in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Cantonese (simplified Chinese chat). 

After-Hours and Concerns for Physical Safety

If there is a mental health emergency after business hours or on the weekend, students can call Public Safety at 617-747-8888 for support in getting to their nearest emergency room. Additionally, in cases of emergency, students can call 911 or go to a local hospital emergency room, such as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, phone number 617-667-7000; or Tufts Medical Center at 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111.

The Samaritans Helpline is available 24/7 at 877-870-4673.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 800-273-8255. 

The Crisis Textline provides free, 24-hour emotional support by text; text 741741 when you are in crisis and need to talk. A live, trained counselor will respond promptly and be available to provide support.

Berklee now provides access to the My Student Support Program (My SSP) app, a service that offers 24/7 crisis, real-time, brief, and solution-focused counseling with a dedicated clinician over phone, chat/text, or video, or in person. Services are currently available in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Cantonese (simplified Chinese chat). 

My SSP is a great option for students who aren't in Massachusetts as Berklee's counselors are only licensed to work with students physically located in the state. 

Along with immediate and scheduled short-term support, My SSP also provides free access to a variety of wellbeing resources such as informational articles, podcasts, assessments, videos, and virtual fitness sessions tailored to your specific needs. By partnering with My SSP, Berklee strives to make mental health support more accessible than ever before.

SilverCloud is a clinically-proven, online mental health platform that offers programs to build resilience, help you manage anxiety or depression, and help you develop the skills to manage stress and sleep issues. Based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and positive psychology, their action-oriented programs build self-awareness and self-management skills for your emotional health.

To sign up, please visit gsh.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/ and choose your school name from the drop-down list. To confirm your eligibility, you will need to use your school-issued .edu email address.

This service is free of charge and confidential. Your email address will not be used outside of the SilverCloud platform.

The Counseling Center holds confidentiality in the highest regard. Massachusetts state law and ethical guidelines for therapists require that student visits and all information shared during therapy sessions remain confidential. We cannot release information to anyone without the student's written permission. This includes friends, faculty, staff, and parents. Records of therapy sessions are kept in a secure electronic medical record. Exceptions to confidentiality occur only under special circumstances, such as being an imminent danger to self or others. A counselor will review these exceptions in detail at the initial appointment. 

If you book a telehealth appointment, our counselors will use a version of Zoom that is meant for health care services and is therefore HIPAA-compliant. You will use your Berklee-provided Zoom account to join your telehealth session.