Mental Health & Counseling at Yale Health

Mental Health & Counseling (MHC) is a clinical service that addresses the emotional concerns and conditions of students. MHC is a department at Yale Health, staffed by over twenty-five psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers.

Every Yale student enrolled at least half time in a Yale degree program is eligible for treatment at Mental Health & Counseling completely free of charge, regardless of whether they have waived Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Care coverage. Consultations, counseling, psychotherapy, and crisis intervention are available to all students and to eligible spouses and civil union partners.  A referral is not needed and appointments can be made by phone or in person for an initial consultation.

Some students go to MHC for just a few visits, while others go for ongoing therapy.  Decisions about appropriate treatment are made on an individual basis.

Students seek counseling for many different reasons, including but not limited to:

• academic stress
• alcohol/drug issues
• anxiety
• body image
• competition
• compulsions
• depression
• eating concerns
• family illness
• gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender issues
• loss and grief
• obsessions
• parental divorce
• relationships (family, friends, romantic, roommates)
• self-esteem
• sexual assault
• sexual concerns
• sexual orientation and identity
• traumatic experiences

MHC is staffed by over twenty-five clinicians, including psychologists, clinical psychiatrists, and clinical social workers. Therapists represent a wide range of specialties and approaches, including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), substance abuse counseling, and treatment for eating disorders. Psychiatrists are always available to prescribe medication if necessary.

MHC offers several therapy options:

Individual Therapy
Available on a short-term basis. Decisions regarding treatment type are determined on a case-by-case basis. Students may request a male or female therapist.

Couples Therapy
Couples therapy is available for same sex and opposite sex couples. Both parties must be Yale students.

Group Therapy
Group therapy provides students with the opportunity to seek support from peers who may be struggling with similar circumstances or challenges. Groups are composed of 5 to 8 people and meet once a week for 75 minutes. Group therapy sessions may address:

• Anxiety
• Eating disorders
• General therapy
• Mood disorders
• Life transition issues

New groups may be started based on student interest.

For more information about group therapy offerings at MHC, click here. 

To schedule an appointment, contact the department directly at 203-432-0290.

Initial Evaluation
Students requesting an appointment are given an initial time for evaluation within two to four weekdays. Following this initial appointment, most students are able to be connected with their therapist typically within a couple of weeks. We have added MHC staff clinicians, so we anticipate that the number of students waiting longer than that will be greatly reduced compared with previous years.

At the initial evaluation, the clinician will give the student a card with contact information so that they can remain in touch. The clinician will also inform the student about next steps including when the student will hear back about followup.   

Urgent situations
In urgent situations, any student can speak with an on-call clinician 24 hours per day, every day of the year (daytime through MHC at 203-432-0290 and after hours through Acute Care 203-432-0123). 

If you have any questions or your situation changes while waiting for your appointment with your designated clinician, you should feel free to contact the clinician from your initial assessment.

If you are having trouble connecting with your clinician from your initial assessment, you can contact MHC Student Assistance at 203-436-9503 or mhcstudentassistance@yale.edu.

Yale Health does not cover counseling outside of the Yale Health Center. However, if you have private insurance that covers such care and/or you want to be seen more than once per week over a long period of time, MHC can help you connect with an outside clinician.