Counseling Services

The Hamre Center offers short-term individual counseling services. The goal of individual counseling is to talk through mental health concerns and help students heal, grow, and move toward more satisfying and meaningful lives. It is an opportunity to explore feelings, thoughts, behaviors, beliefs and build self-awareness, to receive support and guidance, to consider solutions to life’s challenges, and to set personal goals to work toward change. You will work with a trained mental health counselor in a safe, caring, and confidential environment.

Note: Many concerns resolve or improve with short-term therapy while other more complex or on-going concerns may require off campus, specialized, or long-term counseling. 

At your initial meeting, you will meet with your counselor for 45 minutes to discuss your current concerns and relevant history. Together, you will come up with next steps for your care based on your needs and available resources (i.e. short-term individual counseling, group counseling, off campus support, other recommendations, or you may decide no further care is needed). If the next step is short-term individual therapy at the Hamre Center, a follow-up meeting will be scheduled (usually in 2 – 3 weeks). If the next step is off campus counseling, then your counselor or the Hamre Center Care Manager will work with you to find resources in the local community. 

To schedule a one-on-one individual counseling appointment, you can: 1. Fill out the Request an Initial Individual Counseling Appointment form, 2. Call our front desk at 651-696-6275. 3. Stop by our office in the Leonard Center,  4. Email us at [email protected], or 5. Contact a counselor via email or phone directly. 

Same Day Appointments are individual counseling appointments with a mental health counselor that can be scheduled within 24 hours of the listed appointment time, if available. These appointments are reserved for students that are in distress, seeking immediate care within 1 – 2 days, and are unable to wait to schedule an individual counseling appointment (see Individual Counseling). The goal of these appointments is to focus on the immediate needs that are bringing someone in. A counselor will offer support, help problem solve, identify additional resources, and help brainstorm next steps. Same Day appointments are available to new or established students seeking mental health care at the Hamre Center. 

To reserve a Same Day Appointment, you can: 1.  Call our front desk at 651-696-6275 or 2. Stop by our office in the Leonard Center. If you leave a voicemail requesting a Same Day Appointment, you will receive a confirmation email once the appointment is scheduled. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact our office again.  

Press 2 is a free, 24/7 telephone counseling service with a licensed mental health counselor. You can call Press 2 from anywhere in the world and for a wide range of concerns from routine support to mental health emergencies. Some concerns include, but are not limited to: anxiety and depression, situational stress, suicidal ideation, grief and loss, family concern, difficulty sleeping, and relationship distress.

If you want to speak with a counselor right now, simply call the Hamre Center at 651-696-6275 and press option 2 when prompted to be connected. If it is during business hours, the front staff may answer the phone. In that case, please ask the front staff to connect you with Press 2.  

Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Speech Limited Callers can access these numbers through MN Relay 711.

Counseling groups are a powerful tool for growth and change. The intention of counseling groups is to help students address mental health concerns, connect with others, and learn new tools and skills with the guidance of 1 – 2 licensed counselors. The groups may focus on a particular theme or concern or may be tailored to a specific group of individuals. Groups range from unstructured to structured, typically last 4 – 8 weeks, and have between 5-10 members. Members are encouraged to offer alternative perspectives, support, encouragement and feedback while in a safe and confidential environment. Some groups require an individual 15 – 30 minute meeting with a counselor before starting to make sure it’s a good fit. 

To schedule your initial 15-30 minute counseling group meeting, please email the facilitator of the group directly.

Care Coordination is the process of helping you access a range of different services that would best meet your needs. The care coordinator will talk with you about what you are looking for to determine the most appropriate type of care. The care coordinator can help you find and connect with an off campus mental health counselor, a psychiatrist, ADHD testing, eating disorder treatment, substance use disorder treatment, outpatient and inpatient mental health programs, and more. The care coordinator can also assist with insurance and financial questions, offer you a list of referrals, and can even help you make phone calls to schedule your appointments.

Note: If you know that you would like services beyond the scope of the Hamre Center or are unsure what services would be appropriate for your needs, you can schedule an appointment with the care coordinator versus scheduling an initial individual counseling appointment.

To schedule a Care Coordination appointment, you can: 1.Call our front desk at 651-696-6275, 2. Stop by our office in the Leonard Center, 3. Email us at [email protected] or 4. Contact our Care Coordinator, Jon Vaughan-Fier (he/him) directly at [email protected].

Off Campus Individual Counseling Resources: Hamre Center for Health and Wellness has partnered with MiResource to help students easily and confidentially find the right off campus mental health provider. You can search by your specific care needs, insurance/payment options, provider identity, and location.

We hope to create and foster an environment that is respectful, transparent, accessible, and welcoming within communities that are underserved in mental health care. In our efforts to better support our historically marginalized community at Macalester College, we compiled identity specific mental health resources to support you in navigating your college experience. We are committed to continuing to listen, learn, and advocate with you and for you. We encourage and invite feedback about our work with you, successes, and areas for improvement. Read Hamre Center’s statement on racism and anti-racist work. 

In addition to Urgent and Emergency Care Resources, the Hamre Center offers a 24/hr telephone counseling support service called “Press 2.” To talk with a counselor right now, please call the Hamre Center at 651-696-6275 . If the Hamre Center is open, ask to be connected to “Press 2.” If it’s after hours, you will be prompted to press #2 to be connected with a licensed counselor.  Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Speech Limited Callers can access this service through MN Relay 711.

Yes! Sometimes finding the most appropriate help for you may mean finding resources outside the Hamre Center. You can either schedule with our Care Coordinator (see above for more info) or utilize our provider search tool for help finding a provider that meets your specific needs and insurance coverage.

All members of our medical provider staff can meet with you and either continue medications you started at home, initiate new prescriptions, or talk to you about ways to integrate medical and counseling care for your mental health. Learn more about mental health medication services. 

Counseling appointments are hybrid, meaning they are offered via telehealth on a secure Zoom videoconferencing platform or in person, masked at the Hamre Center. We do not offer private spaces for telehealth appointments at the Hamre Center. However, there are private spaces around campus available to you. We compiled a list of specific spaces around campus:

• Campus Center conference rooms (Second Floor)
• Library study rooms
  • Level 2: 4 group study rooms, reservable, equipped with white noise machines
  • Level 3: 12 individual study rooms, not reservable, no built-in tech
  • Level 4: 2 group study rooms, reservable, no built-in tech
• Digital Resource Center (DRC) in the lower level of the Library. They have sound-dampening booths that can be booked online up to two weeks in advance. Visit the link and select “Create a Booking” then the “Editing Suites.” (Here is a brief how-to on booking items in Tech Checkout, which is similar.) For the best internet connection, it is recommended that you use the computers set up in the space.
• If you are living with a roommate, you may consider requesting to use your shared space for your therapy appointment. Explain how it’s crucial for you to have privacy during that time and important for your wellbeing. 
• If you are living in the residential halls, you may consider using one of the study rooms available in the building. Consider putting a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. 

To search and reserve most spaces (unless otherwise noted), visit Macalester Reservations EMS. You can email Macalester Reservations at [email protected] for guidance on what space might be the right fit for you or if you need help reserving a space.

If you are aware of spaces around campus that are ideal for telehealth appointments, please let us know so we can add it to the list by emailing our office at [email protected].

Consider using a sound machine which are available for check out from the DRC. A sound machine emits white noise, which can be used to effectively mask private conversations by muffling the sound of conversations and other noises. To get the best results from white noise machines:

• Place white noise machines somewhat near doors. White noise machines are the most effective when placed between our ears and the noise source. 
• Keep them at least a few feet from where you sit. This will allow you to operate them at higher volumes without them becoming distractions. 
• The hallway is a good option for placement.