Where it is: 185 Bay State Road

What it does: The Danielsen Institute is a BU-run outpatient mental health clinic. Back in the 1950s, the institute was established to address the spiritual and mental health needs of parishioners, as well as to train doctoral students studying pastoral psychology. It has since expanded to serve the Boston community at large. Currently, the Danielsen Institute offers individual and group psychotherapy, psychiatric services (in conjunction with psychotherapy), and family and couples counseling. The institute also provides specialized psychological assessments for the religious community.

How to pay: You can pay for services out of pocket, with or without insurance. Often, the institute will work with you to create a payment plan if you don’t have insurance or your insurer won’t cover your treatment. 

How to make an appointment: Call 617-353-3047 to make a new patient appointment.

Where it is: 850 Harrison Ave., on the Medical Campus

What it does: The adult outpatient clinic at Boston Medical Center, BU’s primary teaching hospital and the city’s safety net hospital, offers a wide variety of therapy and psychiatry services, from individual, group, couples, and family therapy to medication management. Providers, which include psychiatrists, therapists, nurse practitioners, student medical residents, and social workers, are available to treat conditions such as bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, psychosis, mood disorders, and more.

How to pay: Call the clinic at 617-414-4238 to inquire about payment options.

How to make an appointment: Call 617-414-4238. 

Where it is: 900 Commonwealth Ave.; entrance is around the corner on St. Paul Street 

What it does: The Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders (CARD) is a BU-run counseling clinic providing mental health care to both children and adults experiencing anxiety, mood, sleep, and related disorders through group, individual, and intensive programs, including cognitive behavioral therapy. 

How to pay: While CARD’s services aren’t free, the center does offer treatment with graduate student clinicians on a sliding scale. Otherwise, services are out of pocket or up to your insurance company for reimbursement. CARD also runs research studies that can provide free clinical services for eligible patients. 

How to make an appointment: Fill out the intake form and a CARD staffer will follow up with you after they’ve reviewed the information. Questions? Call 617-353-9610. 

Where it is: 881 Commonwealth Ave.

What it does: Behavioral Medicine, located in the garden level of Student Health Services, is a department of psychologists, psychiatrists, and other licensed mental health providers who offer short-term mental health care for BU students. Services include assessment and consultation, short-term therapy, group therapy/support groups, psychiatry, referral services to connect you with community providers for long-term care, and a 24/7 mental health emergency hotline. Behavioral Medicine also offers a Terriers Connect program to train students, faculty, and staff on how to support students in distress.

Note that Behavioral Medicine’s short-term model doesn’t actually mean there’s a limit on how many therapy sessions you can attend there, but rather that the goal is to refer you to a local clinician if you need longer or more extensive treatment, in order to better serve all BU students. 

How to pay: Appointments and treatment at Behavioral Medicine are free for full-time students and for part-time students with BU’s Student Health Insurance Plan. Part-time students with a different insurance plan can still attend support groups, receive emergency care, and access referral services for free. 

How to make an appointment: Schedule an initial evaluation appointment through PatientConnect or call 617-353-3569. You can also reach the mental health emergency hotline at 617-353-3569.

Where it is: Offerings on and off campus and online.

What it does: The Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) is a community of students in recovery from substance use. The CRP supports multiple pathways to recovery, with offerings including All Recovery meetings, substance-free events, community networks and forums, and more. The CRP can also connect you with resources at BU and beyond regarding substance-free housing, one-on-one support, and other sobriety-focused communities. 

How to pay: All of CRP’s services are free.

How to make an appointment: You can fill out this form or email recovery@bu.edu to connect with the CRP. The program is anonymous and open to students in recovery from any kind of substance use. 

(Note: a local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous holds weekly meetings in Marsh Chapel on Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 pm. Student Health Services also sponsors weekly All Recovery meetings on Fridays.)

Where it is: Events and initiatives found throughout campus.

What it does: Health Promotion & Prevention at SHS is responsible for a wide variety of on-campus health initiatives such as the Condom Fairy, sleep kits, mindfulness offerings, and therapy dog meet and greets. If you’re feeling stressed, you can also talk with an All Ears peer listener about what’s on your mind and learn more about mental health support at SHS. 

Where it is: 930 Commonwealth Ave., Ste. 155

What it does: What it does: The Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) is an office within SHS that assists survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and hate crimes, as well as other types of trauma. SARP provides individual or group counseling, information regarding medical, legal, or academic next steps, and assistance locating off-campus resources. SARP also answers a 24/7 crisis hotline for students seeking information and support with concerns about safety, health, and reporting following an experience of violence.

How to pay: All of SARP’s services are free and confidential. Note that coming to SARP does not constitute an official report and therefore will not trigger a University complaint. If you do want to file a Title IX complaint with Judicial Affairs or the Equal Opportunity Office, you can find more information here.

How to make an appointment: You can book an appointment through PatientConnect or call SARP directly at 617-353-7277. If you’ve experienced a sexual assault within the past five days, SARP asks that you call the clinic so a crisis counselor can provide you with more urgent care. Reach the crisis hotline after hours at the same number: 617-353-7277. 

Where it is: 930 Commonwealth Ave.; events and initiatives found throughout campus

What it does: Student Wellbeing is a campus-wide initiative designed to promote well-being among the student population. You can find a wide-ranging list of mental health and other resources on the Student Wellbeing website. Plus, the site offers free access to Headspace, a popular mindfulness and meditation app, for all BU students. Follow the link on the site to create an account using your BU email and Kerberos password. 

Where it is: 635 Commonwealth Ave.

What it does: Sargent Choice Nutrition Center (SCNC) provides a wide range of nutrition services, including sports nutrition and dietary and nutrition counseling for individuals struggling with eating disorders. The SCNC team consists of registered dietitian nutritionists, all with specialized training in eating disorders, who will work with you to develop a nutrition plan and help restore your relationship with eating. SCNC can also connect you to resources outside of BU, including therapy and inpatient treatment. SCNC also offers nutrition counseling and support for students with food intolerances, weight concerns, digestive disorders, and more. 

How to pay: Many services are free. Students with nutritional risk factors are eligible for up to three free one-hour counseling sessions per academic year. If you have BU’s Student Health Insurance Plan, any additional sessions with your SCNC provider come with a small copay. If you have your own insurance, the cost for additional sessions is determined by your insurance company. 

How to make an appointment: Fill out this registration form to sign up for a workshop, and fill out this intake form to request an appointment. Questions? Call 617-353-2721. 

Where it is: 940 Commonwealth Ave.

What it does: The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation treats individuals with psychiatric disabilities. It’s not a mental health clinic, but rather an education and recovery center that aims to help clients by helping them develop the skills, strategies, and resiliency to flourish in real-world and academic settings. The center offers an array of services for students through its College Mental Health Education Programs (CMHEP): programming includes one-on-one coaching, a relationship-building course, and NITEO, which is a specialized semester-long course for students on leave from school due to mental health concerns. CMHEP also hosts free group activities like hangouts and workouts during the week.

How to pay: Most of CMHEP’s programming is free for BU students. Financial assistance is available for one-on-one academic coaching and NITEO. Call the center at 617-353-3549 to find out more.

How to make an appointment: Fill out this registration form to join CMHEP. Questions? Call the center at 617-353-3549 or contact CMHEP director Chelsea Cobb at clcobb@bu.edu or 857-225-0230.