Tufts Blogs

Your health should be your top priority. While Tufts prides itself on its academic rigor, your classes shouldn’t come before your well being. Whether it’s school-related stress or personal challenges, know that you’re not alone. Whatever comes your way while you’re here, Tufts has plenty of resources to help you get through it.

CMHS 

Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) is what comes to most Tufts student’s minds when thinking about options for mental health care on campus. CMHS offers individual counseling, psychiatric services, group therapy, drop-in hours, and referrals for off-campus support. These services, excluding psychiatric services, are included in the Health and Wellness Fee and free of additional charge. 

Counselors hold a wide range of identities and specialize in a multitude of different mental health areas, so it helps to do some research on the staff page to find a clinician that best suits your personal needs. To make an appointment at CMHS, you can call their number at 617-627-3360. You can also book an appointment online, but there is often limited availability. If you are suffering from a mental health emergency, you can always call the CMHS counselor on call at 617-627-3030.

It is important to note that CMHS is often not suitable for long term care or concerns that last longer than a semester. However, the staff is more than willing to help you find a community resource or in-network provider that will continue to assist you with the care that you need!

Ears 4 Peers 

If you ever find yourself up late and feeling anxious or sad and just need someone to talk to, Ears 4 Peers is a great resource. A student-run hotline, Ears 4 Peers will connect you to a fellow Jumbo to talk about whatever is on your mind. It is completely anonymous and completely confidential— so you don’t need to worry about your classmates knowing all of your deepest and darkest worries. The ears are especially great with the Sunday Scaries or late night racing thoughts that I struggle with, and have helped me to realize that I’m never alone. You can call or text them from 7 pm to 7 am every night. 

CARE

CARE aims to provide culturally sensitive and trauma-informed resources to students who have been impacted by sexual misconduct or assault. Most students on campus recognize CARE for their Green Dot Training programs, which are now mandated by all student clubs to provide an awareness of power structures and take preventative measures against sexual misconduct. However, CARE has plenty of other resources. You can schedule a 1-on-1 appointment at the office in the Campus Center or over zoom. These appointments are 100% confidential and nothing you say will be reported to the university. The CARE office works to create a safe space to support you in any way they can. 

CARE also offers trauma-informed Yoga for Healing classes that focus on building mindful relationships with your body and movement. These classes meet twice a week, and once you are registered, you can drop in (or drop out) at any time. In this space, you are encouraged to listen to your body rather than push its limits, and the instructor will never walk around or adjust your position without consent. You can choose to engage with the movement instructions, move in a different way, or even not move at all and simply nap on your mat. Whatever feels most comfortable to you and your body. As someone who has struggled with disordered perceptions of exercise, Yoga for Healing has been instrumental in my journey towards repairing my relationship with my body and movement. 

Mental Health Reps

The Mental Health Reps (MHRs) are a group of students that serve as a liaison between CMHS staff and the Tufts student body to create programming that reduces the stigma associated with mental health and make students aware of resources on campus like the ones above. They post information about stress and mental wellness on social media, host fun events like the annual Mental Health and Wellbeing fair and “Donut Hesitate to Ask Questions”, and offer finals kits with fidget toys, candy and other small things to manage anxiety around exam season. While they do not offer clinical support, the MHRs exist as a way to help students voice their concerns surrounding how mental health is perceived and treated at Tufts.

Student Support Services 

Student support services can help you navigate any sort of challenging situation. Their job is to explain to you what your options are and collaborate with on campus faculty and staff as well as off campus providers. They will help you to create a plan that allows you to meet your academic goals while navigating something that is substantially impacting your wellbeing. This plan could include working with the STAAR center to receive accommodations, applying for a reduced course load (RCL), or taking a medical or personal leave of absence from Tufts for one or more semesters. You also have complete autonomy throughout the process and are under no obligation to adhere to the recommendations from student support; it’s just a helpful resource for extra information!

 If you are concerned about a friend or classmate and think that they might benefit from some extra support, you are encouraged to share your concern with student support as well. This report is 100% confidential— the student will never know you submitted it and it could save someone’s life.

You deserve to feel okay.

If you struggle with any degree of mental health difficulties, know that you are never alone and you deserve support and care no matter what. The herd is always here for you if and when you need them <3.