Personal Counseling Services
Student Development Center
Susan B. Anthony Building, Office 114
Hours: 8:30- 4:30 Monday- Friday

BCC’s Personal Counseling Services is committed to working with students to help you successfully meet your educational and personal goals. We recognize that your life as a student and your personal life, including your emotional well-being, cannot be separated. Personal Counseling is free of charge to students and is provided by a licensed counselor. Each student is unique in what they chose to discuss, but some of the areas most frequently addressed are:

• Adjustment to college-life
• Relationship difficulties
• Feeling down or depressed
• Inability to concentrate on academic work
• Concerns about alcohol or other substance- abuse
• Crises such as a separation or a death of someone close
• Being on-edge and feeling anxious
• Questions about sexuality

Personal Counseling is a process which helps you arrive at your own answers to the difficulties you are experiencing. Your values and choices will be respected and as mandated by law what you discuss is confidential. You and your counselor will work collaboratively to formulate your goals. Typically, you would meet once a week for fifty-minutes. The number of sessions depends upon the nature of the problem and what you hope to achieve.

Sometimes, students feel reluctant to talk with a counselor about their problems, because they feel they should be able to do this “on their own.” However, we feel that working with a counselor will help you to get back on your own sooner and feel more like yourself again.

Generally, counseling at BCC is short-term; however, if a student requires more assistance, referrals to community agencies or other mental health providers will be offered. It is the mission of BCC’s Personal Counseling Services to make sure each student is helped in finding the best resource on or off-campus.

To schedule an appointment or if you have any questions:

Contact: Lisa Mattila, LMHC
413-499-4660, ext. 1609
or email Lisa at lmattila@berkshirecc.edu

After Office Hours of 8:30 - 4:30 Monday - Friday:
If it is urgent or an emergency, please call:
The Brien Center Crisis Team - 413-499-0412
Berkshire Medical Center Emergency Services - 413-447-2000

Additional Personal Counseling Center Resources:

We also have free brochures on different subjects such as:

• Stress Management,
• Test Anxiety
• Assertiveness
• Understanding Depression
• Sexual Assault Prevention
• Wellness
• Eating Disorders
• Balancing School, Work and Home

Workshops and Forums are also held on the following subjects:

• Stress Management
• Test-Anxiety
• Conflict Resolution
• Communication Skills
• Sexual Assault Prevention
• Relationship Violence

Community Resources:

Berkshire United Way and click on the "New Human Services Directory."

Other helpful websites on mental health wellness and substance-abuse prevention are:

www.activemindsoncampus.org
www.nmha.org
www.factsontap.org
www.alcoholscreening.org
www.depression-screening.org

Updated: 8/20/07, /std