Navigating the mental health resources at Harvard, and coming out strong on the other side
One PhD student finds himself increasingly conflicted as he tries to balance the assumptions of his scholarly discipline with his personal convictions, and with the philosophical structures that have long supported his family’s beliefs. He had questioned these structures himself, but he finds himself uncomfortable with critiques from others. Frustrated by efforts to negotiate “the tension between a commitment to one’s own ideas and affiliations, on the one hand, and scholarly neutrality and professionalism on the other,” he becomes deeply aware of an imbalance of power between faculty and graduate students in asserting or even trusting personal beliefs.
Another student, the mother of a young child, was pregnant with her second child when she received terrible news that called into question an important relationship in her life. Like other PhD students with family responsibilities, she is also struggling financially, and hasn’t been able to keep up with obligations. Soon, the complexities of her situation begin to affect her ability to focus on her research, or attend key seminars, and she grows overwhelmed by the issues she faces.
Both of these students ultimately found help at Harvard. What their experiences suggest is that Harvard offers a constellation of resources that are helpful for students confronting long-festering emotional issues and sudden crises alike, but that the effectiveness and particular deployment of those resources will and should vary from student to student. There often isn’t a magic bullet — one course of treatment that “works.” Instead, there is an alignment of solutions, the significance of which will rise and fall at different moments in a journey toward health and wellness. “What works,” says the student struggling to navigate personal-professional norms, “is being willing to try.”
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Graduate students may seek counseling or assistance for any number of reasons — for all the reasons that anyone else would seek help. But the demands of a PhD program can exacerbate existing problems with anxiety, self-image, procrastination, substance abuse, and anything else one might bring to the table.
That PhD programs generally coincide with pivotal years in one’s life, years in which lasting relationships are formed and “real life” is at hand, means that issues of balance and time management become more crucial. And the sheer fact of a typical PhD program’s long lifespan increases the likelihood that many students will feel they need help somewhere along the way.
“One of the things that distinguishes PhD programs is the unending nature of the work,” says Dr. Paul Barreira, who is the director of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling (BHAC) at Harvard, overseeing offices including Mental Health Services and the Bureau of Study Counsel. “Law students are out in three years, most HBS students are out in two. Other Harvard schools have a built-in time limit. GSAS doesn’t.” Many students manage to sustain productivity and focus, but as responsibilities shift from class work to teaching to the relatively unstructured and potentially lonely years of research and writing, some struggle is inevitable.
When difficulties mount to the point where one’s work, daily habits, and interactions with others are all compromised, it’s time to get help. But students may hesitate for a variety of reasons: They may fear that word will get back to their advisors; they may think that their problem is insignificant and that they should know how to handle it; they may think that their problem is so complex it has no solution; or they may come from a culture or country where seeking psychological treatment is stigmatized.
“One of the biggest mistakes students make is waiting too long before seeking help, which is often due to thinking the problem is either too big or too small,” says Ellen Fox, the GSAS director of student services, who provides front-line assistance to students on a variety of problems. “Help is available for every problem regardless of its size.”
In Barreira’s experience, feelings of embarrassment and shame are the prime barriers to people seeking help. “But no one should feel that way,” he says. “And no one should make you feel that way.” The math is simple, he continues. “If you ignore emotional problems, they get worse. Getting help will always make it better.”
For Fox, that equation has been proved time and again over her long career at GSAS. “In my experience of talking with many students about a wide range of issues, I have seen the great relief that comes with sharing the problem and knowing that they will be given the assistance and support they need. Seeking help is a major step in resolving whatever the issue may be.”
Frustration with one’s academic progress and difficult interactions with one’s advisor are among the common problems GSAS students bring forward. The latter — problems with one’s advisor — are particularly daunting for students, Fox says. She works with them to uncover “the sources and nature of the tensions and explore possible approaches to diffuse the tensions, which can include doing a role-play about a conversation that she could have with her advisor. With the student’s permission, I may confer with Garth McCavana [the GSAS Dean for Student Affairs] and may suggest that the student speak with the Director of Graduate Studies in her program.
“In situations where it seems clear that the relationship with an advisor cannot be improved, it may be necessary to change advisors, in which case I would explore possible options with the student.” Such moments of crossroads can feel hopeless, Fox says, “but it is always possible to find a way to improve the situation.”
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For the student questioning the relationship between his personal convictions and the scholarly community he’s now part of, lasting help has come from his interactions with Fox and with counselors at the Bureau of Study Counsel. He’s found it valuable to talk through his concerns in a context that was not explicitly a mental health one, and he’s enjoyed the continuity of his relationship with Fox, which has lasted for several years. But he explored other interventions, too, including Mental Health Services, and he endorses the “trial and error” approach, which allowed various resources to work in harmony with one another.
Paul Barreira, the director of BHAC, says that each new patient is seen within 5–8 days, based on screenings that allow caregivers to triage the particular need of the caller and determine how quickly she needs to be seen. Time to first appointment for less urgent cases can stretch longer as the semester advances and patient volume increases. But urgent care is always available, Barreira says, and patients who present conditions that require an immediate visit will receive the care they need. HUHS addresses its supply-and-demand problem by increasing its provider staff as the semester proceeds.
Barreira wants to dispel the notion that a Mental Health Services treatment plan will result in a prescription. “In fact, the minority of students are treated with medication,” he says. And he also wants students to know that there is no visit limit at HUHS; the number of visits is based on medical necessity, as determined by the provider.
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For the student juggling significant personal, financial, and academic challenges, Ellen Fox assembled a team of people who helped in different ways. The student received family and individual therapy through Mental Health Services, she met with a counselor at the Bureau of Study Counsel, and she met with a financial aid officer. “Most importantly at that moment,” the student says, Fox “acknowledged that my situation was really hard, and that made me feel understood. She made me feel that the University really was willing to support me during this difficult moment of my life.
“Despite all the things are happening right now, the fact that I was here at Harvard and had been offered help has made a huge difference for us.”
Image credit: John Ritter
Getting Help at GSAS: Where to Start
The Dean for GSAS Student Affairs
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. has general responsibility for the welfare of graduate students, and he assists students who are experiencing issues that affect their academic progress. He is a good sounding board on matters both academic and personal, and he is an experienced guide through the occasionally complex landscape of Harvard’s mental health resources.
Holyoke Center, 3rd floor; 617-495-1814
Dudley House, 3rd Floor; 617-496-3362
Director of GSAS Student Services
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. provides ongoing, confidential support to students with any academic or personal problem, big or small. She serves in an advisory role and can connect students to information about counseling and other services at Harvard.
Dudley House B-2; 617-495-5005
University Health Services: Mental Health Services
Mental Health Services has a staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and clinical nurse specialists experienced in helping students resolve personal problems. Appointments can be made by phone or by coming in person to the fourth floor of HUHS. Most students are seen within a week; urgent cases are seen immediately or as needed.
Holyoke Center, 75 Mt. Auburn St., 4th Floor
617-495-2042
24-hour urgent care: 617-495-5711
In Common
In Common is the peer counseling hotline for students in Harvard’s graduate and professional schools. Trained volunteers offer support and refer callers to resources on a variety of issues such as loneliness and alienation, uncertainty about careers, or difficulties in relationships.
617-384-TALK
Sunday–Thursday, 8 p.m.–midnight, excluding Harvard holidays
The Bureau of Study Counsel
The Bureau of Study Counsel is a resource center for students' academic and personal development. The BSC offers academic/personal counseling and an extensive series of workshops and discussion groups.
5 Linden Street
617-495-258
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.