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Mental Health and Counseling at Hamilton (1972–2022)

Overview

Mental health resources and awareness evolved over half a century at Hamilton, from a single crisis hotline opened in 1972 to a broad ecosystem of counseling services, peer programs, and student advocacy organizations. The Spectator’s coverage is sparse before the 1990s but grows into one of the publication’s most sustained editorial threads from 2013 onward. Students repeatedly documented the Counseling Center’s limited capacity — just four trained counselors as of 2015, with appointments often unavailable for ten or more days — while student organizations including Active Minds, Minds for Change, the Mental Wellness Collective, and a formal Mental Health Task Force pushed for expanded resources. By 2016, utilization had risen 103 percent in four years, peaking at roughly 25–26 percent of the student body per year, and by 2022 the figure reached approximately 40 percent. A new Health and Wellness Center opened ca. 2018–2019, but students argued it brought facilities without proportional counseling staffing. The college’s $400 million “Because Hamilton” capital campaign drew sharp criticism for failing to designate mental health as a distinct funding priority. Post-pandemic coverage in 2022–2023 shows the Counseling Center under the continued direction of Dr. David Walden, now offering a wide range of clinical, wellness, and peer programs.

Key Points

Early Institutional Infrastructure (1972–1999)

• Crisis center opens (1972): A brief news item in the April 28, 1972 Spectator announced that a “crisis center designed to incorporate the functions of a hot line service and walk-in center” would open on Monday, May 1, on the second floor of the infirmary, operating 24 hours a day with a dedicated phone line (campus extension 7531). This is the earliest documented reference in the corpus to a dedicated mental health resource at Hamilton. (Spectator, April 28, 1972)

• Counseling Center name evolution: By 1990, a campus letter refers to “people in the Counseling Center” as distinct from the Health Center — both already operating as separate offices. By 1996, the unit is specifically named “Counseling and Psychological Services” (CAPS) in a news item on eating disorders. The directorship of CAPS in the 1990s is identified as Dr. Bob Kazin, Ph.D., who is quoted in 1996 as saying “Eating problems are a significant cause for concern on this campus.” (Spectator, March 9, 1990; Spectator, February 2, 1996)

• Eating Disorders Awareness Week (1996): Hamilton joined the first-ever National Eating Disorders Screening Program in February 1996. Free, anonymous screenings were held in the Fillius Events Barn during Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Feb. 5–11). The article noted that 4–5 percent of female college students suffered from anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder; advanced cases were arriving at the Health Center only after students collapsed while jogging. (Spectator, February 2, 1996)

• Four student deaths in fall 1996 tested the counseling infrastructure. Qijia Fu ‘96 died of a lightning strike in August; first-year Ben Claassen died during the fall semester; Kirsten Willin ‘00 and Kristin Wilson ‘99 were killed in a Thruway car accident on December 6, returning from a concert in Syracuse. Director of Counseling Services Bob Kazin played a central public role in each grief response, including a December 13 Chapel vigil attended by ~200 community members. Kazin was quoted: “These ceremonies can provide a sense of closure, and a way to acknowledge the loss… It gives students a chance to express what they feel.” The repeated tragedies in a single semester placed unusual demand on CAPS and the broader counseling infrastructure. (Spectator, September 6, 1996; Spectator, December 13, 1996)

• Eating disorder speak-out (2014): A student-organized “speak out” during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week drew more than 30 participants. Organizer Soozy Adelman ‘14 observed that Hamilton’s “active culture sometimes intensifies or worsens people’s conditions” and argued the campus did not foster a community where students could talk openly about eating disorders outside of NEDAW events. (Spectator, February 27, 2014)

Counseling Center Capacity Crisis (2013–2016)

• Demand surge and wait times (2013–2015): An anonymous Student Assembly survey from December 2013, cited in a 2015 Spectator news story, included a student saying: “I really could have used someone to speak with this semester, but times were booked up three weeks in advance.” By fall 2015, Counseling Center Director Dr. David Walden reported an 83 percent increase in demand since the 2011–12 academic year, with a 42 percent increase in the first weeks of fall 2015 alone. The Center had seen 22.5 percent of the student body in 2014–15. (Spectator, October 1, 2015)

• Counseling Center capacity critique (2015): A Spectator opinion piece titled “Students’ mental health lacks institutional support” described the Counseling Center as having “only four trained counselors” and documented that appointments were often unavailable fewer than ten days in advance, with frequency limited to once per week unless a student was deemed a danger to themselves. The author noted that the Career and Life Outcomes Center employed “almost twice as many professional counselors as the Counseling Center,” characterizing this as “a painful symptom of our institution’s disordered priorities.” (Spectator, March 5, 2015)

• Class of 2016 senior gift (2015): In fall 2015, the Class of 2016 voted — by a margin of 182 out of 337 participating seniors (54 percent) — to make a donation to the Counseling Center their official senior gift. The Spectator editorial board applauded the choice, writing that the class “will know that they helped the Counseling Center protect the health and save the lives of students just like us.” Director Walden credited the gift with helping the Center “continue to provide excellent service.” (Spectator, October 1, 2015)

• Active Minds rebrands as Minds for Change; inaugural “Speak Your Mind” event (February 2015): The campus mental health advocacy organization Active Minds was renamed Minds for Change. Co-presidents Meg Riley ‘17 and Hayley Goodrich ‘17 organized the first “Speak Your Mind” speak-out on February 18, 2015 at the Fillius Events Barn; the venue overflowed with attendees. Students shared personal narratives covering eating disorders, depression, and anxiety through poetry and spoken word performances. (The Spectator, February 26, 2015)

• Johnson leadership gift to fund new Health and Counseling building (October 2015): A major leadership gift from the Johnson family was announced to fund a new 12,000 square-foot Health and Counseling Center building. Director Walden stated that demand had grown 82 percent over four years, that the Center had no dedicated group therapy rooms, that biofeedback equipment was being operated out of a closet, and that the existing facility could not house all clinical staff simultaneously. The new building was expected to open in the 2017–2018 academic year. (The Spectator, October 8, 2015)

• Second “Speak Your Mind” speak-out (November 2015): Minds for Change held a second “Speak Your Mind” event on November 9, 2015 to another packed Events Barn, drawing students from across campus communities. Opinion authors writing in the November 12 issue disclosed that one of them had been deferred two weeks by the Counseling Center during a serious depressive episode — the most personal documented account of the wait-time problem in the corpus. (The Spectator, November 12, 2015)

• Counseling Center staff expanded with psychiatrist hours, part-time counselor, new groups (early 2016): In January–February 2016, the Counseling Center expanded in three ways: psychiatrist Dr. Sascha Arbouet ‘99 doubled his on-campus hours from 10 to 20 hours per week; part-time counselor Heather Lester was added (10 hours per week, Monday–Wednesday); and an additional office was opened on the first floor of Azel Backus House. Two new support groups were introduced: a group for students of color and an LGBTQIAA group — the first time the Spectator documented affinity-specific mental health groups at Hamilton. (The Spectator, February 4, 2016)

• Peer Counseling Program announced (2016): In response to ongoing demand pressure, the Counseling Center announced a new Peer Counseling Program to begin Fall 2016. Student director Sarah Fishman ‘16 said, “I promise you no one, absolutely no one gets through their four years without some type of mental health struggle.” Dr. Heather Cosgrove of the Counseling Center described the program’s goal as “connecting peers to peers, raising awareness and providing education about personal wellness.” (Spectator, March 3, 2016)

• 103 percent utilization increase in four years (2016): By September 2016, Director Walden stated that the Center had seen “a dramatic increase in utilization — 103 percent in just four years,” with 25.7 percent of the student body utilizing the Center in the prior year. New resources included trained peer counselors, a new staff psychologist (Dr. Hidetoshi Hama, Ph.D. in counseling and school psychology from University of Buffalo), seven group counseling sessions, and a “24/7/365” distress hotline. The Center also relocated from the second floor of the Health Center to 100 College Hill Road. (Spectator, September 1, 2016)

• Open curriculum critique (2017): A Spectator editorial argued that Hamilton “laced the same institutional focus on the mental health of its students” as it did on physical fitness — noting that the college required gym courses for graduation but invested comparatively little in psychological resources. (Spectator, September 14, 2017)

Student Advocacy and the Mental Health Task Force (2017–2019)

• Mental Health Task Force and Dean Chase: By at least 2018, a formal Mental Health Task Force operated in coordination with a dean identified as “Dean Chase.” Student Body President Nadav Konforty ‘20 and Gavin Meade ‘20 (Minds for Change representative and mental health liaison to Student Assembly) both worked directly with Dean Chase on the Task Force. Meade is described as “a student who works directly with Dean Chase on the Mental Health Taskforce.” (Note: “Dean Chase” is not further identified by full name in the sampled Spectator sources; the role appears to be a dean in the Student Life division.) (Spectator, February 1, 2018)

• Stigma reduction sticker campaign (2018): Student Albert Ian Lunn ‘20, active in the Mental Health Task Force and Minds for Change, designed a symbol — “a series of almost connected concentric half-circles” — as a campus mental health awareness icon modeled on the visibility of the “rainbow H” used by the LGBTQ community. Lunn described the design as evoking “the balancing act demanded by a wholly healthy mind.” The stickers appeared on administrators’ doors near Dean Chase’s office. (Spectator, February 1, 2018)

• Counseling Center and LITS partnership (2018): In September 2018, the Counseling Center partnered with the Burke Library (LITS) to create an online catalogue of mental health resources — books, workbooks, websites, and electronic resources covering self-help and coping skills — accessible anonymously. Director Walden noted that “potential barriers to seeking help like embarrassment and uncertainty are virtually eliminated through the use of online resources.” Research librarian Kristin Strohmeyer helped organize the collection, the first of its kind Hamilton had attempted. (Spectator, September 13, 2018)

• Minds for Change “It’s okay to feel…” campaign (2019): Student organization Minds for Change, co-led by Sam Zachar ‘21 and Erin Bryant ‘21, launched a poster and sticker campaign using phrases like “It’s okay to feel… sad / overwhelmed / disappointed / happy.” Zachar described the campus climate: “I feel like at this campus just anything other than high-achieving was looked down upon.” Bryant spoke to cultural stigma: “I saw my grandmother diagnosed with bipolar disorder but Hispanic communities don’t believe in bipolar disorder, so I always grew up in an environment that was like ‘You’re supposed to be happy all the time.’” (Spectator, March 14, 2019)

• Campus town hall (Spring 2018): Approximately one year before the April 2019 Spectator piece, a campus town hall addressed mental health alongside sexual assault, diversity, and racism. Director of Residential Life Ashley Place highlighted the existence of a 24-hour psychological emergency hotline, which many students reportedly did not know about. Students expressed frustration with what they perceived as a defensive administrative response. One 2019 writer recalled that the town hall “ignited something in students” but concluded that a single event was “not enough to even begin addressing these campus issues.” (Spectator, April 4, 2019)

• New Health and Wellness Center (ca. 2018–2019): A new Health and Wellness building opened in the period following the town hall, incorporating a “Wellness room” and updated technology. Critics noted it did not increase counseling staffing or resolve appointment wait times; students were “still [unable] to make appointments — even two weeks out — due to a lack of staff and limited hours.” The college cited the Bundy Cafe as another administration step to address the mental health of “Greyside” students. (Spectator, April 4, 2019)

• “Because Hamilton” capital campaign critique (2019): A Spectator opinion piece by Dorothy Poucher ‘21 criticized Hamilton’s $400 million capital campaign for not giving mental health its own funding category. The six stated priority areas were scholarship aid, academic programs, the career center, athletics, the arts, and “where the College determines the need is greatest” — the last being the only possible home for mental health funding. Poucher noted that a “wellness” priority in the campaign seemed to focus more on physical health and programs than on clinical staffing. The previous major campaign had launched in December 2010, prompting the question of whether students would have to “wait another eight years.” The article also referenced unspecified “student deaths on campus” as an issue raised during the 2018 town hall. (Spectator, April 4, 2019)

• High-pressure culture and stigma: A student op-ed in February 2019, referencing an earlier Spectator article titled “The Anxiety of Perfection,” noted that the Counseling Center “has been increasingly booked” over four years — framed as evidence both of growing need and lingering stigma. The author reported being told by a classmate early in their first year to “depend on myself and not get stuck on the fact that I was having a hard time” rather than seek counseling. (Spectator, February 14, 2019)

Post-2020 Landscape

• Approximately 40 percent utilization (2022): By December 2022, Director Walden reported that roughly 40 percent of the student body was utilizing the mental health resources offered by the Counseling Center — a figure he described as a success in terms of outreach. Services by this point included individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric services, dietician services, a community pantry, mindful movement, mindful music, acupuncture, and occasional sound healing services. (The Spectator, December 8, 2022)

• Peer Counseling program in operation (2022): The Peer Counseling Program that launched in 2016 remained active in 2022, supervised by a staff member named Cowen (first name not given in source). Peer counselors such as Mac Behrhorst ‘23 described benefits including improved active listening skills; the program operated in a “therapy-adjacent space” distinct from licensed therapy. Events included a food truck and sleep webinar. (The Spectator, December 8, 2022)

• Morgan’s Message (2023): A new student organization, Morgan’s Message, was reported in the February 2023 club fair. Founded in honor of Morgan Rodgers, a Division I women’s lacrosse player at Duke who died by suicide in 2019 at age 22, the club aimed to destigmatize mental health care within the student-athlete community. Treasurer Delaney Grace ‘25 and four women’s ice hockey teammates brought the club to Hamilton; they had held dedication games for several Hamilton sports teams to start conversations about mental health. (The Spectator, February 2, 2023)

Open Questions

• Who is “Dean Chase” by full name and title? The 2018 sources consistently reference Dean Chase as the administrative counterpart to the student Mental Health Task Force, but no first name appears in the sampled issues.
• Did the “Because Hamilton” capital campaign ultimately fund a counseling staffing increase? The 2019 critique predated any announcement of such funding; resolution is undocumented in the corpus.
• What specific student deaths or crises prompted the 2018 campus town hall? The April 2019 editorial references “student deaths on campus” as a point of concern raised at the town hall, but the corpus does not appear to contain detailed reporting on specific incidents.
• Were Active Minds (the national-chapter organization) and Minds for Change separate groups, or did they merge or overlap over time? Both are mentioned in the 2015–2019 period without a clear description of their relationship.
• How did COVID-19 (2020–2021) affect the Counseling Center — were services moved online, and did demand further spike? The corpus gap in 2020–2021 Spectator issues means COVID-era impact on mental health services is not documented from primary sources.
• Was a psychiatrist eventually added to the Counseling Center’s permanent staff? The 2016 article mentions that the Center “given students access to a psychiatrist” in response to demand, but later sources do not confirm whether that position became permanent.

Sources

Related Topics

• Campus Life and Culture
• Race, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Student Government and Campus Organizations
• Sexual Assault Reform Movement
• COVID-19 Pandemic Campus Response