Administrative building Hamilton Hall, with blurred students on the steps and walking by.

UArts Counseling

We are here to support and nurture our talented students. We provide short-term individual counseling, groups, outreach and prevention programming, as well as training, consultations and referral resources in our community.

The UArts Counseling Center is here for you, and we provide counseling both in-person and remotely by Zoom video conferencing online (a HIPAA-compliant version that protects your confidentiality).

If you have agreed in advance that the session will be online via Zoom, the therapist will email a link to you so you can access the session URL.

To reach us, email counseling@uarts.edu.

Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
In-person and Virtual Walk-in Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

NEW CLIENTS: SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS FOR COUNSELING/THERAPY

To get started, email us: counseling@uarts.edu 

Once you've emailed us, please visit  https://helpstartshere.uarts.edu  and click 'Entering UArts Counseling.' This will prompt you to fill out a few simple forms to enter you into our system. Please enter all of the information as directed.

Please be sure to email us directly to schedule an appointment; DO NOT just fill out the forms. While we monitor forms that come in, staff does not reach out to students to schedule appointments unless they contact us via email first.

EXISTING & PAST CLIENTS: SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS FOR COUNSELING/THERAPY

If you are an existing client, expect an email or a phone call from one of our staff members to help set up a follow-up appointment.

You are also welcome to email your counselor or last point of contact directly for scheduling.       

  • Beth Couture (she/her), Director: bcouture@uarts.edu

  • Miranda Wang (she/her), Assistant Director: xwang@uarts.edu  

  • Preya John (she/her), Staff Therapist: pjohn@uarts.edu

  • Chelsea Murphy (she/her), Case Manager: chmurphy@uarts.edu
    Students seeking referrals for psychiatry and off-campus therapy services can make an appointment with our Case Manager, who will work with you to find appropriate resources

Meet UArts

Beth Couture, Director of Counseling
Beth Couture

(She/They) - bcouture@uarts.edu

Beth Couture, Ph.D. - Director of Counseling Services
Miranda Wang, Staff Therapist
Xiaofeng "Miranda" Wang

(She/Her) - xwang@uarts.edu

Miranda Wang - Assistant Director of Counseling Services
Photo of Preya John, smiling, sitting on a chair in a pink pantsuit with ferns behind her.
Preya John

(She/Her) - pjohn@uarts.edu

Preya John - Staff Therapist
Chelsea Murphy - Counseling Intern
Chelsea Murphy

(She/They) - chmurphy@uarts.edu

Chelsea Murphy - Case Manager
Headshot of Veronica smiling at the camera
Veronica Yang

(She/Her) - vyang@uarts.edu

Veronica Yang - BIPOC Clinical Fellow
Abi Burns - counseling intern
Abi Burns

(They/Them); Temple University Social Work

Abi Burns - Counseling Intern
Amanda Farese - counseling intern
Amanda Farese

(She/They); Jefferson University Community & Trauma Counseling, concentration in Art Therapy

Amanda Farese - Counseling Intern
Sarah Grisham - Counseling Intern
Sarah Grisham

(She/Her); Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research

Sarah Grisham - Counseling Intern
Tiffany Holmes - Counseling Intern
Tiffany Holmes

(She/Her); Drexel University Dance Movement Therapy

Tiffany Holmes - Counseling Intern
Alexis Luscutoff  - Counseling Intern
Alexis Luscutoff

(She/Her); UPenn Counseling and Mental Health Services

Alexis Luscutoff - Counseling Intern
Sakinaa Rock - Counseling Intern
Sakinaa Rock

(They/Them); Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research

Sakinaa Rock - Counseling Intern
Sarah Slate
Sarah Slate

(She/Her); Jefferson University Community & Trauma Counseling

Sarah Slate - Counseling Intern
headshot of molly strange, seen in a white collared shirt with sleeves rolled and cuffed to t-shirt length. Molly is smiling against an out of focus leafy green background.
Molly Strange

(she/her); Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research

Molly Strange - Counseling Intern
headshot of aki wakayama wearing a pink polo shirt and black glasses, smiling against a springtime park background with pink cherry blossoms bursting from trees in the background.
Aki Wakayama

(He/him); UPenn Counseling and Mental Health Services

Aki Wakayama - Counseling Intern

Gershman Hall, Room 205
401 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Our hours are Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m and we can be reached at counseling@uarts.edu.

Our services are free and confidential.

Counseling Resources

Emergency Services

Contacts to help UArts students who may be experiencing a crisis.

Emergency Resources

Hotlines

Important national and local numbers for additional supports in a variety of areas relating to mental health and wellbeing.

Hotlines

Parent & Family Resources 

Tips and advice for parents and families on how to best assist their student.

Parent & Family Resources

Faculty & Staff Resources

Tips for faculty and staff on options for how to best help students in distress.

Faculty & Staff Resources

Individual Counseling

At the student's first visit to the UArts Counseling Center, information and consent forms will be filled out prior to the session. During the first appointment, the staff and/or Clinical Trainee (under supervision) will begin to assess the student's needs and to determine the most effective interventions for treatment. Options may include counseling at the Center and/or a referral to a higher level of care.

Counseling sessions are completely confidential, and due to ethical and legal restraints, cannot be shared without written permission from the student. Exceptions to confidentiality involve situations where there is cause to believe that there is danger of harm to self or others.

Initial Meeting

Counseling starts with a 15-20 minute in-person walk-in/triage screening session with a UArts Counseling Center staff member. In Triage, we assess the nature and urgency of the students' concern to arrange the most appropriate next step to help.

When you contact the Center (either in person or by phone), you will be scheduled for this 15-20 minute in-person triage screening appointment. You will be asked a variety of questions, will have the opportunity to discuss your personal situation and ask questions.

During this private consultation, the student has the opportunity to discuss their concerns. If further services are indicated, the staff therapist or clinical intern/trainee may recommend  individual counseling at UArts, suggest further evaluation, or refer the student to other services on or off campus. Sometimes, students find that this initial consultation meets their needs and requires no further services.

At the end of this meeting, appropriate options will be reviewed with you. These could include an appointment for an initial meeting to pursue short-term counseling at UArts and/or referral to other resources on campus or in the community. Crisis and urgent situations are addressed as needed and may involve collaboration with the UArts Public Safety staff if emergencies occur.

Individual Therapy

Short-term individual counseling may be offered to help students navigate life stressors and to gain a deeper awareness about the basis of their concerns and the need for problem-solving skills. For issues that would be better resolved through longer-term individual counseling, a referral to a therapist community may be recommended.

UArts offers short-term counseling. If a student is interested in a longer term therapy relationship, we can help by offering referrals to outside low-fee and sliding scale therapists and advise on arranging services in the community. Keep in mind, however, that no student is ever turned away and that length of treatment at our Center is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Group Counseling

Support Groups
Each semester UArts Counseling may offer a variety of therapy groups. Therapy groups are a form of counseling, focusing on developing insight and behavior change. Five to eight group members  (who all must be current UArts students) meet with one or two group therapists once per week for 1.5 hours throughout the semester. The starting dates will vary and enrollment is free. Group therapy provides a unique opportunity for small groups of students to meet and share common concerns, explore difficulties and learn new skills. Depending on student need and attendance, we can offer support groups to UArts students pertaining to specific populations as well as specific concerns (i.e., LGBT students, social skills training, stress management, art therapy groups, etc).

How Do I Join a Group?
If you are already working with a therapist at UArts Counseling, express your interest to your therapist and a referral can be made. If you are not currently utilizing our services, please come in for a triage walk-in screening and a referral to a group (either forming or for the following semester) can be made. This screening will help to determine if a group may be helpful to the student and also to assess if enough students on campus are interested in a particular group to be offered. Once a group forms, it is usually closed to new members until the following cycle. During group sessions, members discuss issues of concern and offer support and feedback to each other. Confidentiality is strictly respected.

NOTE: Students should not pursue services at UArts Counseling for the sole purpose of obtaining a letter of support relating to Educational Accessibility (i.e. academic accommodations) and/or class absences. UArts Counseling does not provide letters at the time of an initial consultation and cannot provide documentation regarding a student's mental health without a history of services at UArts Counseling during the specified time period. If necessary, students are encouraged to seek letters of support from individuals directly involved in their care such as past or present psychological/psychiatric providers or medical doctors and practitioners.

Internships: Clinical Social Work, Counseling and Creative Arts Therapies (Art, Music & Dance/Movement Therapy)

The Clinical Training Program at the University of the Arts provides experience in a wide range of mental health issues and treatment approaches among college student populations. The UArts Counseling Center is committed to a multidisciplinary training approach and is open to advanced graduate students in Clinical Social Work, Counseling and Creative Arts Therapies.

UArts Counseling Center Internships and field placement opportunities enable the acquisition of necessary competencies for mental health treatment in college and university counseling centers with the emerging adult population. Internships are typically 21 hours/3 full days per week. The interns are trained in developing the following skills: interview assessment, ongoing short-term solution-focused counseling, case conceptualization, consultation, emergency assessments and crisis intervention, as well as triage, case management, possible groups and developing outreach programming for health and wellness in Student Affairs. Other training activities include: weekly Counseling staff meetings, weekly individual supervision and group supervision, as well as case presentations and didactic seminars.

There is also a Creative Arts Therapies track (currently in development) in which graduate students who are studying Art Therapy, Music Therapy and Dance Therapy will have an opportunity to gain valuable experience in counseling with our unique artistic student population.

Inquiries:
The UArts Counseling Center currently works with select graduate programs directly to recruit interns for our programs. If interested, please contact your graduate program field coordinator to inquire further. Unsolicited applications will not be accepted.