Speak With a Counselor

Walk-In Hours

The Counseling Center has walk-in hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - noon and 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. during the academic semester. Walk-in hours are available to any student to see a counselor on the same-day for a routine concern, urgent need, or crisis situation. Students can speak with the walk-in counselor either in-person or through Zoom.

To see a counselor during walk-in hours:

Go to the Counseling Center, located at Conant House and check-in with the office manager for a walk-in appointment
You will complete some paperwork before seeing the counselor
You may have to wait up to 30 minutes to see the counselor if they are meeting with another student when you check-in

Call the Counseling Center at 315-228-7385 and request to see the walk-in counselor; the office manager can let you know if the counselor is available or if there is a wait
Notify the office manager if you would like to see the walk-in counselor in-person or through a Zoom appointment
You will complete some paperwork either online or in-person before seeing the counselor

After-Hours Support

A counselor is available 24/7 for after-hours support to assist with urgent or crisis situations. After the Counseling Center closes for the day, students can reach the counselor on-call by calling the Counseling Center and selecting prompt #2 from the voicemail. Students can access the counselor on-call from both on and off-campus locations. Students may find it helpful to attend walk-in hours the following day for ongoing support from a counselor.

For severe or potential life-threatening mental health or medical issues, contact 911 or Campus Safety at 315-228-7911. Students may also call the National Text/Hotline for after-hours support. Text START to 741-741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8253) for a confidential conversation anytime.

Contact Us

For students unable to attend walk-in hours or have a unique treatment need, you can request a routine scheduled appointment with a counselor by completing the Appointment Request Form. The office manager processes these requests on a first come, first-served basis and will reply to students by the next business day to offer the first available appointments. The Appointment Request Form should not be used for crisis or urgent counseling requests.

FYI: Students must be signed in through eduroam or Colgate WiFi to access the Appointment Request Form. If a student is off-campus, they must be connected through Colgate's VPN, Global Connect.

Learn more about us below; it is important that you have confidence in your counselor's ability to help you.

Dawn LaFrance

Assistant Vice President of Counseling and Psychological Services, Director of Sexual Violence Support

Conant House

Niki Keating

Senior Associate Director of Counseling and Psychological Services

nkeating@colgate.edu (315) 228-7385

Conant House

Monique Lewis

Assistant Director, Counseling and Psychological Services

mllewis@colgate.edu

Conant House

Christian Beck

Mental Health Counselor

cbeck@colgate.edu (315) 228-7385

Conant House

Karla Ahishakiye

Adjunct Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Hello! I am a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who is always, first and foremost, striving to deliver personable care with the person I am helping at the center of it all. Empowerment and caring are essential to the soul of the nursing profession at any level, and I do my best to uphold the standard of nurses being viewed as one of the most ethical and honest professions. The majority of my clinical experience has been in an outpatient setting, treating a wide array of mental health issues and substance use disorders, many of whom were young adults and college-aged students. Outside of work, I have two young sons (3 and 5yrs old) whose goals are to ensure I meet my daily physical activity goals! I also love attending comedy shows, because laughing does everyone good. A great day for me is the sun shining, my caramel latte made perfectly, and having the chance to smile and have a talk with someone.

Walk-In Hours

To see a counselor during walk-in hours:

After-Hours Support

Contact Us

Meet the Staff