Spiritual care is a type of counseling provided by professional chaplains and trained spiritual leaders. It involves nonjudgmental, compassionate listening that welcomes people to share their joys, concerns, and hopes in the context of their full humanity, and for many, their philosophy, religion, or spirituality.
At the Tufts University Chaplaincy, our chaplains are:
Please find the answers to commonly asked questions below, and you can always email the University Chaplaincy to learn more. You can download a resource about spiritual care here.
09/11/2019 - Medford/Somerville, Mass. - Walker Bristol, A14, Humanist Chaplain and Justin Tavares, E22, pose for a portrait together at the Interfaith Center on September 11, 2019. (Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)
Chaplains are trained to provide care to you, no matter your identities. Find answers to common questions below, connect with us for any further questions.
Spiritual care creates a space for you to bring any and all parts of yourself. A spiritual care provider offers a calm presence, can provide spiritual resources, and share in practices like meditation, storytelling, or prayer. Tufts chaplains are able and eager to offer you space. Space to deepen your religious or philosophical identities, space to process a difficult event, space to explore your own big questions. Tufts chaplains can provide insights from a particular tradition and accompany you as you determine what is true for you. Chaplains are also available to check in when you are just not feeling like yourself.
At Tufts, chaplains offer spiritual care. They are trained to provide care to anyone in the Tufts community. All Tufts chaplains are affirming of all gender identities and sexual orientations. All chaplains are confidential. At Tufts, this means they are not mandated reporters. You can learn more about each of the chaplains on our Meet the Team page, and contact them through their emails or by emailing the University Chaplaincy.
A spiritual care provider offers a calm presence, can provide spiritual resources, and share in practices like meditation, storytelling, or prayer. People often seek spiritual care to process grief, for support in their identity formation, and to seek the wisdom of a particular tradition through prayer, scripture study, or meditation. Chaplains are also available to check in when you just aren’t feeling like yourself.
Chaplains also support religious and philosophical student organizations (RPSOs) on campus, and work to sustain communities on campus. If you are interested in learning more about a particular community on campus, please reach out to a chaplain. Please find the answers to commonly asked questions below.
Tufts chaplains support the entire Tufts community, including faculty, staff, and students, on all Tufts campuses. Please see below for the answers to commonly asked questions about emotional and spiritual support at Tufts.
Counseling and Mental Health Services provides confidential counseling support for students navigating their mental health and well-being.
Tufts Health Services provides care for acute illness and injury, chronic conditions, and routine healthcare needs.
The Center for Awareness, Resources, and Education offers confidential support and education around sexual health, sexual misconduct, and healthy relationships.
The Haven at Tufts provides support for enrolled students struggling with substance abuse disorders including counseling, group work, and substance-free housing.