As the stresses of school and life weigh down on students, three on-campus counselors are here to help ease the panic, or simply provide good listening ears.
St. Michael’s first counselor-in-residence
Dave Kells is St. Michael’s first counselor-in-residence. Living in Pontigny Hall and making friends with students, Kells creates an approachable and professional environment for students who are having problems.
Kells is available for two nights in Alliot where students are able to drop by informally without appointments, Counselor Linda Hollingdale says.
“He also has done a great job of going to floor meetings, doing programs in residence halls, and even provides the bowling trip to first-years,” she says.
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Counselor Linda Hollingdale |
Kells is also a full-time counselor, meeting in the Student Resource Center during office hours along with Hollingdale and Julia Wick.
“In starting this counselor-in-residence program, we worked to help break down some of the cultural barriers that people may feel about going and talking to someone about issues or problems,” says Michael Samara, vice president of Student Affairs.
“Dave is just a good guy who is easy to talk to, and when people feel comfortable with another person, and see that person as wholly human, and not someone who is going to try to evaluate or analyze you, but just a trained listener who might help you to sort things out, then that person and those services become more approachable and user friendly,” he says.
Samara mentions that many people run into hard decisions and times in their lives, and oftentimes have a stigma attached to the idea of talking to someone who is a complete stranger, Samara says.
“It’s hard to break that ice at times, but Dave, as well as our other counselors, does a great job of welcoming those students in,” Samara says.
Continuing to thrive on campus
Counseling services at colleges are an important opportunity for students to be able to come in and have a safe place to talk about anything, Hollingdale says.
“In most places, like St. Mikes, it’s a free service, and is just a wonderful invitation for students to deal with whatever is on their mind before it becomes a big problem,” she says.
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The Student Resource Center, between St. Edmund's Hall and the McCarthy Arts Center |
Many issues, which develop into larger issues are also examined, and counselors are available and ready to help those find their own solutions, Hollingdale says.
“I just think it’s a really good opportunity for students to start to take care of their own concerns,” she says.
Samara says he hopes that the counseling services serve as a safety net for students.
“I think that the transitions in and out of college, certainly for first-years moving in, and seniors moving out can cause a lot of stress and confusion on both ends of the experience,” he says. “There are a lot of natural stressors that students are confronted with, even with those in the middle; sophomores and juniors are struggling with trying to decide on directions, majors, relationships and so forth.”
Samara describes his students as transitioning towards an autonomous independent lifestyle.
“Our counseling service provides a safety net in which students can go to a confidential setting and talk to people who are really trained college counselors and trained at listening and help students sort things out in their lives,” Samara says.
Hollingdale agrees students’ stress has increased, she says.
“Today especially, the stressors are different,” she says. “Sometimes it must be pretty difficult to sort or navigate that stuff. There are a lot of expectations on college students.”
Hollingdale, having worked as a counselor at St. Michael's for 27 years, points out that in her career here presently, she sees a lot more student anxiety and stress than she saw 20 years ago.
“Our higher education institutions have done a better job at offering counseling services to campuses,” she says. “But now I think there’s a need, and it’s an important need.”
According to Hollingdale’s statistics, every year, relationships are the number one issue talked about in counseling at St. Michael’s. This is followed by depression, anxiety, alcohol and drugs, college adjustments and then lastly generalized stress and difficulties.
Hollingdale says she believes it is better to help people catch things before they become major problems.
“It’s a very necessary service and hopefully a very popular and appreciated service,” she says. “A lot of students take advantage of it, which is very smart of them.”
Issues like these are common in college students and it's just part of life, Hollingdale says.
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Dean of Students Mike Samara (Photo by Erin Blair) |
“These issues are common in college students, and things people face with just being human,” says Hollingdale. “That’s what people struggle with, and college students are no different. We’re all just trying to get through the day.”