CLARE NORMOYLE
Special to The Leader
SUNY Fredonia’s counseling center is officially back in-person.
Like the rest of Fredonia, the counseling center had to change the way it offered services. Instead of meeting in-person, sessions, consultations and activities were offered online or via phone call.
But since the counseling center got the go-ahead to return back to face-to-face arrangements, more activities and meetings are being offered on campus again.
In order to attend, students must follow the current mask wearing protocols in campus buildings.
However, there is still the option for students to reach counselors via Zoom and telephone consultations.
The counseling center offers a multitude of services outside of appointments with counselors.
There is a “Let’s Talk” informal drop-in with a counselor every Wednesday from 1–3 p.m. The counseling center also offers couples counseling, group counseling, Prevention, Wellness and Advocacy services and always offers crisis services during working hours.
Jermaine Kenner, LMHC-P, a mental health therapist with the counseling center, also runs a mental health bootcamp Thursdays at 3.
“We’re touching on every issue possible. The first week we did cognitive behavioral therapy, and ‘Why I Do What I Do, and The Way I Do It.’ Then last week, this previous week, we talked about moods. How is a mood different from an emotion, ‘What is this thing called Bipolar?,’ and we talked about [the word] ‘bipolar’ and how it is different from ADHD. We basically just talked about mood disorders for a 30-minute period. This upcoming week we’ll be talking about relationships,” said Kenner.
The counseling center wants students who feel nervous about approaching the counseling center to know that it’s okay to drop-in, because sometimes you may not need a full therapy session, sometimes you may just need a quick talk.
According to Higher Education Today, as of April 2021, “73% of college presidents identify mental health as a pressing issue as the pandemic-affected 2020–2021 academic year comes to a close and they look ahead to the fall semester.”
For Fredonia, around 40% of enrolled students use the counseling center’s services per year.
“The negative stigma around mental health is outdated. The stigma has no power,” said Kenner.
A quick life tip he has for students is, “realize everything is temporary. The person you are today is not the person you were last year, and won’t be the person you are tomorrow. So what are you gonna do with today?” Kenner continued.
The counseling center stresses to students they have a more optimal chance of being able to seek help and talk to someone here through the center’s services as opposed to students going home to talk to someone.
The center’s goal is to be easily approachable and reachable. The counseling center is open every Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you’d like to reach the center by phone, the number is 716-673-3424.