By Ariel Hochman |
In a recent interview, counselors at SUNY Broome say it might be easier than ever to start counseling.
“Surveys show a major increase in the number of U.S. adults who report symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic, compared with surveys before the pandemic” says Mayo Clinic Staff on the research of COVID-19 and Mental Health. The counselors at SUNY Broome currently offer virtual counseling sessions for students. These services are a great opportunity for students to speak with mental health professionals free of charge. Services and sessions will be tailored to each individual based on their needs. Students can request a first session through phone, email or coming to the office door and phoning in (Student Services Building). A first session will be a 90-minute virtual visit where the student and counselor will discuss the students’ needs and goals for counseling. There is a minimal wait to receive these services, students in need can be seen as soon as the same week. It is normal for college students to feel down during these times, but the counselors say there is accessible support here. An upside of having virtual visits rather than in-person is there is more time to spend on the sessions to engage with the student and create a well-paced, comfortable environment. “This semester we have been having a building block for talking about stigma because there is still, in 2021, a lot of stigma around mental health… May 6 we are doing “Movies for Mental Health” which is free for everyone to join.” Said counselor Ann Marie Zumawtzak. This workshop is available to anyone at SUNY Broome and will discuss stigma and creating a dialogue around mental health through short film. Melissa Martin touches on what next semester will look like for the counseling services. “We are wrapping virtual services into our service delivery anyway… it will be a hybrid I’m assuming.” Elizabeth McIlwain is an intern at the SUNY Broome Counseling Services. She is offering a program right now called “Study Buddy” where students can chat student-to-student with her Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s. Students can vent, be given help and receive support through this program. The counselors stressed that everyone working in the Counseling Services are here to support students as much as possible.
Students can email counselingservices@sunybroome.edu for any further questions. This email can also be used to get in contact with Elizabeth McIlwain for “Study Buddy” or any of the individual counselors.
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