By JACKSON WANG
Executive Editor
When arriving on a college campus for the first time, students experience an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with stress, anxiety, and even depression. This is a normal feeling for first-year students, according to Saint Rose Counseling Center.
In order to help students deal with these issues, the counseling center is offering Group for Positive Change, a program that was developed three years ago by I-Ching Grace Hung, assistant clinical director.
Hung said the group is based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, a widely researched and effective program that is used nationwide.
During the ten-week session, students meet twice a week for one hour to discuss anything they like, said Hung. With less than ten students participating in each session, they will learn to manage emotions, communicate effectively, develop strong relationships, and increase self-confidence.
“It’s nonjudgmental, friendly, and welcoming,” said Hung. “It’s a place for people to feel at ease.”
Hung began the program in the fall of 2011 because she saw that there was a need for it. She said a lot of students were coming into college for the first time and faced many tough challenges ahead of them alone. The group was created to help those students.
“Reports have been successful,” said Alan Martell, assistant director at the counseling center. “It’s a very informative program. Whoever attends will love it.”
Since the program began three years ago, it’s been consistently running once a semester for ten weeks.
Hung said in each session, students will learn skills to deal with emotion and stress. Then she wants each student to practice the skills at home.
For example, Hung said if a student needed to get a ten-page paper done, she wants to student to think why they are procrastinating and what benefits does the student have if they hold off on the paper. She hopes this will eventually make the student see that they need to get this paper done so they don’t face stress later on.
“The goal is to give our students as many tools as possible,” said Martell.
Martell said over the last few years, there’s been a consistent level of students dealing with anxiety, emotion, and stress. He said some students are better when counseled alone, while others are better treated with groups, which is why Group for Positive Change was created.
Martell said if students feel more comfortable to meet alone, then he highly encourages students to set up a time and meet with one of the staff members at the counseling center.
“We have great people with different backgrounds to match up with each student,” said Martell.
As for the group meeting, Hung said not many students come to her sessions because many see it as therapy and many don’t feel comfortable about that. She said students should know that this group is very confidential and that if someone doesn’t feel comfortable sharing something, they don’t have to.
“I would encourage students to not think about it as therapy, but rather as a seminar,” said Hung.
Group for Positive Change will also have two student interns, Kristy Hansen and Matt Worhach, helping at each session.
The seminar will run from noon to 1 p.m. every Tuesday starting Oct. 1 and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays thereafter. The program is open to all Saint Rose students for no cost. Students can register by calling 518-454-5200.
Other events that will be held by the counseling center this month will be a presentation on Alcohol Awareness at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 in the main lounge and a free self defense class as part of Domestic Violence week on Oct. 24.
