Counseling Center Opens New Services On Campus 

College is a time for exciting new experiences, personal growth and academic achievement. It can also bring feelings of anxiety, stress and isolation. As students navigate this pivotal period of their lives, mental health support is crucial. SUNY New Paltz’s Psychological Counseling Center (PCC) is now offering one-on-one drop-in therapy sessions as well as group therapy sessions for the campus community.

Let’s Talk is a consultation with a counselor from the PCC open for anyone. These drop-in sessions are perfect for those who do not need regular appointments and have a specific issue they need help with. Whether you are stressed about friends or classwork, need guidance in a relationship or just want to know more about campus services, Let’s Talk is there for you. Students do not need to make an appointment, as they operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. For the fall 2024 semester, you can find them in the Student Union Building (SUB) on Wednesdays from 1 – 3 p.m. in room 416. On Oct. 9 and Nov. 13 Let’s Talk will take place in SUB 208.

For someone who has never done therapy, it is easy to feel intimidated by the idea of facing one person and spilling your guts. Luckily, the PCC also offers group therapy sessions facilitated by a licensed PCC clinician. First-year and transfer students can also build connections and adjust to campus life with the program Cope, Connect, Create — a visual art-based group, on Tuesdays from 2:30 – 4 p.m. You do not need to be an artist to take advantage of this resource.

The PCC is also offering BIPOC Resilience, an empowerment-based support group. This group supports emotional wellness by creating a community for New Paltz students who identify as people of color to cope with emotional stressors, imposter syndrome and academics. Each session introduces a new skill to build and ways to nurture emotional wellbeing on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m.

For New Paltz students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, All of Me is a group taking place on Wednesdays from 12:30 – 2 p.m. All of Me is a safe space to explore and discuss “various aspects of identity.” The group picks the topics, which can include “increasing self-esteem and resilience, coming out, managing difficult relationships and creating peer support networks.”

If you are interested in learning how to use coping skills, or if your feelings feel too intense sometimes, Wise Mind can help. It is a dialectical behavior therapy group designed to help you put your coping skills to use during stressful times. Those in Wise Mind “will learn specific ways to manage difficult interpersonal situations and feel more grounded in our decisions.” Wise Mind will take place on Wednesdays from 2:30 – 4 p.m.

If you are interested in joining a PCC therapy group, call the PCC at (845)-257-2920 to register and join, as they usually close to new members after the first two weeks of the semester.

By participating in these sessions, students not only gain insights into their own experiences but also learn from the diverse perspectives of others while still feeling comfortable in an environment where others can relate to them. Group therapy on college campuses is more than just a support system — it is a vital component of an integrated approach to mental health that can help students thrive in all aspects.