Counseling Services cares for students

Career Development is offering free individual and group counseling to help UWG students cope with college related issues such as stress and anxiety.  Students can sign up for counseling at any point in the semester.

Lisa Adams, a licensed counselor specializing in college students, says Career Development sees about one thousand students a semester.

“Our main goal is to help students be successful. Students have different problems and different ways of solving them, whether it’s a personal relationship, getting over trauma, academics, stress management or transitioning into college. We specialize in this population and the stressors that come with being in college so we try to bridge that gap,” said Adams.

With ten counselors and six counseling interns, the program offers a stable support group and environment for students seeking guidance through college’s bumps in the road. Suicide is the second cause of death among college students and the most preventable. Students are not alone in their personal problems and have access to a caring support group with the advantages of free counseling.

Group counseling consists of six to ten people and has often been considered the most successful form of treatment. The group counseling sessions help students see they are not alone in their problems, and give them the opportunity to relate to others. Social skills are acquired and alternative methods in contending with life’s difficulties are formed.

“Groups are really helpful for students to not only develop relationships, but see other people going through the same experiences,” said Adams.  For the more introverted students seeking one-on-one attention, individual counseling is also available.

Career Development is fundamentally an academic program centered to success in school, but also serves as an emotional support team for students in need. With a number of different issues that students may suffer, counseling services facilitates help for each problem. Academic stress can often lead to depression, difficulty in time management and personal relationships, or lack of confidence. Counseling helps students cope with a number of issues such as grief, trauma intervention, social interaction anxiety, substance abuse, sexual abuse and weight loss support for women.

According to the Counseling follow-up report, the demographic of respondents are 72 percent female and lower classmen. The testimonial of students who attended counseling sessions has regularly said it has helped them be more successful in school. Fifty-three percent of counseled students agreed that they are better able to work on personal problems in the future.

Counseling services helps students overcome their challenges daily by the promise that they always have assistance by whatever they are confronted with in college.

“A student in need needs us and we want them to know we are here,” said Adams.

Career Development is located at 123 Row Hall. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, students can call 678-839-6428.

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