The Counselor-in-Residence program will continue its easy-access, mental health counseling services to students who live in dormitories on campus this fall. Through the program, three counselors, each of whom serves a different residential complex, offer increased preventative resources for mental health, stress reduction, relationship health and overall wellness.

The Counselors-in-Residence program, which launched in 2019, places an advanced student psychotherapist in a residential environment where they can conveniently offer mental health assistance to students.

The location of therapy rooms inside residence halls provides a significant advantage to students seeking mental health services as they drastically increase accessibility and anonymity. Services are also offered via Zoom for students who may need or prefer this method of therapy.

All three counselors are second-year students in the marriage and family therapy graduate program. The program is offered in partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services to ensure students can seek any help and support they need close to home. Program services are free to students and do not have a session limit.

Students do not have to participate in ongoing therapy in order to benefit from the program services as 30-minute drop-in consultations are also available.

It’s important for students to know that counselors can help them deal with a huge array of potential topics. Plus, all counselors are trained in trauma intervention so they can assist students with past trauma experiences or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

When it comes to the therapy sessions, no topic is off-limits. Anything that students want to process or feel is relevant is something they can bring into the room.

All three counselors communicate regularly to check in on the others’ progress, share advice and plan curriculums for upcoming events and workshops. Last month, the counselors hosted an anxiety and grounding techniques workshop for a residence assistant team. They hope to offer additional workshops and support groups in the future.

To schedule a visit with a counselor, students can email counselors directly for available times.

• Abel-Sandoz | Lydia Nielsen | lnielsen24@huskers.unl.edu
• Harper-Schramm-Smith | Aiswary Ganapathy | aiswary@huskers.unl.edu
• Knoll-University Suites-Eastside Suites-Selleck | Natalie Henton | natalie.henton@huskers.unl.edu