Counseling Center sees expanded services, increase in vistors
The front of Foust Hall, which houses the Central Michigan University Counseling Center.
Students have been responding well to the expansion of services at the Counseling Center, with each day seeing more visitors than the last, said Melissa Hutchinson, Interim Director of Counseling Services.
Offered in the aftermath of the March 2 double homicide in Campbell Hall, the expanded services include daily stress-relief activities and the extension of the center's hours of operation to span from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through next week. These extended hours end March 23.
Hutchinson said the Counseling Center is offering a variety of activities to serve as many students as possible, taking into account that everyone reacts to stressful and traumatic situations differently.
The extended services include a daily session called "Weathering a Crisis," which takes place 3-5 p.m. in Foust Hall room 135. It teaches students practical skills that will help them manage their emotional response to the March 2 incident, Hutchinson said.
Foust 135 also provides a daily gathering space with therapy dogs 4-7 p.m. A "touchstone" art program will allow visitors of the Counseling Center to create small mementos to help keep them emotionally grounded during stressful situations, Hutchinson said.
"As they learn about (the services), students are coming and utilizing this space," Hutchinson said. "Having something to do — such as petting the dogs, or the 'touchstone' art project — helps people process and share more freely without feeling uncomfortable doing so. We just wanted to create a space for students to be comfortable coming and sharing with their peers."
Though the extended services will stop being offered after next week, Hutchinson said the Counseling Center's recent acquisition of Foust 135 opens opportunities for expanded services in the future.
"We had hoped to have this room ready so we could expand our programming for this summer and next year," Hutchinson said. "Due to the events of March 2, many campus partners came together to support us and we got the room ready for students to use in two days (during spring break)."
