College is a stressful time for students. Many leave home and move across the state, country or even globe to come to ASU and continue their education.
With this, however, comes a lot of pressure.
Lectures, assignments, labs and extracurricular activities can all be overwhelming to even the most prepared students.
It is often helpful for students to have an external third party to talk to regardless of what they are struggling with, whether it be about academic or personal stresses. It is also important to note that counseling is not just for people who are struggling with mental illness, however counseling can be the first step.
ASU students should take advantage of the services that the on-campus counseling center offers while they are still students.
The first session of counseling at ASU's Clinical Psychology Center is offered at a fixed fee of $25. After that, costs per session are on a sliding scale ranging from $15 to $95. This is cheaper compared to typical costs of services, according to the Department of Psychology's webpage, which states that a psych evaluation typically costs $400.
In addition, ASU Counseling Services offers individual and group counseling as well as crisis services and online therapy modules.
According to John Barton, the director of the Clinical Psychology Center, “the kinds of things that college students are experiencing, such as being away from home, relationship problems, substance problems and lots of general stress in their lives are fairly normative and students who are experiencing these things could definitely benefit from one of the services at one of the counseling centers on campus.”
A report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health stated that other than anxiety and depression, the top causes for students to seek counseling are relationship problems, stress and family. Additionally, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America stated that, “thirty percent of college students reported that stress had negatively affected their academic performance,” and “eighty-five percent of college students reported that they had felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point within the past year.”
Going to an on-campus counseling center could help students develop ways to better cope with stress and this is a skill that will benefit them following graduation.
Barton explained that the counseling services offered at ASU are often performed by a graduate student who are supervised by a certified professional.
“At the counselor training center, these are all masters or doctorate students, so going to an on-campus center helps not only the patient, but the students that they are helping to train,” Barton said.
With the capable counselors and resources available, students should utilize these services as they are affordable and convenient.
If you are in crisis or need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Additionally, you can call EMPACT’s 24-Hour ASU-dedicated Crisis Line at 480-921-1006.
Reach the reporter at cfusillo@asu.edu or follow @katiefusillo on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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