This is a general transcript of the NSU Counseling Center question and answer session on their services for the students. 

Q: Who works at the NSU Counseling Center? 

A: Our team members are Cory Anderson, counselor; Heather Aldentaler, Counseling Center director; Erin Olson, Counseling Center program manager; and Kelly Bindenagel, counselor.

Q: What services does the Counseling Center offer?

A: We offer individual one-on-one, as well as couples and group counseling as needed. We are also available to do presentations in classrooms for teachers, and consult with any staff as needed if they are having issues are well. We do also provide stress management labs that are closer to one session, and we can talk through coping and relaxation skills. We can help with the little skills too.

Q: What is the process for some of these services?

A: If a student wants to make an appointment, they can call or stop in. After that, we collect intake info, and we offer seven sessions per student per academic semester. From there, we diagnose their needs and how to help them become better, healthier students.

Q: What sort of changes have you implemented to make the Counseling Center a more welcoming place?

A: We first noticed that there weren’t any directions or signs showing where the Counseling Center was, besides a very small sign, so we worked with NSU Communications and Marketing to put some new signs in place so students can find us more easily. We also took a look at our front desk area, and we were very aware of how we placed our desks and where we wanted certain things to be. We also have been reaching out to more faculty to get our services in their classrooms and get them talking about us to their students. We are also working closely with Resident’s Life staff in their training and we are putting more time to training RAs in when and where to refer students to the Counseling Center.

Q: What are some of your personal goals each of you hope to achieve?

A: Right now, we want the Counseling Center to be more active and recognizable. We are all working actively to better our services and gain licensure to make ourselves more useful to students.We are always learning new ways to help and new ways to improve our services. Getting out and getting across campus and making connections is a big thing.

Q: What are the hours for the center, and are you available on weekends?

A: We are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are closed on weekends and holidays. We do offer programming later at night in residence halls.

Q: How can students contact the Counseling Center?

A: You can contact the Counseling Center at 605-626-2371. Students can also stop by during our regular hours to make an appointment.

Q: Where can students find the Counseling Center?

A: The Counseling Center is located in Student Center 240. Go up the stairs and past the admissions office-- last door on the left.

Q: How can people from the Counseling Center help in emergencies? This could be things like panic attacks and other emotional and mental crisis.

A: We have a level of training in which we can come to them in confidence in their time of crisis to be that calming voice, and we have the practice and ability to assure them that everything will be OK-- what they are struggling with is temporary, that we will get through it together, and set up services to support students after their crisis as well.

Q: How will the Counseling Center be interacting with the RAs this year to provide emotional support to students?

A: The Counseling Center has already started booking presentations in residence halls and have talked to the hall staff on different ideas that would benefit the students. The Counseling Center even has something called “Mocktails,” a presentation on alcohol safety that includes serving students mocktails while counselors educate on the effects of different alcohols in a social atmosphere–as opposed to advising alcohol abstinence. It isn’t a sit-down presentation, it’s really more of a group conversation.

Q: Do any of you specialize in the services you provide?

A: We are all considered general practitioner counselors, so we can work with pretty much anybody, but we each have different crowds and populations that we are comfortable with. We have counselors that used to be athletes or military, and we can relate with them in a way that maybe non-athletes or non-veterans could not. We all have different strengths, but we are all willing to work with anybody that comes through that door. We have worked in different agencies, so we each have different experiences–but it is a matter of bringing together those differences to best help our students and each other.

Q: How do you suggest students handle stress on a day to day basis?

A: The best way for students to handle stress is through time management and being able to look at what your obligations are and “practice the pause” or find time for yourself. Even if it is just 10 or 15 minutes to go for a walk, listen to some music or chat with some friends. We all need to be able to take a deep breath and enjoy things.

We also talk about the basics of taking care of your bodies, whether it be simple things like changing your sleep schedule and making sure you’re eating healthy foods as well. They may seem like super simple things, but we have all been in college, and we know that students get super busy. When the stress gets bad, we can forget to do those things, and it’s a matter of resetting ourselves and finding a better way to handle our time to keep ourselves healthy.

Q: What other services does the counseling center provide besides counseling?

A: We like to think of the counseling center as a hub for students, as we know about all the organizations on campus and we have connections throughout Northern and the community, so they can come to us about things like needing tutoring or help with disabilities. Avera Health is also in our suite, so we can pair with them on sick students, or getting them medications. We are here to help students get the things they need, and analyzing their needs to suggest a solution.

Q: Why is mental health important?

A: When you look at counseling and mental health, we look at emotional, psychological and social well-being to be a healthy human being. Your mental health affects how we think, feel, act, and how we handle situations of stress or crisis. Being strong in a mental health capacity and having counseling for when things aren’t going right, gives them resources to help people and practice different coping skills. Counseling can be for everyone; everyone has stress in their lives. It’s just practicing how to be their best selves.

The population of students we work with are people entering adulthood for the first time, and are now responsible for their own physical, mental and social health. We are helping them learn to manage themselves outside of the support systems they have always. We aren’t here to just fix the problem for you, but to help you learn how to find your own solutions and manage yourself.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to tell students?

A: Come get to know us. Even if it’s just stopping in the Student Center for two minutes and shaking some hands. We work really hard on outreach to know our students on that personal basis. We want students to see us on campus and stop to talk to us, and to be comfortable entering our doors and wanting to have those conversations with us. Whether it is asking how we are doing, or getting a little deeper into those mental health issues. It is a safe place to land, and we want students to know we are all here to help them.