Therapy needs for students have been stressed at the university even before it could call itself one. This article, unedited from its original form published on Nov. 22, 1977, details what therapy options looked like at a moment in Point Park’s time.
Everyone suffers an emotional disturbance or upset at one time or another. Sometimes, an individual can handle his own internal conflicts, but usually a troubled person needs help in finding the best alternative to his problem.
Fortunately, PPC students do not have to look far for this help. The college’s behavioral sciences department is offering a free psychological counseling service designed to help students cope with their emotional or social conflicts.
“The purpose of this program is to serve the student body of Point Park College in terms of psychological counseling which may include a wide variety of issues,” stated Mrs. Pauline Napier, supervising director of the psychological counseling service and assistant professor of psychology.
The behavioral sciences department initiated the program four years ago. Until this year, Robert Fessler had served as supervising director.
“The program was started y for a counseling center,” Mrs. Napier explained. “If a student is having any kind of conflict, he may want to talk to someone at a professional level.”
The counseling service is presently trying to coordinate programs with the Program for Academic Support (PAS). This year-round support agency, under director John Street, aids the incoming freshmen and enrolled upperclassmen in coping with the day to day problems of college lie. Vincenne Abraham serves as the PAS counseling coordinator.
The service, along with Debbie Orr, director of housing, is also organizing a program which will instruct the college’s resident advisors in basic crisis intervention.
The counseling service is growing, but many students who need help still do not take advantage of this program. According to Mrs. Napier, most of these students feels apprehensive about seeking psychological counseling.
“There is the initial concern and reluctance of the students to seek out psychological counseling,” she maintained, “but once they’ve started they find that counseling helps them make choices and helps them cope with their conflicts. They find that all of us need counseling to some degree.”
“In terms of numbers of students,” Mrs. Napier continued, “we still have time available. I would like to see it grow someday into a full-time counseling center in the college.”
Seven clinically trained graduate students from the University of Pittsburgh staff the service. These individuals counsel at PPC as part of their training. Their work here closely parallels a doctor’s internship.
Both Pitt faculty members and Mrs. Napier carefully supervised these counselors. However, the Pitt counselors are in a qualified professional training program and can deal with all types of problems.
The Pitt counselors conduct psychological counseling sessions on an individual and confidential basis. The counselor and the student decide on the method of therapy and arrange the meeting time. If a counselor discerns that the student needs something more, he may make referrals.
Psychological counseling is never mentioned in a student’s records.
A counselor may tape the session for supervisory purposes with the student’s permission. In this case, only the counselor’s supervisor hears this tape and the counselee’s identity is never revealed. A student can refuse to the taping.
“Confidentiality is kept to the highest degree possible,” stressed Mrs. Napier.
Any PPC student may use the psychological counseling service. Counseling sessions are conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
