March 25, 2009

Counseling Center plans awareness campaign

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Green ribbons will dot the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on April 3.

They will symbolize the “One in Ten” awareness campaign from the Counseling Center. The center is encouraging faculty, staff and administrators from the campus community to wear a green ribbon on April 3 as a visual reminder that already one in 10 SIUC students utilize Counseling Center services.

“The basic message we want to send is three-pronged: Seeking counseling is a healthy means of coping with life problems, one in 10 students already seek counseling so students are not alone in their struggles, and, counseling is effective,” said Rosemary Simmons, director of the Counseling Center.

She said the One in Ten awareness campaign is to raise campus awareness of the role counseling can and does play in improving student coping skills for handling daily problems and difficult life situations. Likewise, in illustrating how common it is for students to seek counseling, the campaign is designed to help students realize that seeking counseling is a health way to care for themselves.

Of those who sought counseling at the center, 87 percent of the students say that doing so helped them learn strategies for solving or coping with problems, helped them make positive changes in their lives and improved their understanding of their role in creating or maintaining problems. In addition, 77 percent said because of their counseling, they are more likely to continue their education at SIUC. There’s a 25 percent higher retention and graduation rate for those who receive counseling services than those who make one contact with the center but don’t utilize the services.

For more information about the Counseling Center, stop by the office, located in the Student Health Center at 374 E. Grand Ave., call 618/453-5371 or look online at http://www.siu.edu/offices/counsel/