You wake to the jolt of an annoying alarm bell. It is 6:15 a.m., and the last thing you want to do is get out of bed to face another day of problems that can’t be solved. You know that you will probably lose your job if you fail to show for work again this morning, but your splitting headache caused by last night’s eighth beer is making it impossible to move. Besides, even if you go to work, the depression you’ve felt since the breakup with your boyfriend three weeks ago will just cause another day of misery. You say to yourself, “Screw it,” roll over and drift off to uneasy sleep.
None of us escape the painful challenges of simply being alive. Despite our best efforts to meet these challenges, we often find ourselves feeling helpless to resolve problems and too often make choices that only worsen our situation. With an understanding of our shared human experience and the knowledge that discussing concerns can create opportunities for growth, I write to make you aware of a new column that will appear in The Jambar during the coming months.
Counselor’s Corner will provide YSU students, faculty, staff and their family members who are 18 years of age or older with opportunities to submit questions or concerns about personally important matters and receive feedback from licensed professional clinical counselors, who are also counseling department faculty members. Questions may include concerns about relationships, sexual issues, substance use/abuse, depression, anxiety, family problems, difficulties in adjusting to campus life, choosing a major or career, or any other personal matter.
Questions will generally be printed as submitted, but may be edited for length, libel and grammar. It is critical that situations and questions be worded in a manner that does not enable readers to determine personal identities. Questions for the counselors should be no longer than 300 words and must be signed by the person making the submission. You must include a phone number for verification. While we ask that you identify yourself, we will not publish any names, contacts or identifying information. Despite these efforts, The Jambar cannot guarantee that a reader may not guess the identities of the person who submitted the question or others described in specific situations. Once again, individuals whose questions are selected for publication will not be identified by name, but pseudonyms will be used. The first Counselor’s Corner will appear in the Sept. 11 issue of The Jambar. All submissions for this issue must be received by noon on Aug. 30.
Submissions can be made at https://thejambar.com by clicking the Counselor’s Corner link on the homepage.
The Jambar’s editor-in-chief and managing editor will review submissions for appropriateness and forward them to counseling faculty at a secure email address. Counseling faculty will review submissions and reply to one or two concerns in each column. If your submission is selected for publication, your identity will not be revealed in the column, but a pseudonym will be used.
Information provided in Counselor’s Corner is not medical advice and is not intended to be diagnostic or prescriptive. Readers should not infer that a professional counseling relationship has been established. Only medical and licensed mental health professionals can provide diagnostic and treatment services. For help with an immediate mental health concern, contact your family physician or one of the following offices/agencies to obtain assistance: (1) YSU Counseling Services, Jones Hall, Room 1034, 330-941-3515; (2) YSU Community Counseling Clinic (select service hours), Beeghly College of Education, Room 3101, 330-941-3056; (3) Turning Point Counseling (two blocks from the YSU campus), 611 Belmont Ave., 330-744-2991; or (4) Help Hotline Crisis Center (Crisis Suicide and Information Center), 330-747-2696.
1 comments Anonymous Sat Nov 10 2012 19:52 That is great that you guys are allowing the students and families to have a say. I think this will help bring people together. Austin Walker, Teen Academics
