Feeling confused, frustrated or overwhelmed with life? Well, there is one answer, free of charge and completely confidential to any student. The FAU Counseling Center, located in module 38I of the Davie campus, offers free psychological counseling to any student enrolled in at least one course.
The office provides individuals, as well as groups, with counseling services, and is open from 8:30 to 5:00, with appointments available until 7:00 p.m. Students may see psychotherapist Paula Katz, a two-year veteran to FAU, psychologist Dawn Reilly, who has been in the office five months, or one of two therapists in training working in the counseling center. One student has completed her master’s degree, while the other has earned a doctoral degree. Each counselor sees between 10 and 25 students a week.
“Getting free therapy when a private practitioner is going to run a student anywhere from $80 to $250 an hour – it’s a pretty nice perk to being an FAU student. Students get seen, and get seen quickly. We’ve never had to turn anyone away. Worst case scenario, we have to place someone on a waiting list,” said Katz.
“We do personal counseling for students who may be encountering difficulties, either academically or personally. A student is allowed to bring one or two family members, possibly a spouse, brother, sister or even their kids to be counseled by one of our professional staff members,” said Elizabeth Greene, senior secretary of the Broward counseling center.
“We see our office making a difference with students who are juggling difficulties with their jobs, school and family life. They find support here. We see more personal relationship counseling than academic issues,” Greene said.
The professionally trained staff assists students with a wide range of issues, ranging from depression, loneliness, anger, grief, setting goals, date rape, STDs, your child’s first year of college, sex and alcohol, balancing work and family, maximizing your preparation for test taking, and techniques to surviving your freshman year at FAU.
Of course troubled relationships have always been a major stressor for students. It has been as subtle as helping students in their forties readjust to school and effectively manage study time. They need that support of practical reality-based assistance sometimes.
“We think it’s important for students to know that everything in our office remains confidential and all of our files are locked away in a filing cabinet,” said Katz.
Every Tuesday evening until April 15, the Broward Counseling Center currently offers interpersonal relationships groups for men and women, which are designed to strengthen current and future relationships for FAU students. The group assists the participants with identifying their strengths and limitations, as well as providing opportunities to practice effective communication.
Students gain an opportunity to work on personal goal setting, intimacy, role clarification and assertiveness. There will also be an “Assertiveness Skills” workshop offered from 6 to 7 p.m. on April 14. The exact location on Davie’s campus will be announced soon.
Compared to FAU in Boca, Davie’s office has less of a staff because of the number of students on its campus. According to the therapists, Davie’s students are typically older and more multi-tasked, often going to school while working and raising a family.
“I have no doubt that our office makes differences in students’ lives. People tell me all the time that counseling really did make a difference in their lives,” said Reilly. Clients report that it has really been a nice benefit to their education here at FAU.”
The Counseling Center has a flier quoting Mahatma Gandhi: “As human beings our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world… as in being able to remake ourselves.”
For more information, call Davie’s Counseling Center at 954/236-1216.
