By Rene Thompson, Staff Reporter
There has been a steady increase of students seeking out counseling services on campus, and it is causing some problems, Merry Guild, licensed therapist and Student Health Center employee, said.
About 250 students visited the center last semester, even though only about three out of 10 students know about the services, she said.
“I think CNM does a terrific job with support services, and the students that do know about these services express a lot of positive feedback for what we provide. Unfortunately though, we seem to be expanding more than the services provided right now,” she said.
The Student Health Center, located in room 206 in the Student Services Center on Main campus, has taken on two interns from UNM to help with the load, Guild, who counsels up to six students per day, said.
“If we didn’t have UNM interns, there would be at least a month waiting list, so they really help with the volume of students seeking help,” she said.
The center offers a free, one-time, eight-week counseling session and referrals for low-cost or free long-term counseling, she said.
Guild believes that the increase comes from a wider acceptance of counseling and those who seek it, she said.
As many males as female request services from many different social and cultural backgrounds, she said.
“Times are changing; it is more acceptable and less of a stigma to go to counseling these days to seek help,” she said.
For more information, visit CNM Mental Health Services website at cnm.edu/depts/ health-center/counseling.
