Wellness Center supporting self-change
February 10, 2016
High School is a time for students to have fun, lay down the final preparations for what they are going to do in life, and pursue their passions. Unfortunately sometimes this is not the case, simply because life is difficult at times. However, the Wellness Center serves as resource for students in order to evaluate the situation, and look towards a solution that ends in a healthier life.
The Wellness Center serves students who wish to address their issues pertaining to mental health and chemical health. It was started 10 years ago and is open daily to students dealing with school stress, struggles in family and peer relationships, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, substance use and other experiences.
Different Counseling
The Wellness Center is located in D203 and students can talk to licensed marriage and family therapist Nora Eiesland, or chemical health specialist Julia Geigle. Eiesland and Geigle are different than school counselors located in a student’s Pony Center. While a school counselor may deal with social and emotional issues, they predominantly counsel students on problems associated with school and academics. On the other hand, Eiesland and Geigle are licensed therapists and deal with issues beyond the school and into a student’s personal life.
“I do a ton of social and emotional counseling in my job,” counselor Kate Nelson said. “But when I see a student has very deep issues, that’s when we would refer them to the Wellness Center for chemical health counseling, as well as mental health counseling,” she added.
Crowd Support
A student’s inability to access therapy outside of school, or not receiving therapy within an adequate time during a crisis, may make students feel like they are on their own. Family and peer relationships, stress, and other experiences can further elevate this feeling of loneliness and cause the situation to escalate. The Wellness Center however is a place where students can easily reach people who lend a listening ear, help, and especially support, all the while knowing that what they say is confidential.
Geigle said, “Basically, it’s a place where students can get support for dealing with life.”
Although students have a confidential talk with either Geigle or Eiesland, they are not alone. Other students may have similar situations that they would also like to find help for. Geigle’s Sober Support group is evidence of this. Even if a student is in a unique situation, one they might see as the worst ever, the Wellness Center has a welcoming couch, and people who want to help.
“We’ve seen everything. No kid should be embarrassed to talk. Because no doubt I could come up with a worst case than what they’re presenting. And sometimes that alone, just knowing that ‘oh there’s other people who’ve been through this,’ It’s really relieving,” Eiesland said.
Self Induced Change
The Wellness Center is open daily to offer help and support for students who want it. However more than anything, Geigle and Eiesland give encouragement. They offer advice, and a plan to reach a certain goal, but ultimately they believe that students need to make the choices that bring the change they want to see. They do not believe that because they do not want to help, It is because they know that students have it within themselves to make those tough choices.
Geigle explained, “I meet people where they’re at. Nora meets people where they’re at. It’s more about, ‘hey, when you look in the mirror, do you like the person staring back at you?”