As if the stress of busy academic and social schedules was not enough, the constant developments in the war in Iraq add an additional weight to the load University students bear.
As a result, Counseling and Psychological Services teamed up with the Office of the Dean of Students to offer several war-related support groups, one to be held tonight.
The groups feature unstructured support groups designed to allow students to share their feelings in a supportive setting, said Russ Federman, director of counseling and psychological services. The support group's structure will be based largely on "what people bring to the group," he said.
Federman will be leading tonight's discussion.
It is important for students to understand the support groups are not an opportunity for political debates, Federman said
"Our role is to be an additional support," Asst. Dean of Students Pablo Davis said. "We strive to be and hope that we are the best overall resource that students have."
Davis said he was unsure how many students would utilize this resource, but he said he thought it was important to provide "just in case."
The last time CAPS and the Office of the Dean of Students created joint student support groups was the week following September 11, 2001.
Surprisingly few students took advantage of the counseling services offered after Sept. 11, Federman said. He said he thinks that such tragic events do not necessarily cause a widespread need for professional counseling because students have widespread support networks.
"People don't feel as alone [as when they have personal issues] because we are all going through it together," he said.
Federman said he was unsure how many students to expect, but CAPS may continue to offer similar services throughout the week if students strongly utilize the first sessions.
Additionally, Federman said students unable to attend these support groups may call CAPS at any time to see or speak with a professional.
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