Are you feeling anxious? Do you have more work than you can handle? Do you need someone to talk to? Do you feel completely alone? Chances are, you aren’t.
On the contrary, you are probably one of 400-plus students who seek help from the Fairfield University Counseling Services every year. The number of students seeking help keeps increasing despite the possible negative stigma that students may feel if they sought counseling
Very few of the students interviewed for this story admitted to attending counseling services, but those who did spoke very highly of the help they received at fairfield.
“I attend a meeting of a group called Renfrew, which is available for girls with eating disorders,” explained one such student who asked her name to be withheld. ” Whenever I feel a little out of control of stuff I can go to a meeting. It’s kind of like AA because it really helps to have someone listen who knows what you’re going through.”
Another student said, ” I don’t understand why so many people are embarrassed to express their emotions. Who is that convinced that they have everything figured out that they wouldn’t like to talk about their problems?”
However, many students feel that their personal problems should remain personal. ” Why should I make a bigger deal out of my problems than they already are? It’s nobody else’s business,” said another student.
Susan Birge, director and asst. vice president, student resources said that her office served 420 students during the year 1999-2000, and last year the number went up to 480 students. “More people are coming, maybe because we are making ourselves more known,” said Birge.
Although confidentiality is stressed at the counseling center, some students feel that they will have a hard time trusting someone they don’t know. They believe that counseling services are wonderful for other people, but if they had a problem they would be less likely to go to a counselor and more likely to turn to a friend or relative.
Seeking the help of a trained professional seemed to be a bigger trend with the females than the males. Females are more likely to talk about their problems and therefore would probably be the bigger candidates for sessions.
“I’m not going to go cry to some doctor just because I broke up with my girlfriend,” said one male.
Last year, 64.5% of students helped were female as opposed to the 35.5% of students that were male.
The counseling services team has taken that into consideration and hired Richard A. Radocchia full time as of this September, as opposed to his part time position in previous years.
Radocchia is a licensed masters in social work and is now on staff as a full time counselor as an attempt to encourage more male students to seek the advice and help of a professional. So far it seems to be working.
“You should see Richard’s office. Its got Yankee and baseball stuff all over it. I think it probably makes guys feel more comfortable to be in an office full of guy stuff,” said Birge.
According to Radocchia, the reason fewer males come to Counseling Services than females has a lot to do with social stereotypes. By social standards, guys are not supposed to open up, which may account for the difficulty they experience in first admitting they have a problem and then talking to someone about it, he said.
Despite these problems, Radocchia has opened a men’s discussion group, called Men to Men, in which 8 Fairfield students participate. “Generally we talk about issues affecting guys today. Sometimes the discussion leans toward anger management and violence issues,” he said.
The most popular problems that bring students to the health center for counseling involve break ups or troubled relationships. Across the country, the top counseling programs offered seem to involve relationships, whether boyfriend and girlfriend or family and friend related.
Eating disorders, sleep depravity, and career related anxiety were among a few of the other popular services offered on campuses such as Boston College, and Northwestern University.
“Numbers are not just increasing at Fairfield,” says Birge, “this is a growing national trend.” Students interested in receiving free counseling can contact Birge or any of the other representatives at Counseling Services at x2146.
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