Counseling Center offers sessions to faculty, staff and students

Photo by: Will Gentry

 

Oklahoma Christian University’s claim of being “home” involves responsibilities from the school to its students; one of the greatest is comforting those in need and strengthening those who are hurting.

The Oklahoma Christian University Counseling Center (UCC) is striving to meet that necessity by offering an array of special programs to students.

“We believe that too often people try to deal with their issues alone instead of following what the Bible instructs,” Director of Counseling Sheldon Adkins said. “Proverbs 27:17 says ‘As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another,’ and Ecclesiastes 4:12 states ‘Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.’”

Adkins explains that surrounding oneself with others for support is a completely biblical concept.

“We believe that Jesus is the greatest example of this principle,” Adkins said. “He could have practiced his entire ministry by himself, but he knew he was setting an example so he chose 12 men to live and work alongside every day. There were also countless other people that he shared his life with.”

According to Adkins, our natural tendency is to repress our feelings; however, the greatest way to resolve any issue is to make others aware of our struggles and ask for help.

“As humans we know it can sometimes seem easier just to keep our troubles to ourselves,” Adkins said. “But long-term we believe we need to follow Christ’s example and share our lives with others. It would be great for all of our student clients to already have people they share their lives with, but far too often they don’t. Our hope is that these groups help them to begin to develop the skills to have deeper relationships with others.”

Students agree with Adkins, stating that for many, these programs could be the greatest source of trust and advice they have.

“I think that it’s a good resource to use, I guess because it’s a confidential thing,” freshman RawAnne Gwin said. “You can go and talk to someone and know you can trust them, which may not always be the case with other students or friends.”

UCC boasts many distinct programs including confidential individual, couple, family and group counseling offered to students, faculty and staff. According to Adkins, the Counseling Center has started to focus on group counseling as an ideal choice for many students involved with the service.

“The new element is that we are emphasizing it more as a possible alternative therapy modality for students to access,” Adkins said. “The center had previously offered groups as more of a response to themes or issues that we saw develop during the year and we believe there is still a place for those groups.”

The staff at the Counseling Center has high expectations for the sessions and all who attend. They hope to teach and develop Christian values as well as essential communication skills.

“Our focus for these groups will be on providing students a safe, confidential place where they will be able to work through issues while also learning and practicing healthy risk-taking, empathy, patience, listening skills and trust to name a few,” Adkins said.

For students concerned about privacy, Adkins said there is nothing to worry about; confidentiality is of utmost priority at UCC.

“The therapists who lead the group will maintain the confidentiality of every student who attends the group, aside from any exceptions that can arise regarding “duty to report” issues such as suicide/homicide ideations or threats and child abuse/neglect allegations,” Adkins said. “We will also have group members sign a confidentiality agreement before starting the group. Confidentiality, and the limits I previously mentioned, will also be discussed each time we meet.”

According to Adkins, one of the best remedies for any issue, be it psychological, grief-related or academic, is to be able to trust in someone.

“Any time we take a risk to share our lives with others there is the possibility that someone will abuse this trust,” Adkins said. “There are few things more disappointing than when someone violates a trust; however, there are few things that help us feel more safe with other people than when we know we can trust others. Learning to trust others in the group will be one of the most powerful elements of the group process.”

While the Counseling Center’s focus may currently be on group session, the staff realizes that some students desire and need individual meetings with counselors.

“While we will be offering groups as an alternative to individual therapy, we know there are some students who are not ready or able to share in a group setting,” Adkins said. “We will always respect each student’s needs and will continue to offer individual counseling to any student who requests it.”

Freshman David Paul Kritz said UCC is a great place for students who need a place to turn when facing difficulty in their lives.

“I knew the Counseling Center was available for students and that they’re always open to students in need,” Kritz said. “You can go in there with confidentiality, so whatever you say will stay in there. If you have a problem, that’s where you can go to get it worked out.

For more information, see the OC Counseling Center website: www.oc.edu/services/counseling/. Students interested in getting involved can contact Lisa Hancock at 405-425-5250 or by email at lisa.hancock@oc.edu.