See Me, Hear Me, Help Me, Hear Me

This semester, Columbia's department of Counseling and Psychological Services moved into the eighth floor of Lerner Hall. While increased space has allowed the department to increase the services it offers, many students remain ignorant of its resources. Though CPS is regarded as one of the best departments of psychological services in the Ivy League, it should better publicize its resources and ensure they are readily available to every student.

Last academic year, CPS sponsored around 60 workshops on issues ranging from relationship problems or procrastination to living with a chronic medical condition or body image concerns. The department also runs a residence hall program, which provides walk-in counseling services on weekday evenings at select dormitories. Although CPS itself concentrates on short-term counseling, counselors often refer students to outside practices for long-run care to open up more short-term appointments. Unfortunately, this editorial may be the first time many students have heard about such resources. While the workshops and support groups are often well-attended, CPS's Web site directs students through several steps to learn information that could just as easily be posted on the site's main page. A lack of weekend counseling also poses a problem for students with all but life-threatening concerns. Only an on-call clinician reserved for "urgent health concerns" is available from Thursday night until Monday morning. Finally, students may be dissuaded from calling upon CPS if they do not know they will be assisted in seeking off-campus counseling once their "short-term counseling" has ended.

CPS should redouble its efforts to promote its resources and make its counselors easily accessible. The department should test the popularity of weekend counseling to provide urgent assistance and accommodate students only available at the end of the week. CPS should more widely advertise its workshops and support groups through flyers in dormitories and Lerner Hall. These resources are particularly important for first-years who are overwhelmed or intimidated by their new environment. In addition, CPS should clarify that students are not automatically referred to off-campus centers. Instead, counselors work with the students to determine what environment will best suit their needs.

CPS should be commended for its highly regarded assistance and support, but the benefits of its resources are lost when students are unable to take advantage of them. It must remember that students who cannot access and hear about the department's services will be deterred from seeking guidance at all.