Workshops and Groups for Fall 2009

Students have unlimited use of psycho-educational classes, workshops, and groups offered by the Counseling Center. The expected level of student participation will vary depending on the type of group; workshops and classes require active attention but little self-disclosure, while support and process groups place a higher priority on providing a safe environment to share your thoughts or experiences with other members.

Drop-In Workshops. No Sign Up Necessary.

Relaxation

Transcript

Ever feel like you'd love to slow down, but can't? Wish you could feel more calm, more relaxed? Want to be more focused and clear minded? The beginning of each session will introduce a technique to help you gain skills in managing stress. Then we stretch out , get comfortable, and try it. Come to as many sessions as you like. Relaxation techniques you may learn include visualization, breathing, self-hypnosis, biofeedback, open focus, autogenics and guided imagery. Each session focuses on a different skill and each session is independent so you can start at any time.

Time: Thursdays, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Dates: October 1 through December. 3, 2009
Place: 540 Old Main
Leader: Anne Marie Theiler, M.S. & Michelle Anderson, M.A.
Type: Drop-in. No registration necessary.

Taming Your Test Anxiety

Do you panic during exams? Are you freezing on your math tests? Is test anxiety dragging down your grades? Attend one of these workshops and learn to maximize performance and minimize stress.

Day and Time: Tuesdays, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Dates: October 6 through December 8, 2009
Place: 540 Old Main
Leader: Anne Marie Theiler, M.S.
Type: Drop-in. No registration necessary.

Managing ADHD

Many students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) struggle with the increasing demands of college life. Learn ways to manage your ADHD. Managing ADHD will be a small group workshop or an individual consultation, depending on how many people show up. By participating, you may learn about:

ADHD and the effects it has on people’s lives
DisAbility Services and possible accommodations at Western
Medication compliance
Time management & goal setting
Organizational skills
Social skills
Study skills and test taking strategies
Emotion management and impulse control.

Day and Time: Wednesdays, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Dates: September 30 through December 2, 2009
Place: 540 Old Main
Leader: Patience McGinnis, Psy.D.
Type: Drop-in. No registration necessary.

Group Counseling: Call the Counseling Center to register.

Women’s Support Group

Looking for a safe place to connect with other women? Come to the Women’s Support Group to share your thoughts on issues such as body image, assertiveness, intimacy, and friendship. Share about your experience of being a woman! Learn to identify and build upon your strengths and help others to do the same. Find your authentic self!

Day and Time: Tuesdays, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Dates: October 13 through November 17, 2009
Place: 540 Old Main
Leaders: Julie Reimann, M. Coun. & Ally Matt, M.S.Ed.
How: Call (360) 650-3164 to schedule an appointment with Julie to see if this is the right group for you.

Counseling for Personal Growth

This group is for people who want to connect with themselves and with others on a deeper level than is often found in day-to-day chit-chat conversations. We’ll explore values, beliefs, ideas, and past experiences; connecting with our similarities and honoring our differences.

Day and Time: Fridays, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Dates: October 23, 2009 through TBA
Place: 540 Old Main
Leaders: James Orr, Ph.D. & Heather Vredevoogd, M.A.
How: Call (360) 650-3164 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Orr to see if this is the right group for you.

Winter Quarter: Additional Groups

Not Alone: A Grief Support Group

The death of someone important to us can shake our experience of life to our core, leaving us with emotional aftershocks that strike unexpectedly and or linger long past what others may expect. Many students who have survived a loss feel isolated, while the world around them seems to go on as before, not "getting" the fact that we have changed. Some of us actively pull back from sharing our pain or leaning on others for support, a pattern that ultimately creates more stress and loneliness. The Counseling Center is offering a support group, a place where we can share the pain of our losses, the memories of our loved ones, and the wisdom we may have gained from our experience with death and grieving. Whether your loss happened recently or years ago, I hope you can join us.

Day and Time: TBA, 4 sessions
Dates: Week of January 20, 2010
Place: 540 Old Main
Leader: Deena Rathkamp, Ph.D.
How: If you are a client at the Counseling Center, just let your counselor know you are interested in joining this group. If you haven't been to the Counseling Center before, schedule an intake appointment with Deena Rathkamp at (360) 650-3164.

Not ready for group counseling? Watch this video.