UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Herr Clinic, located in the College of Education, is offering telemental health services to support the needs of the college’s undergraduate and graduate students.
The clinic will be available to provide short-term telemental health services, free of charge, from May to August. It was initiated by Carlos Zalaquett, professor of education (counselor education), in collaboration with Christy Beck, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education; and Seria Chatters, adjunct associate professor, also in EPCSE.
The Herr Clinic is staffed by masters and doctoral students in the Counselor Education program. All counselors are trained in telemental health services to help during these possibly stressful times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. All telemental health services will be provided over Zoom.
Because COVID-19 has and continues to impact people in a variety of ways, clinic hours will extend into the summer and offer one-on-one counseling to any College of Education student who could benefit from some extra support during this time.
Students who wish to sign up for counseling sessions should email Beck at cub24@psu.edu to schedule a brief (15-20 minutes) phone screening.
“Counseling services are important now, more than ever before, as we are faced with a global pandemic that is changing all of our lives in significant ways,” Beck said. “The stress from illness, losing a loved one, job loss and/or facing a stagnant job market are some of the many reasons why someone would need extra support at this time.”
The free appointments will be recorded through Zoom and stored securely for the student’s counselor and the counselor’s supervisors. All College of Education students will be offered five sessions; additional sessions can be added on a case-by-case basis.
Services are for current students as well as for students who just graduated.
“While there are so many things that are outside of our control right now, taking care of our mental health is something we can do to promote self-care, which can positively impact our overall well-being,” Beck said.