Press "Enter" to skip to content

Sweet treats promote happy minds

Bradley’s counseling center hosted its first “Cookies with a Counselor” event in the Michel Student Center on Oct. 4.

Cookies with a Counselor was created as a way to reach out and connect with students, as well as inform them of counseling center’s support programs.

According to outreach counselor Emily Panich, the goals of this event are to decrease the stigma on campus, to make sure students know the services provided and for the counselors to connect with the students.

There was a constant flow of students stopping by for conversations and free cookies, including freshman in the academic exploration program Reaghan Wharff.

“I learned a lot more about what they had to offer and how they just really want to make sure that everyone on campus is really comfortable,” Wharff said. “If they have any problems, they know that they can just come talk to these awesome ladies.”

The counseling center offers both individual and group counseling. There are currently three group counseling sessions.

The first group session, exploring wellness at Bradley, is for students that are struggling with homesickness, need better coping skills or are having some difficulty making friends.

The second, the open processing, is for students who have something on their mind that they want to process or would like advice on.

They can express their thoughts in the group and other students will offer feedback on their peers’ concerns. There is also the option to not receive feedback.

The third group, on the journey, is for students who have been struggling with any symptoms for an extended period of time and are looking for support outside of individual counseling.

All group sessions start at 3:30 p.m., but fall on different days of the week.

Sydney Hand, a freshman undecided engineering major, currently sees a counselor and encourages others to give it a chance.

“[Counseling is] very, very helpful,” Hand said. “I highly recommend it to anybody who needs help or even has a little thought like ‘maybe not’, just go. They’ll help you.”

The standard waiting time for an individual appointment is around two to three weeks. There are also various times open to students in an event of an emergency.

To set up an individual appointment, or to ask for more information on the group sessions, the counseling center’s number is 309-677-2700. The after-hours number is 309-677-3200.

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.