With midterms approaching, you may feel like you need a space to relax and unwind, or like you need someone to talk to. If so, stop by the Counseling Services office in 220 Royce Hall. The office has numerous resources that are open to UW-Platteville students. Counseling Services provides several services to students such as group counseling sessions, individual and couple counseling, crisis intervention, as well as drug and alcohol information. There is also designated quiet areas that allows students a space to decompress.

“University Counseling Services provides confidential, short-term counseling to assist with personal, developmental or psychological concerns related to educational progress and personal growth,” associate counselor Jodi Moen said.

Counseling Services is focused on providing time sensitive and goal oriented mental health services to the students here on-campus. There are three on campus counselors who provide their own unique counseling techniques in order to help students cope with a number of different life stressors.

“I try to help students see that they are capable of getting through many situations and, in fact, have solved problems successfully in their past,” counselor Teresa Miller said.

Wellness is a big part of coping with both external and internal stressors. Wellness is defined on the Counseling Services page as “the experience of having good physical health, stable emotional/mental health, social connections, spiritual connectedness, and academic and professional stability.” Outdoor activities are a part of wellness that the counselors suggest for stress relief for students.

“Try to take a walk in the fresh air, surrounded by the beauty of nature when [you are] feeling stressed. [Running or riding] on a bike path, even for ten minutes, can do wonders for your stress levels over the next two hours,” Miller said.

Mindfulness and meditation are other techniques that can be used to help students get their stress levels under control. There are different forms of meditation: filling the mind, emptying the mind, meditation while sitting and, movement meditation. More details and descriptions on each form of meditation can be found on the Counseling Services Meditation page. Counselor Jason Artz has a special interest in using mindfulness and meditation in the counseling process.

“I like to stress awareness with students I work with, which is one of the foundations of being mindful.  For many reasons we tend to operate on “autopilot”, going through our day not recognizing what we are doing and what is impacting us at times.  Being able to cultivate that mindful awareness helps us notice when we may be on “autopilot”, which then provides the insight into thoughts and feelings that may be impacting our stress levels and overall mood,” Artz said.

If you are unsure about going in and talking with one of our counselors, keep in mind that getting help from others is not a sign of weakness.

“Expressing our feelings can be relieving…and it can help us work out solutions. The job of a counselor is to assist those seeking assistance in growing, in learning new things, and in discovering how to make changes for the better,” Miller said.

If you are wanting to make an appointment with one of the counselors, or if you want to check out the Zen Zone, stop by 220 Royce Hall to get more information. You can also look at the Counseling Service’s Facebook page for dates and times of the Mindful Way Through Distress, a group taught by Jason Artz.

“Any UW-Platteville student is eligible to make an appointment with us. To make an appointment call 608.342.1891 or stop by the front desk at Student Health Services,” Moen said