Destigmatizing College Counseling for First-Year Students: A Psychodrama Approach

Abstract

College counseling centers nationwide have focused on increasing the utilization rate of counseling services because of the beneficial effects of counseling on student adjustment, retention, and academic success (Bray, Braxton, & Sullivan, 1999; Gerdes & Mallinckrodt, 1994). According to Illovsky (1997), it is widely understood that psychological counseling services positively impact retention and grades on college campuses. Turner and Berry (2000) found that students who received counseling in the course of their college careers had a retention rate of 85% compared to 74% for the general student body. Gerdes and Mallinckrodt indicated the importance of learning effective coping strategies through counseling for the healthy adjustment of firstyear students. Early intervention offers the most promising strategy for addressing adjustment and increases the likelihood of success for students who struggle with these issues and other mental health concerns. Given that the primary purpose of counseling services on campus is to provide individual counseling interventions to students whose personal issues interfere with their ability to succeed in an academic environment (Vermeersch et al., 2004; Whipple et al., 2003), it follows that college counseling centers should disseminate information about adjustment, emotional well-being, and social concerns and how to address these. Although some of these students may already have familiarity with counseling, other students may not have interfaced with counseling and need information about the counseling process. Furthermore, students who were previously successful in high school may have difficulty identifying the effects of adjustment issues on their academic and emotional well-being. Because of the negative stigma associated with counseling, this program endeavors, through creative means, to debunk the myths of counseling and to provide practical information about the processes and procedures in order to decrease anxiety or other barriers to scheduling an initial appointment. Many students arrive at college counseling centers without a clear understanding of what will take place. Students who experience distress know they need help but do not know how to make the most of the counseling