Mental health at Auburn: Resources you can use

Auburn University students who want to see a counselor on campus can go to Student Counseling & Psychological Services (SCPS), which has locations in the Auburn University Medical Clinic building and on the ground floor of Haley Center. However, SCPS does a lot more than offer counseling services. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia, a licensed psychologist and SCPS’ assistant director, wants students to know that even if they don’t want to see a counselor, they can still benefit from SCPS.

Do you have resources available for students who are not clients?

JCB: Yes, we do. First, we have online workshops focusing on depression, anxiety, relationships and the change process. Students can access them on our While You Wait page.

Second, Mindful Mondays is a collaboration with the Recreation & Wellness Center that we do every Monday at 4 p.m. in the Mind/Body room. Any student can attend; a group fitness pass is not required.

Are there set times students can visit the therapy dogs? Or do they just randomly show up around campus?

JCB: The most consistent way for students to visit with the therapy dogs is by joining us for Get Mov’in with Moose, a walk we take around campus with the dogs. It’s held twice a week, on Mondays at 8 a.m. and Thursdays at 4 p.m., starting at the Aubie statue outside the Melton Student Center. A fun, new addition is that we now have therapy dog trading cards we give to students when we see them on campus. We encourage students to try to collect all four!

Any other resources or scheduled activities for students who want to better their mental health in the new year?

JCB: When considering mental health services, folks often think primarily about individual therapy. We do provide individual therapy, up to 10 sessions per year depending on a client’s needs, but I think it’s also important to highlight some of our other services.

We have a number of options for group therapy. Groups are a great way for students to get support from others struggling with similar issues and to feel less alone. We also have a Coping Skills Workshop that can be very helpful for students.

Students are always welcome to seek out any of our services. They can schedule an appointment by calling us at 334-844-5123 or walking into either of our locations: Suite 2086 in the Auburn University Medical Clinic or Haley Center 0326.