DALLAS – The University of North Texas Dallas Campus is now offering counseling services to students and members of the community free of charge. Anyone seeking counseling for depression and anxiety, marital and family counseling, and assistance with managing grief or loss are welcome at the Counseling Clinic, located on the UNT Dallas Campus at 7300 Houston School Road.
The clinic is open Mondays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Those who wish to take advantage of services at no cost should contact 972-780-3646 for an appointment.
Steven Farmer, a counselor with the clinic and assistant professor of counseling, said the counseling program at the UNT Dallas Campus fulfills a dual purpose.
“The counseling clinic is a resource for good mental health services for the surrounding community,” Farmer said. “But the clinic also serves as a training site for students in the graduate counseling program, all of whom are near the end of their 2-3 year program.”
The clinic provides more than counseling services, according to Assistant Professor of Counseling Tanisha Guy. She said the clinic aims to promote and support the personal and interpersonal development of UNT Dallas Campus students and faculty, as well as members of the community.
“We don’t simply deal with depression, anxiety and grief. We teach life skills, operate a testing center and provide high quality training for those preparing for the counseling profession,” Guy said. “We care for our clients and are supportive of them. We provide them with respect and acceptance, we understand their concerns, and help them sort out how to make decisions. We can also help them clarify and reach goals, all the while showing sensitivity to their individual differences. Most importantly, we do all of this in a confidential setting. We guarantee the privacy of each client.”
The clinic is equipped with a play therapy room for children dealing with issues such as ADHD, problems at school or home, or more traditional problems such as depression, stress, and grief recovery, Farmer said.
Counseling sessions at the clinic on the UNT Dallas Campus normally are conducted once per week. Lengths of treatment vary based on the needs of the client, but most clients receive between eight and 12 counseling sessions, Farmer said. “But treatment can be conducted twice per week and for longer than 12 weeks in the client’s needs warrant it.”
He also said that counselors in the clinic may make referrals to other qualified therapists in order to meet a client’s needs.
“Having a counseling clinic open to the community on a public university campus provides a unique combination of quality, professional care and public access,” Farmer said. “Quality mental health care is often viewed as a luxury afforded not to the entire community, but only to those who can pay for it. The Counseling Clinic can provide counseling services under the supervision of licensed professionals. It can be accessed by the entire community.”
For more information on the Counseling Clinic at the UNT Dallas Campus, go to http://www.unt.edu/unt-dallas/campuslife/counseling.htm. To make an appointment for counseling services, contact Lezlie Burwell-Pender, assistant director of the clinic, at 972-780-3646 or e-mail lburwell-pender@coe.unt.edu.
For More Information:
Gregory Tomlin
Director of Marketing, News and Information
(972) 780-3615
(817) 798-9260 (Cell)
greg.tomlin@unt.edu