Mission and Values

The Clark University Center for Counseling and Personal Growth strives to enrich the academic and personal environments within the University by encouraging the well-being of Clark University students through comprehensive mental health services. These services include individual and group psychotherapy, outreach, consultation, and advocacy. Each student’s individual and unique personality is recognized and appreciated in the services that are offered. We strive to provide an atmosphere that is welcoming, kind, and supportive, respects diversity and difference, and fosters emotional, interpersonal, and intellectual growth. In our efforts to serve the students, we work collaboratively with Clark community members and departments.

Core Values

Community

We believe that the university counseling center is an important part of the larger University community, and as such, should attend to both systemic and individual needs. Thus, we provide therapy services to students to address their individual needs, we help Clark University faculty and staff address behavioral and psychological issues that may be impacting the learning environment of their students, we connect with key University personnel in concerns of campus safety/threats of violence, and we provide consultation to parents to help them support their students while also respecting the student’s independence.

Student-Centered Services

We believe that our counseling center should offer a spectrum of mental health services, paying particular attention to:

• Students faced with challenges that may arise in relation to transitional phases of life and other potentially stressful situations.
• Students faced with serious mental health issues and needs, including Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, addiction issues, eating disorders, etc.
• Students who are in immediate need of emergency services, for such issues as suicidality, homicidality, emergence of psychotic symptoms, sexual assault, etc.

Responsibility

The Clark University Center for Counseling and Personal Growth believes strongly that self-reflection, an openness to change, and a sense of responsibility for oneself are qualities that are key to living a meaningful life and to achieving personal, relational, and intellectual growth throughout the lifespan. We believe that helping to promote these characteristics within the students with whom we work provides an important skill set that will serve students well as they mature and tackle life’s challenges both inside and outside of the college experience.

Holistic Wellness

We believe that the healthiest members of our society have developed a personal model that incorporates positive self-care and stress management. We do our best to advocate such a model within our University community and to provide students with the skills necessary to develop this practice for themselves.

Diversity

We believe that we are stronger as individuals and as a society when we embrace and learn from our diversity. Within our department, we challenge each of our staff members to create an environment that fosters personal and professional integrity, civility, respect, freedom of expression, individuality, and fairness. We are committed to the promotion and affirmation of diversity in its broadest sense and place a high value on the dignity and worth of all individuals. We aim to create and maintain a counseling center that is accessible and valuable to all students, including those of differing races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, abilities, religions, political beliefs, and lived experiences.

Connection

The Clark University Center for Counseling and Personal Growth assists in connecting students to peers, University personnel, and others in the community while helping them learn to better manage their emotional and psychological health. We seek to create a space that allows students to explore their personal journey while empowering them to connect with their community.

Advancement

We value the continual development of our professional staff and our center. We stay abreast of recent advances in the fields of psychology and mental health, and incorporate these within our clinical work. We also strive to use technological advances to improve our services and the experience of students benefiting from them.