Health Centre now open for clinics

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:18:14 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Centre is offering a pair of clinics in advance of opening for full-time services beginning Sept. 7.

Two clinics, Tuesday, Aug. 24 and Tuesday, Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, kick off the fall semester. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7, the Health Centre will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Located in the Students' Union Building (SU020, 403-329-2484), the Health Centre offers a variety of services to students, staff or faculty of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Following is a brief summary of the many services offered.

Physician clinics – we can do annual physicals for both men and women, STI testing, birth control options and prescription renewal.

Dietitian services – If you have any specific dietary concerns or needs, Diane Britton RD is here in the Health Centre to assist you.

Psychiatrist services – Those having difficulty coping in this new environment or who have issues that are already being treated; counselling services or one of the staff doctors can assist with these needs and refer to our on-campus psychiatrist if necessary.

Chiropractor services – Dr. Douwer is available every Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. Please call 403-329-2484 to book an appointment. Charges do apply.

Massage Therapy – Jarvis Larson is available Thursday mornings. Once again, charges do apply.

Nurse Services – If you have health concerns, are in need of information or just want to speak with a nurse, call 403-329-2484 and book an appointment to see either Lori Weber or Dianne Carter.

Counselling Services offers safe haven

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:37:33 +0000

When it comes to maintaining their physical health, people know where to turn. However, maintaining one's mental health may present unique challenges and it is important to know what resources are available to students on campus.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, through collaboration of the Counselling Services office and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Health Centre, has created a safe environment through which students can get the assistance they need.

"This is a trusting and nurturing place where you can refocus and get some balance to your life," Counselling Services Coordinator Barbara Williams says.

"If we can reach out to folks and make them realize that everyone, at some point in their lives, hits some kind of a bump. If you are unable, for whatever reason, to find your own way around it, then this is a safe and reasonable place for them to come for some help."

The Counselling Services office is celebrating its one-year anniversary in Turcotte Hall (TH218) and Williams and her staff could not be happier with the change in location. Previously located in the Registrar's Office, that site did not provide the privacy they so desperately need to help students feel comfortable when they are seeking assistance.

Williams describes the new office as a one-flow environment where students can come in, be discreetly directed to a counsellor and then leave through a separate entrance — all designed to build trust and honour privacy.

The months of January and February are typically difficult times for many students, Williams explains. For new students, the reality of their first post-secondary term has hit with the first set of grades. Some have found it difficult to adjust to the university lifestyle as the newness of the experience wears off. Combine that with the cold, dark days of winter and the post-Christmas lull and it can be a tough time.

"This is the point where they are really changing a lot about themselves and their environment," she says.

"They've been out there trying to implement some of the strategies that worked for them in high school and discovered they may not work for them anymore."

It is important students recognize when they need help — and that's before they hit a crisis point.

"You don't have to be in crisis to come here, in fact it's so much better if we can have students come to us when they are feeling a little stressed or that there is something that's not balanced in their life," says Williams. "It's much better if we can get them at that point because the strategies that we can help them incorporate into their lives will be much more preventative."

It is a team approach they use, one that reaches beyond the counselling office to the Health Centre where psychiatrist Dr. Wayne Edwards can also be utilized. Williams' team is well rounded and can deal with any issues that walk through the door.

"We are all mental health professionals but various members of our team come with different educational backgrounds and different clinical backgrounds so they are able to bring those strengths into our unit," she says. "That allows us to funnel our students to the counsellor who gives them the strongest support."

Allison Roest is one of those counsellors. She's quick to add that they do not do all the work, getting through a problem is a shared responsibility with the student.

"It's a collaborative process, it's not something we're going to do to them, we're going to work together with the student in order to find solutions to whatever is happening," Roest says.

What is important to remember, adds fellow counsellor Mark Slomp, is that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, rather it's just the opposite.

"We really see counselling as an empowering experience," he says.

GET THE FACTS

• The Counselling Services office sees more than 70 students per week, on average

• Counselling Services offers a variety of outreach programs and workshops, headed by Heather Rowland. The workshops are psychoeducational and Rowland says it can be a non-threatening way for students to engage in counselling services

• Counsellors Allison Roest and Mark Slomp teach a full-credit course in career development, available to all students through the Faculty of Education

• To make an appointment with a counsellor, contact the Counselling Services office at 403-317-2845

UNews - Psychiatrist

Health Centre now open for clinics

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