Stress? There’s someone here to help

For many students, college life can be very difficult to manage. Between keeping up with schoolwork, having jobs, possibly being involved with clubs and maintaining a social life, it would not be inaccurate to say that most students lead very busy lives. As a result, stress among college students is not uncommon, and it can be tough to cope with.

     Fortunately, there is an option for stressed-out students. Any problems a student may be having – academic or otherwise – can be taken to Student Services. There, problems can be discussed with Amy Walker, UW-Waukesha's mental health counselor. "I help struggling students increase coping skills and work to find solutions to the stressors of life, like relationships, decision-making, depression, substance abuse, anxiety, eating disorder behavior, grief and loss, sexuality, and academic stress," says Walker of her on-campus role. "If you are dealing with something not specifically listed, no worries, I'll talk with you about that too."

     As UW-Waukesha's mental health counselor, Walker is dedicated to helping troubled students as best she can. "My goal is to help students succeed," she says, "and happy students are often successful students."

     Students can visit Walker from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, or from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Fridays. It should be noted that the costs of her services are covered through university fees, meaning there is no other cost to visiting her office. Furthermore, her services are strictly confidential. "All communications between you and your counselor will be held in strictest confidence," says Walker, "and will not be revealed to anyone unless you (or a parent or guardian, if you are under 18) gives written authorization to release the information."

     Any student in need of guidance is encouraged to set up an appointment with Walker at Student Services. "Sometimes, we get ourselves into a mindset that we need to deal with things on our own, [and] not rely on anyone [else]," she says. "I would challenge students to reconsider that idea. I can't think of an example when someone said, ‘I'm so glad I did that on my own.' I can, however, recall a multitude of examples when people were facing difficult situations and they commented how thankful they were to have someone to talk to."

     Walker can be reached at (262) 521-5002, or by e-mail, at wakcounseling@uwc.edu.