Kelsey McFarland ’21 transferred to 新濠天地app大学 for her sophomore year of college. Not only did she switch schools, but switched majors. New school, new state, and a new study made for a lot of change in a short amount of time.
Kelsey began her college journey at Ohio University in Exercise Physiology. 在新濠天地app，她转到了小学 & 特殊教育. General courses were enjoyable and she was doing well in classes. As Kelsey got deeper into her major classes she enjoyed them, 但它们变得更具挑战性.
天生是个宅男, 尽管凯尔西很喜欢新濠天地app, she found herself feeling a lot of 焦虑 being away from home. Homesickness and 焦虑 are feelings that often deeply affect college students.
2020年春天, 她在新濠天地app的第二年, 就在COVID爆发之前, Kelsey decided to give counseling a try at Geneva’s Counseling Services. At the time Kelsey was struggling with relationship issues, 焦虑, and 抑郁症.
“Counseling for me involved a lot of talking and sharing things that I had built up and never really talked about out loud. I realized I had been shutting myself in and not talking to many people. Counseling opened me up to view things differently and realize what was hurting me.”
A unique part of Kelsey’s counseling experience was each semester she used counseling services she had a different counselor. Kelsey points to this as an extremely beneficial part of her experience because each counselor’s strengths met her right where she was at during each time.
“It was clear that God placed those different people in my life at the right time.”
当她在2020年秋天回来时, she found herself dealing with high levels of stress and motivation issues. A friend shared about a time when she was having a similar issue and went to counseling. After hearing about this experience, Kelsey decided to go back.
“这次托比是我的顾问. 他非常鼓励和激励. We talked and worked through a lot and went through a lot of verses, 报价, 和锻炼来帮助我冷静下来，激励我. 托比是一个很接地气的人. 他没有强迫我, 而不是, he took the time to really understand where I was at and was very patient with me.”
The next semester Kelsey’s motivation was a lot better, but with graduation closing in she was feeling a lot of stress and 焦虑.
“This time I had Hannah and she really pushed me out of my comfort zone. 她让我回忆过去的几个学期. I thought I was fine but doing this showed me a lot of the emotions I was currently feeling went back to prior issues I hadn’t fully resolved. It was nice to hear this point of view and a different perspective.”
Kelsey’s final semester, fall of 2021, she had Sarah as her counselor.
“这一次我没有马上投入. 我等了几个月. I kept feeling like there were other people who needed counseling more than I did and I didn’t want to take up their time. 我在
student teaching at the time so my hours didn’t line up with their availability. 我对再次进去感到很抱歉.”
Kelsey shared how Sarah made her schedule work and was flexible to meet her needs.
“With Sarah it was really easy to open up because she shared a lot about herself too. It was nice to know that she had gone through similar things as well. She gave me many tools and exercises to guide me through my healing journey. It ended up being the most honest with myself I had ever been.”
One thing that remained constant through all of Kelsey’s experiences with Geneva counselors was the faith integration. Something she appreciates was that before the sessions all the counselors would ask if she wanted verses and the Bible included in sessions and if it was okay if they prayed with her.
“I love that they asked and worked to integrate it, but never forced it. It made me feel like they really cared for me when they asked and when they prayed for me.”
Geneva’s Counseling Services is available to all students. Mental wellness is something taken very seriously at Geneva. College is a wonderful time for many but is also accompanied by stress, 的关系, 精神紧张, 还有很多其他的困难. When asked, Kelsey shared this piece of advice for current students.
“我鼓励任何人尝试一下心理咨询. I am so glad I took the jump and I wouldn’t have gone if other people hadn’t pushed me to try it. I always encourage people to try it out and to always have someone to talk to. I didn’t feel like my problems were as big as other people’s. It is really important to know that even if it is one assignment or one problem you are really stressed about you can go in just for that. 你不需要花很长时间. 没有什么是嫌小的.”
Kelsey still uses the tools and exercises she learned in counseling and, 虽然有很多困难要克服, 感激她在新濠天地app的时光.
“One of my favorite things about Geneva is the ability to have great 的关系 with professors and know they are invested in me and praying for me. It was refreshing to know I was surrounded by people who knew Jesus, 爱他, 并希望其他人也认识他.”
Geneva works to be a true kingdom community that is welcoming, supportive, and refining. Counseling Services is a tangible expression of serving one another and bearing one another’s burdens.
If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, 焦虑, 孤独, 乡愁, 抑郁症, 或者其他任何东西, please talk to someone or reach out to Geneva Counseling Services. 欲知更多有关新濠天地app的服务，请浏览: www.新濠天地app.edu/student-life/services/counseling-center.
