The Universities at Shady Grove has expanded its list of student services to include a new center with a motivating mission: to foster growth, wellness, and success at USG.
The Center for Counseling and Consultation (CCC) provides free and confidential counseling services to students, staff, and faculty. Opened in February 2013, the CCC is led by Dr. Jonathan Kandell who joins USG after a 22-year career in the University of Maryland, College Park Counseling Center, serving as Assistant Director for the last 18 years.
Students may seek guidance from the CCC on a one-time or ongoing basis for a range of situations including anxiety, lack of motivation, relationship difficulties, substance abuse issues, and more – a service that can be valuable for students under pressure to meet the demands of college education.
“College can be a stressful experience,” said Kandell. “Students are being evaluated continuously; pursuing something that they hope is going to lead them to financial stability and to something meaningful in their lives. There are a lot of pressures.”
Working alongside other campus service centers, the CCC aims to play an important role in student success and student development. The services are available to help a student who is experiencing difficulty get back on track and perform the way they want to, but the center also hopes to foster an environment of general mental health on the USG campus.
“We want to see the campus as a place where students can grow as people,” said Kandell of the center’s mission. “We want them to understand themselves and to grow in their ability to connect with other people while they are doing what they’ve come here to do.”
The Center offers individual, couples, and group counseling, by appointment or during walk-in hours. Services are administered on an as-needed basis, with many situations requiring one or a few sessions, while others may benefit from ongoing service.
In addition to in-office services, the CCC will present in classrooms and host events geared toward enhancing mental health. For students who are unsure of their career path, the CCC can help with personality and interest testing, and greater understanding of what may fulfill an individual.
Dr. Kandell is excited by the opportunity to launch a new counseling center and to work with students, faculty, and staff as a part of USG’s growing campus.
“Students here want to make something happen for themselves – they are motivated,” he said of the focused student population at USG. “As a therapist, you can’t ask for more than that.”
For more information, visit the Center for Counseling and Consultation.