EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Across the nation, increasing numbers of students are seeking help at college counseling centers, including at Eastern Michigan University.

The growing use stems in part from successful mental health awareness campaigns, but institutions such as EMU also face a challenge to meet this growing demand, says Lisa Lauterbach, director of EMU’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

In observance of World Mental Health Day, CAPS will hold an open house from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10 at its offices in the third floor of Snow Health Center on the EMU campus. Members of the campus community and the public are invited, and light refreshments will be provided.

CAPS is dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of students at Eastern, with staff providing free counseling. CAPS also serves the EMU community by providing educational workshops, outreaches, consultation to faculty and staff, and training to graduate students in the mental health professions.

CAPS offers short-term counseling (also known as psychotherapy or therapy) that focuses on finding solutions to problems and relieving symptoms. Counseling is only offered to currently enrolled EMU students, and is free of charge. 

Reasons EMU students come to CAPS for counseling include the desire to:

• Decrease anxiety or worry.
• Reduce feelings of sadness or depression.
• Learn how to cope with stress.
• Deal with relationship problems.
• Change behaviors that get in the way of academic success.
• Cope with the death of a friend or family member.
• Manage thoughts about suicide.
• Reduce self-harm.
• Discuss eating or alcohol problems.
• Manage concerns relating to sexuality.
• Recover from past abusive experiences.
• Get help adjusting to life in a new culture.

“We encourage faculty, students, staff and community members to come to the open house to learn about the range of services CAPS provides, and to better understand how to refer students in need,” Lauterbach said.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 22,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.