New counseling program teaches interpersonal skills

Contributing WriterThe Counseling Center is developing a program to help Tech students develop better interpersonal skills. This program is tentatively entitled "Working with People: Teaching, Helping and Learning," and it will focus on preparing students for careers in healthcare and education.

Much of the work to put this project together has been done by Brendan Finton, a third-year Psychology major, and Mack Bowers, associate director of the Counseling Center. "The Psychology Department has [also] been very supportive of the endeavor," Finton said.

Finton conceived of "Working with People" last fall, when he had difficulty finding ways to get involved in clinical psychology work.

Seeking to fill a void, Finton contacted Bowers in the spring. "We began discussions on how we could set up a program to offer some training in this area and to give back to the Tech community. We decided that we could expand this program to offer experience to students interested in areas like teaching and medicine, too. Over the course of the semester we developed a framework which will now guide the summer program," Finton said.

The program will begin with an informational meeting at 4 p.m. in the J.S. Coon Building Tuesday, May 22. If enough interest exists, a pilot program will be run this summer. Bowers described the pilot as involving "bi-weekly meetings to address such topics as developing listening skills, how to get into graduate school in these professions [and] functional aspects of becoming a psychologist, doctor [or] teacher."

"Working with People" will be open to students from all majors and departments.

"We would like for anyone interested in learning new skills and helping the campus community to get involved," Finton said.

In addition to helping students develop interpersonal skills, Bowers sees this program as an opportunity for students to take an active role in the mental health of the Tech community.

"We would also like to see this program address issues that are relevant to college counseling centers, like how to identify students who might benefit from the services offered by the Counseling Center, how to make referrals [there] and how to become a partner with the Counseling Center in promoting good mental health on campus," Bowers said.

Finton has high hopes for the program. "In the long run, I would love to see this become a course that students can take for credit and have on their transcripts. I see the program becoming a student-directed group with support from the Counseling Center that educates those involved and allows them to help out the community as an auxiliary of the Center," Finton said.

Other proposed ideas include different certifications in active listening, signs of depression and other useful skills so that there is a tangible benefit to program participants.

"Overall, I would like for this to be a program that helps present different perspectives interacting with people, whether they are your students, peers or clients," Finton said.

So far, student response to the program has been mixed.

"I think a lot of Tech students could stand to work on their interpersonal skills," said Miquela Hiller, a third-year International Affairs major.

Brandon Borm, a third-year Mechanical Engineering major, voiced frustration. "I don't really need any interpersonal skills, but I wish they would tell people about this stuff. When did you say that meeting is?"