Illustration by Claudia Habrahamshon
While many Montclair State students get ready to spend big bucks holiday shopping, see family members they haven’t spoken to in months, prepare for final exams and maneuver end of year activities, even graduation, some clinicians from the Center for Clinical Services, located in Lot 60 on Clove Road, will be leading discussions during one of the most important times of their advising cycle.
The Center for Clinical Services invited all students to come learn the tools of holiday stress-management.
Sessions will be available throughout the month of December for free, and give attendees the option of joining a small group conversation on a drop-in basis.
The counseling center offers services at other times of the year, but considers December to be a particularly high-stress time.
“Right now it’s very stressful in terms of both life and college,” said Diany Caba, a sophomore business marketing major. Caba shot off a half-dozen obligations including buying gifts. “Plus finals,” she added, “that’s a lot. I don’t have time for it.”
Counselors are preparing to host a session on Monday, Dec. 12 at 4 p.m. geared toward preventing and reducing stress during the demanding holiday season and offering support for hard to cope with challenges.
“My stress level is so high right now,” said Victoria Maas, a sophomore family and child studies major. “I wouldn’t want to discuss it in detail with just a random person though.”
For Maas, the idea of a resource such as the counseling center helping with her end-of-year difficulties, which she summed up as “final everything in general,” is only as reassuring as her confidence in how well she can relate to the group and to the counselors.
“It’s very good that they want to help,” said Maas. She noted that holiday stress-management is an especially tricky situation considering how hard it is to determine how much stress is put on an individual student at any given time. She is optimistic about the program’s aims to offer a relaxation and getaway of sorts.
Sam Lima and Breanna Carter will also consider dropping in one day. Lima is a psychology major pursuing a minor in Spanish, and Carter is a business administration major with a concentration in management. Vanesha Cadet an English major, however, is proof that it might not be for everyone, since she said she probably won’t attend this year, but she still took down the number in case she has any questions.
The last session of the month is on Tuesday, Dec. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m.
More information about the meetings is posted on the calendar of events at montclair.edu. The Center for Clinical Services can be reached at (973) 655-3407.
