Orrico hall, home of U P health and counseling services

Orrico hall, home of U P health and counseling servicesWhen we on the academic side of the University have concerns about the mental health of our students, one of our obvious resources is the staff of the UP Health and Counseling Center. Whether we get there via Early Alert or through a direct contact, it can be helpful for faculty and academic staff to know who might help us figure out how to help our students – and who is talking to the students who avail themselves of UP services.

For this 2017-2018 academic year there are two new psychologists on staff, along with several returning psychologists providing counseling services (and each year there are also graduate practicum counselors in training). The new psychologists this year are both somewhat on the administrative side of things, though with extensive backgrounds providing counseling services.

Carol Dell-Oliver, Ph.D., is the new Director of the Health and Counseling Center, taking over from Margaret Trout. Carol sent the following introduction for faculty:

Carol Dell-Oliver, Ph.D. is the new Director of the Health and Counseling Center. She has been a licensed clinical psychologist for 24 years, with extensive experience in university settings and private practice. Her areas of specialization include anxiety, depression, disaster recovery, and the assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders. Her goals for the Health and Counseling Center are to assess UP’s current mental health, substance abuse and suicide efforts and to create a strategic plan to implement improvements. Other goals include expanding services and outreach efforts in health and wellness promotion, and improving students’ access to services to reach diverse and/or underserved populations.

Eliot Altschul, Ph.D., is the new Assistant Director for Counseling and Training, taking over from Will Meek. Eliot sent the following introduction for faculty:

I obtained my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Berkeley/SF Bay Area. I trained in the Counseling Centers at Stanford and Boston Universities. Since my training I have held positions at Emory University as the Group Coordinator, George Washington University as a Staff Psychologist and Supervisor, Humboldt State University as their Director of Training, and at Clark College as the Director.  I also have extensive experience in other levels of care including inpatient, residential, day treatment and private practice.

I utilize an integrated approach to my therapeutic work with students including practical and solution-oriented, as well as brief psychodynamic and object relations modalities. I help student/clients understand, experience and manage their own emotional states.  I often approach this from a lens of mindfulness, in terms of self-observation without judgment, and self-compassion.  Some of my areas of interest and expertise include identity development, sexuality and spirituality.

The returning members of the counseling staff include Rikki Cor, Psy.D., Hannah Hoeflich, Psy.D., and Staci Wade-Hernandez, Psy.D.. They wanted to be introduced collectively, and sent the following for faculty:

University of Portland Health and Counseling Center is staffed by four full-time licensed psychologists and two pre-doctoral trainees who hold master’s degrees in psychology. The Counseling Center staff are committed to providing an emotionally safe, accessible, and compassionate space for all University of Portland students. We strive to integrate multicultural humility and competence into our everyday functioning, firmly planted in the belief that all people have dignity and are deserving of respect. Clinicians utilize empathy, open-mindedness, and the therapeutic relationship to increase insight and decrease emotional distress. All consultation and therapy meetings are confidential and student health information cannot be shared without written permission. Mental health counseling is available at no cost to all students enrolled full time at the University of Portland. We provide short-term counseling services for students experiencing a range of concerns. First visits are considered a consultation. These appointments last about 20 minutes and are focused on immediate student concerns and to develop a plan. Due to our model, it is possible that an off-campus referral for services will be made.

/* Featured Image by Andrew Guest

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