NAU-Yuma students counsel with professor's help

A group of graduate students at Northern Arizona University-Yuma are not just getting an opportunity to counsel people, they're getting a chance to get real-time advice from professors on the situation.

Students in the program help counsel individuals, some couples and small family sessions, but they get to do it with technology that enables his or her professor to speak to them during the session - without interrupting.

For the students in the class, it's a chance to practice before their internship.

"It's a fantastic way to learn because these rookie counselors are extremely nervous," said Pit Kolodinsky, school of community counseling program coordinator at NAU-Yuma.

Getting that feedback right away is beneficial, he said.

"It's extremely helpful as opposed to just getting feedback," Kolodinsky said. "It's real time versus post session."

And the clients know that there are supervisors listening to the session, he said.

The counseling, offered by NAU-Yuma, is free and runs through early December.

And it may be an additional learning experience for the students, but Kolodinsky said they help "real clients with real problems."

The students have an earpiece to listen to his or her professor while the session is happening. And Kolodinsky watches the students on a closed circuit TV with audio.

"The benefit to (the student) is they get their feet wet and they get real-time (feedback)," he said.

And the client gets free counseling.

Students also gain experience on managing a session, building report and a therapeutic relationship with clients, and they help the client set and reach goals.

The supervisors have a minimum of 10 years' experience and are licensed professional counselors.

Kolodinsky, who has been at NAU for nine years, spent about six years at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Fla., of which he is a graduate. It was at UCF where he got the idea.

"It's very typical for a program to have an on-campus clinic," he said.

The course allows students to earn up to three credits, and clients can have one free session for an hour a week, with a 10-session maximum.

Kolodinsky said the experience the counseling students gain with the use of the technology is something that they'll probably never get again in their careers.

"It's one of the more helpful training experiences they'll get in their career," he said.

For more information about the program, contact Gina at (928) 317-6427 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.