Free sessions offered by counselors-in-training

Community members have the opportunity to once again take part in a free counseling service offered through Northern Arizona University-Yuma.

Students in the master of counseling program at the NAU-Yuma branch campus are offering their services free of charge from September through November as part of a requirement for degree completion.

Although these free counseling services have been offered in English by NAU-Yuma students for the past 10 years, this is only the second time they also have been available in Spanish.

Individuals, couples and families will have the opportunity to address various concerns including stress management, career focusing, coping skills, relationship concerns and more. Referrals are made to local, licensed clinicians when needed.

Participants can receive up to 10 hourlong sessions at no charge. Sessions are supervised by a licensed mental health professional who is in another room tuned into the session by video and audio, as students are not yet licensed to work independently.

“We can talk directly to the counselor via a headphone earpiece,” said NAU-Yuma counseling professor Pit Kolodinsky in a previous Yuma Sun article. “So if we want to give the counselor a brief suggestion or just some encouraging words or suggest they change the direction... they'll hear it in the moment it takes place rather than after the session when it's too late,”

Session times are Mondays and Wednesdays at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. in the Academic Complex building at NAU-Yuma's campus at Arizona Western College.

To make an appointment, call 317-6427 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Messages can be left in both English and Spanish on our confidential voice mailbox,” NAU-Yuma officials added. “All calls will be returned within 24 hours.”

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.