Emotionally Supporting
Your Students
Throughout College
WHERE BUSINESS MEETS FASHION
Who We Are
The Office of Counseling & Wellness Services is Located in
Maxwell Hall (216 E 45th Street), on the 14th Floor:
• Jodi N. Licht, Psy.D.; Director of Counseling & Wellness
Services, LIM College; 646-218-2186, ext. 229,
jlicht@limcollege.edu
• Kelly Dearborn, MSEd.; Disability Services
Specialist/Counselor, LIM College; 646-218-6046, ext. 314
kelly.dearborn@limcollege.edu
• William Kellogg, Counseling & Wellness Services Assistant,
LIM College; 646-218-6048, ext. 315, wkellogg@limcollege.edu
• Gabriel Sirkman, Counseling & Wellness Services Intern, LIM
College; 646-218-6047, ext. 407, gabriel.sirkman@limcollege.edu
What We Do
Counseling & Wellness Services offers the following
free and confidential psychological and educational
services:
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Counseling Services
Consultation
Disabilities advocacy
Outreach & Wellness Workshops
Counseling Services
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Individual therapy
Crisis intervention/support
Group therapy (based on need)
Referrals to therapists, agencies, or
specialized services (e.g. for eating
disorders, drug or alcohol abuse, psychiatric
care, etc.)
Disabilities Advocacy
By law, all students, with or without disabilities,
are entitled to equal access to all of the programs
and activities at LIM College. Any questions
about disability services, the required
documentation needed to verify a disability or
condition, academic accommodations, or
accessibility, please contact our office. We have a
full-time Disability Services Specialist.
Outreach and Workshops
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Throughout the year, we also provide regular
outreach and workshops to promote healthy living,
skill development and a sense of community. Some
examples of different mental health topics that could
be covered are:
Time and Stress Management
Body Image and Nutrition
And, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Awareness
We also currently sponsor bi-weekly Yoga Classes in
our Residence Hall, which are open to all enrolled
students at LIM College, whether or not you reside
in our housing.
Understanding the
Developmental Period
• College is a particularly challenging period when
students are faced with many tasks - sorting out
one’s identity, developing and maintaining
significant relationships, working on changing
relationships with parents and other family
members, coping with losses, becoming aware of
one’s unique and different-ness, and, facing new
academic demands and career decisions.
What to Expect
In addition to academic and professional development,
college is also likely a period of:
•Intellectual stimulation and growth
•Increased autonomy
•Self exploration and discovery
•Social involvement
•Forming new identities
•Clarifying values and beliefs
Every student experiences his or her own unique set of
challenges and adjustments, just as every parent will
have different expectations for and reactions to their
student’s college experience.
What to Expect
• Many times students are able to meet life’s
challenges and deal with them on their own.
However, sometimes students are faced with
an issue that requires them to reach out to
others for help.
• Sometimes it can be helpful to students to
enlist the support of a trained professional.
Some Common Challenges for
Students During College
• Academic coursework can be more challenging
than previous education experiences
• Balancing socializing and work (internships
and/or jobs) and effectively managing time
• Fitting in
• Homesickness
• Relationship difficulties
• Managing finances and other responsibilities
(possibly for the first time)
What Parents May Experience
The college experience is a significant transition for
parents as well as their student. As parents, you may
experience feelings of:
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Happiness
Excitement
Pride
Sadness and pain
Fear and concern about your child’s safety,
well-being, and future
Challenges For Parents
• Feeling a Void: Feelings of emptiness can occur during the separation
from your student. Parents can often feel unprepared or uncomfortable
without their role as primary caretaker. Joy can be mixed with sadness as
your student spends less time at home.
• Feeling Left Out: Adjusting to being on the outside and being less privy
to every aspect of your student’s life and whereabouts. Keep in mind
your student may not want to share everything with you – this is normal.
• Relinquishing Control: It is necessary to give up some parental control.
Young adults must learn to make their own decisions and become their
own self-advocates. Allow for mistakes. Parents must encourage and
accept the student's ability to make independent decisions. Both the
college student and the parents must realize mistakes will be made along
the way - it's part of life. Learning from mistakes is another type of
learning.
How You Can Support Yourself
• Recognize that it is normal to have mixed feelings when
your student leaves home. Feelings of pain and loss often
accompany separation from loved ones. It is also normal to
feel a sense of relief when your student leaves for college
and to look forward to some time alone, with your
significant other, or with younger children. Taking on a new
project or hobby or reawakening old hobbies or activities
can be an excellent way to channel your energy and feelings.
• Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions arise during this
period of adjustment.
• Develop and maintain your own support systems.
How You Can Support Your Student
• Expect Up and Downs. One minute college students are the models
of independence, the next they call in tears. This back and forth is
natural and expected, as both students and parents become more
comfortable and confident in the ability of students to handle
situations on their own.
• Stay connected to your student while also encouraging them to get
to know other students and meet new people.
• Know the warning signs and educate yourself about the warning
signs of distress (Feel free to contact Counseling & Wellness Services
for information about warning signs). If you begin to notice these
signs or sense that something is wrong, don’t panic. Start a dialogue
with your student and encourage them to reach out for additional
support. Counseling & Wellness Services are available for
consultation for both you and your student.
How You Can Support Your Student
(Cont’d)
• Maintaining a supportive relationship with your student can be
critical to their success in college, particularly during their first year.
It is important for your student to know that you are there for them
and available to talk about issues which arise.
• Ideally, discussions about values, which have occurred throughout
your student’s life, serve as a foundation. However, it is useful to rediscuss specific issues, since college students are usually confronted
with situations involving sex, drugs, and alcohol as well as tough
academic and interpersonal issues. Without moralizing or criticizing,
even young adults benefit from hearing their parents' views on these
issues.
• Maintain regular contact with your student, but also allow for space
for your student to approach you and set the agenda for some of
your conversations. A balance of advice, encouragement,
independence, and room to make mistakes can be important in
conveying your support and respect.
How You Can Promote Your Student’s
Success
• Be realistic about your student’s academic performance, recognizing
that not every straight-A student in high school will be a straight-A
student in college. Help your student set academic goals; encourage
them to do their best and seek assistance if needed.
• Find out contact information for people involved in various aspects
of your student’s college experience. These people may include
academic advisors and deans, financial aid counselors, and residence
hall staff. If you have questions, or if a particular problem arises, you
can call the appropriate person, but make sure to involve your
student in a collaborative effort to address the problem.
• Encourage your student to get involved in student organizations, and
campus events. LIM College’s Office of Student Life provides many
events and activities that support and enhance the classroom
experience.
Contact Information
The Office of Student Life s is Located in Fifth Avenue (545
Fifth Avenue), on the 7th Floor:
• Michael Palladino; Director of Student Life, LIM College; 646388-8419, ext. 279, michael.palladino@limcollege.edu
• Vanessa Iaffa; Coordinator for FYE and Study Abroad, LIM
College; 646-288-8431, ext. vanessa.iaffa@limcollege.edu
• M.T. Teloki, Senior Coordinator of Student Leadership and
Development, LIM College; 646-388-8425, ext. 240,
mt.teloki@limcollege.edu
• Sabrina Williams; Student Life Assistant, LIM College; 646-3888403, ext. 373, sabrina.williams@limcollege.edu
Resources
• College Parents of America:
www.collegeparents.org
• Raskin, R. (2006), Parents’ Guide to College
Life. New York: Random House
• Coburn, K.L. and Treeger, M.L. (2003).
Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding
the College Years. New York: Harper Collins.
** Adapted from The George Washington University’s Counseling Center