Counseling Center offers healing rhythms, massage chairs

The A&M-Commerce Counseling Center operates at full service capacity during the summer to administer to the needs of current and in-coming students.

Counselor Marty Marsh Jacobs said summer furnishes the Counseling Center staff an opportunity to prepare for the coming academic year while still offering all of their standard services, all of which are free.

"It's a little slower as far as client load in the summer than it is in a long semester," she said. "We use that extra time to catch up, to do some planning for next year…after fall and spring we usually need a little break, but we still have full services."

Jacobs said that while outside programming is reduced during summer, she and other staff members are heavily involved with A&M-Commerce's new student orientation.

"I enjoy talking to the parents and the new students, and letting them know what we do," she said. "We're there to help students with their personal issues. We usually talk to them about adjustment and stress. A lot of students encounter some test and math anxiety. College is stressful, especially that first semester, and we encourage them that there's no shame in coming to counseling."

Incoming students are also educated on the nature of the center's services.

"I like to let them know that we're kind of different from a high school counselor," she said. "We don't do schedules. We're not doing testing and those kinds of things."

Jacobs said the Counseling Center is promoting awareness of its Relaxation Room, which is equipped with two massage chairs.

"It's just a quiet room where you can go in," Jacobs said. "You don't even have to be a client to use the massage chairs, just come by, sign in and if it's available you can have it for 20 minutes…one massage chair goes from the neck all the way down the legs - it's awesome. Then we have a second chair that just does from the neck to the back.""

The Counseling Center also offers a biofeedback program called "Healing Rhythms," described in the center's information flier as an interactive 15-step guided training program designed to help users practice relaxation techniques to improve physical and mental well-being.

"It helps you work on learning to breathe properly in order to relax and relieve stress," Jacobs said.

The flier reads in part: "Watch your mind and body at play in beautiful on-screen surroundings as you learn to juggle balls with your laughter, build a stairway with your breath, and open doors with meditation."

Located in Room 204 of the Halladay Student Services Building, the Counseling Center is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Those interested in learning more may visit tamu-commerce.edu/studentLife/campusServices/counselingCenter or call 903-886-5145.