The Counseling Center

Creative thinking drives progress not only in the arts but also, and perhaps especially, in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and it is expected to become even more valuable than technical skill as artificial intelligence outpaces human cognition. Fostering creative thinkers has become a primary focus of educators. Educationally relevant anxieties, like math anxiety, have been shown to substantially impact specific forms of achievement and engagement, both in school and in career pursuits. Identifying these anxieties has led to promising interventions to enable affected individuals to reach their potential. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the possibility of anxiety specific to creative thinking is, to our knowledge, unexplored. In this article, across multiple samples, we tested the viability of creativity anxiety as a construct. We first created a new measure, the Creativity Anxiety Scale (CAS), demonstrating validity, internal reliability, and specificity. Applying the CAS revealed that creativity-specific anxiety predicted individual differences in creative achievement and attitudes toward creativity over and above effects of general anxiety. Moreover, across diverse content domains, from science to arts, anxiety was greater for situations that required creativity than similar situations that did not. Notably, this effect was especially pronounced in women. These findings suggest that creativity anxiety may have wide-reaching impacts and distinguish creativity anxiety from anxiety about noncreative aspects of performance. Establishing creativity anxiety as a novel construct, and the CAS as a valid measurement instrument, opens a new avenue of research that promises to deepen basic understanding of creative cognition and inform development of interventions to enable greater achievement of creative potential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,

Raising mental health awareness can help you to understand your symptoms, find professional treatment, and, perhaps most importantly, break the mental health stigma that leaves so many people suffering in secret.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

EDUCATION

• Northeastern University, Boston, MA
  Master of Science, May 2004
  Counseling Psychology
• Northeastern University, Boston, MA
  Master of Science, September 1998
  Criminal Justice
• University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
  Bachelor of Arts, May 1997
  Summa Cum Laude

LICENSURE

• State of NM - LPCC 

EDUCATION

• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
  Master of Science, May 2017
  Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
  Bachelor of Arts, May 2014
  Psychology
• Richland College, Dallas, TX
  Associate of Science, May 2012
  General Science

LICENSURE

• State of NM - LMHC

• If you are in imminent danger to yourself or are a significant danger to someone else, we have a legal obligation to break confidentiality to protect you and/or others.
• If you are abusing children/vulnerable adults or inform us concerning someone who is, then we have a legal responsibility to report this to the proper authorities. Such a report could potentially lead to disclosure of your being a client and require testimony concerning the suspected abuse.
• If, as part of an employment process or security screening you sign a release of records form about services received from us, we will ask that you sign our form to ensure that you are freely and knowingly releasing a brief summary of your contact with us.
• Your records can also be subpoenaed by a court of law (e.g. if you claimed emotional damages in a lawsuit).
• We also reserve the right to consult with the NMT Health Center and NMT Behavior Intervention (BIT) Team when professionally appropriate.

The Counseling Intake Form is for students seeking services from the Counseling Center for the first time. Please complete the form below, and be sure to complete the last question requesting three (3) different dates and times that you are available for an appointment. 

COUNSELING INTAKE FORM

If you have not been seen within the last two (2) academic semesters by the Counseling Center, please complete the returning clients form below.

If you have been seen within the last two (2) academic semesters, please email the counseling center at counseling@nmt.edu  and be sure to include 3 dates and times that you are available. 

RETURNING CLIENTS FORM

Since all health records are strictly confidential, including
mental health records, you must provide a written request
specifying the information desired and where you wish it to
be sent. The forms provided must be mailed or faxed to :

The Counseling Center
New Mexico Tech
149 Fidel Building
801 Leroy Place
Socorro, NM 87801
Fax: 575-835-6001

The Release of Information (ROI) must include:

• Copy of a photo ID
• Your name and address
• Telephone number and e-mail address
• Banner #900
• Dates attended (including when you left, and whether or
  not you graduated)
• Your signature

If you choose to continue treatment with a new mental health provider and you would like your information sent to them, send us an ROI and we will send your records to your new mental health provider. Please allow at least two (2) weeks to process the request.

To download our Release of Information (ROI), click here.

In order to meet significant student demand and use its resources most effectively, the Counseling Center utilizes a short-term, individual, brief therapy model. Working together, the therapist and student determine the goal for counseling and type of sessions that are needed for the student based on the nature of the student’s concerns and available resources. Some of the concerns that are commonly addressed in short-term counseling at the Counseling Center are:

• Personal Concerns: Stress, anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, guilt, low self-esteem, grief
• Relationship Concerns: Romantic relationship, roommate problems, family problems, social life
• Developmental Concerns: Identity (e.g., personal, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity), adjustment to college, healthy lifestyle choices, decisions, life transitions
• Substance Use: Concerns related to alcohol or other drug use/abuse
• Academic Concerns: Performance anxiety, perfectionism, academic difficulties
• Other Concerns: Effects of trauma, sexual assault, abuse, concerns from childhood or adolescence

Students whose needs require long-term support will generally be referred to community resources for ongoing treatment. Similarly, students whose needs require a particular type of expertise that is not available in the Center are also referred to community resources. Even in cases where a student’s ongoing needs necessitate a referral to community resources, the Counseling Center can often assist the student in managing the presenting concerns and provide support until the student is able to connect to the appropriate community resources. The Counseling Center may provide referral services through phone consultation as certain factors become more apparent during the course of services. Some of the concerns that are commonly addressed through referral to services outside of the Counseling Center include: 

A desire or need to be seen more than once every two weeks, or desire for ongoing long-term psychotherapy, as indicated by:

• Student’s preference or external provider’s recommendations
• History of multiple hospitalizations
• Chronic thoughts of suicide, frequent self-injurious behaviors, or history of repeated
  suicide attempts
• Clear indications of a need for more intensive services
• Indication that short-term therapy may be detrimental or non-beneficial
•  Evidence or risk of progressive deterioration in mental or emotional functioning that requires intensive intervention
• Exhibiting psychotic symptoms without willingness to follow treatment recommendations
• Inability or unwillingness to provide the necessary information to thoroughly assess symptoms

A need for specialized services not available through the Counseling Center, as indicated by:

• Presence of significant drug or alcohol problems such as substance dependence and/or past failed treatments; a need for drug testing
• Presence of significant or long-standing eating disorder symptoms with no period of remission or that may pose a medical danger
• Request for formal psychological assessment (e.g., ADHD or psychoeducational evaluations)
• Request for medications
• Request for psychological evaluation for the purpose of employment clearance
• Request for services to fulfill students’ court-mandated assessment or treatment requirements unless the court provides a clear goal for therapy and contact information of court representative.  

The general guidelines listed above are only intended to serve as a guide to assist treatment decisions. The nature and complexity of presenting concerns and the broader context are considered in making the appropriate treatment recommendation(s). Cases are evaluated individually and the professional judgment of the mental health provider(s) will determine the treatment decision in a particular situation.

You will meet with a counselor one-on-one to address your concerns in standard up-to-50 minute sessions. During the first meeting, you and your counselor will set goals, discuss the need for ongoing therapy and talk about a meeting schedule. In individual counseling, people will often discuss relationship concerns, family difficulties, feelings of depression or anxiety, academic issues, recovery from traumatic events, or hopes of wanting to better their lives.

The student and their partner will meet with a counselor to address relationship concerns in standard up-to-50 minute sessions. Couples will be able to learn effective communication skills, conflict resolution and to gain better insight into their relationship. At least one client of the couple must meet NMT eligibility requirements for counseling.

We offer mental health outreach throughout the academic year. We hold events focusing on increasing skills and reducing stigma, as well as provide mental health/psychoeducation workshops. If you are interested in partnering with us for an event please fill out the form below.

Partner With Us!