By Nathan Dean
Editor in Chief

While the pressures of college may be tough to handle, Purdue University has a counseling center to provide assistance in those times of need.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a service of the Purdue Student Health Center and gives personal counseling to students who feel stressed out or unable to deal with the difficulties of college.

Clint Gabbard, director of CAPS, said CAPS is a center with a mission to help students by getting them counseling, workshops and therapy group. "We offer individual counseling, workshop, and therapy groups to help students work on growth. We also offer an alcohol education program that is well received," said Gabbard.

According to Gabbard, most of the students who come to CAPS are concerned with the normal issues that college students face. Among the most popular are stress management, time management and relationships.

Students and their partners are given eight free sessions with one of the 17 staff psychologists, psychiatrists and pre-doctoral interns. Although the average number of sessions used by students is seven, if more are needed the member will refer the students to an outside agency.

"We see somewhere in the number of a couple thousand each year," said Gabbard. "We teach students how to be more effective, how to develop friends, and dealing with depression."

There are three areas that students can come to CAPS. There are locations in the Purdue University Health Center, the Psychological Sciences Building and Vawter Hall.

Gabbard said that having the center in one of the halls of Windsor brings more students an opportunity to receive help if they want it. The main focus, however, of CAPS is helping the individual deal with the pressures of college and life.

For more information or to request an appointment, call CAPS at (765) 494-6995 or (765) 494-1707.