The UTRGV Counseling Center has trained its staff to practice Tele-Counseling to continue to help students battling any mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and loneliness, that may be triggered in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
All of the Counseling Center’s services are now available online via Skype and Zoom during its normal hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Due to the switch to online classes and the orders from Cameron and Hidalgo counties to stay home, students have been reaching out to the Counseling Center for support.
“For the first week of isolation, it felt nice to be relaxing the first day,” said Ruben Lozano, an education senior. “But, by the second day, when I heard that we were under curfew and there were some cities that were on lockdown, I felt like, ‘I’m trapped within my place.’”
Accepting the situation has been the most difficult adjustment, Lozano said.
“It’s hard to accept when things change dramatically, accepting the fact that there will be times where I may not be able to see the people that are close to me,” he said. “But, if I accept what is happening and let time go by, then everything will be back to normal.”
Maria Alejandra Mazariegos, a clinical therapist for the Counseling Center, said having to be at home can increase stress levels for people who may already have underlying mood problems, such as depression or anxiety.
“Whenever there are big changes, you know, there’s an adaptation period and, so, during that adaptation period, which is typically about a couple of weeks, or it can even be a couple of months after something changes, it can affect our mood,” Mazariegos said.
In light of these changes, the center has initiated a new support group called Vaqueros All in This Together. The group meets at 2:30 p.m. Thursdays via Zoom.
“The support group is for all Vaqueros who are currently enrolled to join in and to talk,” Mazariegos said. “Let’s just talk about it, like how are we feeling today, and let’s bounce ideas off of each other, and then we’ll also offer some tips for getting through this COVID-19 era.”
On April 6, the center will start virtual office hours from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday via Zoom.
“It can be a space for anyone from the university, staff, faculty, students who have a question that they want to ask the Counseling Center,” Mazariegos said, “not necessarily related to needing an appointment but just to talk about ‘How can I help someone?’”
She told The Rider that the Counseling Center’s client base has remained about the same since the switch to online classes. However, she said that screening appointments dropped slightly.
Mazariegos said anxiety is the most common mental health issue correlated to a pandemic.
“Anxiety is the biggest one, feeling a little bit lost or hopeless, feeling scared, sleep disorders, because now we no longer have a set routine, so it can be comfortable to just sleep whenever we want, and that can affect our sleep,” she said.
Lozano told The Rider he feels distracted at times by his mental health when he is alone.
“But at the same time, I have to keep telling myself, like, ‘You have things to do, things to take care of,” he said.
A UTRGV student who asked to remain anonymous, said, “It’s been a bit lonely, but I’m thankful that we have technology. Like, I have my laptop, I have my phone, I have my gaming stuff, so I’m very fortunate that I have those things.”
Some tips that Mazariegos suggests students try during these odd times include keeping a routine, getting out of your pajamas, exercising, eating right, getting some sunlight and limiting time watching the news.
“If you’re constantly exposing yourself to ‘breaking news, one more case’ or ‘one person died of coronavirus,’ that can really heighten that sense of, ‘This is really bad and we’re not safe,’” Mazariegos said.
Most people have found it helpful to only check the news at the beginning and end of their day, she said.
Students who would like the Zoom link to the new support group may visit the center’s Instagram @utrgvcounselingcenter or send an email to maria.mazariegos@utrgv.edu.
To schedule a private appointment with a therapist, students may call the Counseling Center at (956) 882-3897 or (956) 665-2574.
Para la versión en español de este artículo, oprima aquí.
