Article archive / August 1, 2014
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 12. Source pages: 11.
Dr. ValaRay Irvin, Director of the Counseling Center at Southern University, will participate in the symposium, “Evolution and Current Practice of Counseling Centers at Historically Black College and Universities.”
Her presentation is, “Barriers to Help Seeking on HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Campuses.” She will cover some of the barriers experienced by African- American students that contributed to their lack of help-seeking, the role and the responsibilities of the HBCU, and the role counseling centers (CC) can play in the students’ development. Irvine will also discuss the relationship to over-all university retention efforts and the importance of developing a center rooted in ‘best practices’ and standards designed to work.
“The discussion will focus on four main areas,” Dr. Irvin told the Times. “Origin and evolution of CC at HBCUs; Current operations; Stigma reduction; and Ethical issues. I am specifically addressing Stigma reduction, and a part of Ethical issues,” she said.
“The presentation is important because it details the decades of existence of CC at HBCUs (1837-1900) from their earliest development as a means to address ‘social justice,’ to being centers of ‘advising’ for students without any clinical services at all, to the full range of professionally clinical services they offer now,” she said.
“My segment of the presentation addresses debunking myths/beliefs some African- Americans hold about counseling; examining the intersection of religion, spirituality, and mental health, and while it’s more comfortable for some students to present with somatic symptoms vs. mental health symptoms,” Irvin noted.
“Ethical issues often addressed are; the history and assumption of ‘in loco parentis,’ the increased likelihood that referring sources feel entitled to information, and feedback about the student; the greater likelihood that religiosity will be part of the therapy, and the active role of the therapist to assist the client in reframing some of his/her deeply held ‘learning’ from society, as well as church, and the increased need to educate superiors about the law and the ethics of your profession.”
“My personal experience as director of counseling for 15 years [at Southern] is that I have addressed all of the above,” she said. “That is, the intersection of spirituality and religion; how to define them, and utilize both without offending the client. The most difficult challenge I’ve had has been finding the balance between assisting and accommodating faculty, staff, and administrators, while maintaining professionally ethical standards; including standards of accreditation, and especially maintaining students’ confidentiality.
Dr. Irvin is a licensed psychologist, Director of the Counseling Center at Southern University, Staff Senate Representative, and a member of the Centennial Steering Committee.
Dr. ValaRay Irvin (Courtesy photo)
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