UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS

To register or for further information call 410-704-2512

S'mores & Hot Chocolate Open House
Date:  Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Time:  12:30p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Glen Esk Front Porch

Welcome back to campus! The Counseling Center will begin the spring semester with s’mores and hot chocolate at its third annual S’mores & Hot Chocolate Open House. “Students, faculty, and staff always have a great time at our S’mores & Hot Chocolate Open House because it gives them a chance to take a break from their daily work while enjoying a delicious snack and learning about the Counseling Center’s programs and services,” said Dr. Bruce Herman, the Counseling Center’s Assistant Director of Outreach and Consultation.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
Date:  Thursday, February 7, 2008
Time:  3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Cook Library, Archive Room

Mindfulness is an ancient meditative practice that helps people manage unpleasant emotions and stress. Martial arts such as Aikido or Judo teach students to receive and use the force of an opponent’s blow. Similarly, mindfulness teaches us how we can receive and use the power of so called “negative” emotions to strengthen our self-awareness and enrich our lives. In addition to teaching students how to meditate to reduce stress, the Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Workshop will cover mindful eating, pleasant event recall, breathing space, responding versus reacting and barriers to mindfulness practice.

Surviving a Breakup
Date:  Thursday, February 14, 2008
Time:  3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Counseling Center

Have you or a friend broken up with a special person?  Are you or a friend having a difficult time getting over the breakup or moving on?  Towson University’s Counseling Center is offering its Surviving a Breakup workshop to help you with this difficult time in your life.  This workshop can help you learn more about the grieving process and offer specific ways to cope with your loss.  It will also help you identify the key elements to healthy relationships.

Intuitive Eating Workshop
Date:  Monday, February 18, 2008
Time:  2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Cook Library, Archives Room

Date:  Monday, February 25, 2008
Time:  3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: Cook Library, Archives Room

It is difficult to have a healthy relationship with food. In this workshop series, the intuitive eating approach will be presented and participants will be provided with skills and tools to develop a more flexible approach to eating and body image. Students of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to attend.

Same Sex Relationships
Date:  Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Time:  2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Counseling Center is offering a highly interactive, discussion-oriented Same Sex Relationships workshop which explores some common relationship issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. The workshop will confront destructive myths about same sex relationships and will address the challenges LGBT students face when initiating and maintaining relationships.

Test Taking Anxiety
Date:  Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Time:  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Taking tests can be extremely stressful for some students, and the anxiety they experience while taking tests affects their performance. The Counseling Center is offering a free Test-Taking Anxiety workshop to aid students in understanding the impact of anxiety on test performance. Students will also learn about simple techniques and strategies that they can use to combat test-taking anxiety and improve their comfort and performance on exams.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
Date:  Thursday, February 21, 2008
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Place: Cook Library, Archive Room

Mindfulness is an ancient meditative practice that helps people manage unpleasant emotions and stress. Martial arts such as Aikido or Judo teach students to receive and use the force of an opponent’s blow. Similarly, mindfulness teaches us how we can receive and use the power of so called “negative” emotions to strengthen our self-awareness and enrich our lives. In addition to teaching students how to meditate to reduce stress, the Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Workshop will cover mindful eating, pleasant event recall, breathing space, responding versus reacting and barriers to mindfulness practice.

Body/Language:  Speaking Out About Body Image and Eating Issues:
Date:  Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Time:  6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Place: University Union, Potomac Lounge
Eating disorders and body image issues are on the rise, negatively affecting many college students. This event is a time to draw attention to the problem and speak out, no longer keeping it secret. Towson University students will share their artistic reactions to this epidemic, expressing the range of reactions from body appreciation and pride to appearance shame and struggles.  This event is sponsored by the Counseling Center, Women's Studies Department and the Clarisse Mechanic Fund/English Department

Feast, Famine & the Female Form
Date:  Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Time:  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
Psychologist Beth Williams-Plunkett, Ph.D. and Towson Art History faculty Emily Halligan, Ph.D. will discuss the changing image and impact of the female form in art. Dr. Williams-Plunkett is a psychologist specializing in eating disorders and has held numerous programs on the topic.

Weight Management:  Fact vs. Fiction
Date:  Thursday, February 28, 2008
Time:  3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
We are bombarded daily with misinformation from the diet industry about what healthy weight is and how to achieve and maintain it. Come and hear about why dieting causes weight gain, not weight loss and what is the best way to achieve and maintain your healthy, natural weight. With Deborah Kauffmann, Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist."

Warning Signs of Gambling
Date:  Monday, March 3, 2008
Time:  4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 308
One in every 20 college students has a gambling problem. Are you or someone you know a problem gambler? All are welcome to attend a workshop hosted by the Counseling Center addressing warning signs of problem gambling among college students.

Body Image Over the Ages:  Why is Thin In?
Date:  Monday, March 3, 2008
Time:  3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 305

Mindfulness Meditation Series (8 week series)
Date:  starting Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Time:  11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Place: Cook Library, Archives Room
Mindfulness is an ancient meditative practice that helps people manage unpleasant emotions and stress. Martial arts such as Aikido or Judo teach students to receive and use the force of an opponent’s blow. Similarly, mindfulness teaches us how we can receive and use the power of so called “negative” emotions to strengthen our self-awareness and enrich our lives. In addition to teaching students how to meditate to reduce stress, the Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Workshop will cover mindful eating, pleasant event recall, breathing space, responding versus reacting and barriers to mindfulness practice.  This is an eight week series.

Suicide Awareness & Prevention
Date:  Wednesday March 5, 2008
Time:  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
According to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students. Unfortunately, many college students don’t get the help they need because they don’t know that depression is a common yet treatable illness. The Truth About Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College will educate Towson University students, faculty, and staff about depression and about how members of the community can best seek help for themselves and/or friends who are depressed and/or suicidal. Additionally, the film will cover the warning signs of depression and “other problems associated with suicide, as they are commonly experienced by college students and other young adults.”

How to Be a Better Lover: A workshop on Sex and Communication
Date:  Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Time:  3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 305
This workshop is for individuals who are currently involved in a romantic relationship or who are thinking about it. We will discuss individual and cultural beliefs about sex and examine how these beliefs get in the way of communicating our personal needs and fantasies in intimate relationships. All students who wish to enhance the quality of their relationship with their partner are encouraged to attend.  Co-Sponsored by the Dowell Health Center.

Conquering Procrastination
Date:  Friday, March 7, 2008
Time:  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
Many college students find themselves constantly rushing or pulling “all-nighters” while wishing that they started their assignments sooner. The Counseling Center is hosting a Conquering Procrastination workshop to teach students how avoid procrastination. It will also teach them the strategies of overcoming it.

Too Fat, Too Thin:  Who Decides?
Date:  Wednesday,  April 2, 2008
Time:  2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 305
Towson University Psychology faculty Cynthia Kalodner, Ph.D. will share media images and explore the impact of the media on body image.  She will also discuss strategies for how to keep the media from telling you how to feel about yourself. 

Playing the Game?
Date:  Wednesday,  April 16, 2008
Time:  7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Chesapeake Rooms
Robin Sawyer - Sexual Assault Speaker

Stress Management
Date:  Monday,  April 28, 2008
Time:  12:00 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
Stress is a part of our daily lives. It can make us feel overwhelmed, affect sleep, and affect our grades and relationships with others. Taking an active step in controlling stress can lead to a healthier and happier life.   The Counseling Center’s Stress Management workshop will teach students how to identify their stress responses, reduce current stressful feelings, and avoid overwhelming stress in the future.

Suicide Awareness & Prevention
Date:  Monday,  April 28, 2008
Time:  3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
According to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among college students. Unfortunately, many college students don’t get the help they need because they don’t know that depression is a common yet treatable illness. The Truth About Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College will educate Towson University students, faculty, and staff about depression and about how members of the community can best seek help for themselves and/or friends who are depressed and/or suicidal. Additionally, the film will cover the warning signs of depression and “other problems associated with suicide, as they are commonly experienced by college students and other young adults.”

Coping with the Summer Break
Date:  Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Time:  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Place: University Union, Room 307
Are you going home for the summer break? Both saying goodbye to friends and returning home for summer can be difficult transitions.  Some students find it difficult re-adjusting to their households, and others may find themselves missing their college lifestyle. The Counseling Center’s Coping With Summer Break workshop will help students discuss ways of coping with their transition back home during this time. 

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