Although the NIU Psychological Services Center was once aimed more at students, in recent years it has started to serve DeKalb residents, according to the center’s director.

The PSC has been in existence for about 20 years, but only in the last few years has it started to serve a wide range of the DeKalb community in addition to the NIU students, PSC director Carol Yoken said.

At any one time, there may be 70 clients who take advantage of what the center has to offer. Last spring, 136 patients were treated, and roughly 50 percent of the clients were students, Yoken said.

Some of the programs offered at the PSC include sessions for individuals, families, relaxation methods, and stress management.

Yoken said stress is a common factor many students seek help for at the center.

Stress can be caused by a number of factors for college students, from the difficulty of being away from home, to the thought of finishing college and going out and getting a job.

Students are also faced with the decision of making their own choices, possibly for the first time in their life, which can also be very stressful, Yoken added.

Some ways to help relieve stress include exercise, socializing, and getting enough sleep, she said.

The center also counsels people on more serious problems like date rape, abortion and suicide, she said.

Yoken said there are two purposes to the program. “One is to provide training for the graduates, and the other is for the community,” she said. “We want to help the people to solve their own problems.”