Students may be surprised to learn that the NIU Counseling and Student Development Center offers many services to students other than counseling.

Dr. Barbara Zuber, a psychologist at the center, said many students do not utilize the programs because they are not aware of them.

Student Organization Against Rape (SOAR) is a sexual assault program in its second year. Workshops are offered at no charge. These workshops deal with subjects such as sex and acquaintance rape. A three-credit course is offered and taught by Zuber, who then uses these students to help direct the workshops.

The number of workshops held each week varies according to how many requests Zuber receives. Requests come from places such as fraternities, sororities and dorms. Zuber also holds the workshops at area high schools but said they are mainly for NIU students.

Learning Assistance Study Skills Lab (LASSL) is another program offered to students. LAASL holds workshops for students who need improvement in such areas as study skills, note and test taking and time management. “It is more educational in nature than the other programs,” Zuber said.

The Career Resource Center is open to students to help them make decisions about their major and career goals. Zuber recommends students not wait until people have problems with their major to come in, but to utilize the center before the problem occurs.

“It is important to be proactive, and don’t use the center when you get the problem, but come to us before there is anything wrong,” Zuber said. She said she feels this thinking should be applied to any of the programs the center has to offer.

In addition to these services, the center offers individual and group therapy and psychological educational workshops that deal with such topics as coping with trauma, racism and homophobia.

Zuber said most students come in for individual therapy, but after the first session the counselor and student make a decision about what kind of therapy will best fill their needs.

“Even though most students would like individual therapy, there are issues best served in group therapy such as relationships and intimacy,” Zuber said.

The most common problems people come in with are related to self-esteem, depression, relationships and anxiety, according to Zuber.

All services offered are free to NIU students. The center is in room 220 in Swen Parson. For more information call 753-1206.