Marshall University’s psychology department will offer two support/therapy groups beginning later this month.
One of the groups, which is for parents of school-aged children who have been diagnosed with a specific learning disability or Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), will begin Wednesday, March 18, at a time to be determined.
Sessions will be led by Marshall Higher Education for Learning Problems (H.E.L.P.) center staff members Elijah Wise, M.A., and Meg Stone, M.A., who will lead discussions on issues ranging from the basics of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), steps for pursuing and completing psycho-education testing, finding community resources and navigating the range of treatment options from behavior plans and medications.
“We hope that this group provides parents an opportunity to share their concerns and experiences with one another,” Wise said. Stone added, “Our intention is for this to be both an informative and therapeutic experience.”
The group will run once a week for eight weeks. Interested parents should contact Stone or Wise via e-mail at stone121@marshall.edu or wise31@marshall.edu, respectively.
Another group, which is for couples, will focus on preventative strategies.
“We’re looking for couples who are taking the ‘next step’ in their relationship,” said Cory Wilks, one of the group leaders. “Whether you’re newly married or planning on getting married, newly moved in together or planning on moving in together, newly engaged or planning on being engaged, or if you’re experiencing other types of ‘growing pains’ most relationships go through, this group can help with the adjustment.”
Kellee Boster, the other group leader, said, “Prevention is the best treatment, so by focusing on preventing problems from occurring in the first place, couples will be able to enjoy their relationships more rather than focusing on relationship problems.”
The start date of the group is expected to be soon and the scheduling of the once-a-week meetings will be determined based on the availability of those interested in joining. Those interested in participating should send an e-mail as soon as possible to wilksc@marshall.edu.
