Eastern’s Counseling Clinic canceled and rescheduled students’ appointments because of EIU-UPI’s strike.

Jessica Colbert, the associate director of the Counseling Clinic, said all four of the full-time counselors are striking with UPI, leaving eight other trained people to continue care.

Colbert said she is trying to remain optimistic with the situation and hopes the strike will only last a few days.

Corey Cunningham, one of the Clinic’s full-time counselors said it was a difficult decision to go on strike leaving the Clinic.

She said leaving her students is bittersweet because they are such a high priority for them, but they have to balance their needs in order to do their job well.

“In order to have quality counselors, we gotta be able to have a fair contract,” Cunningham said.

Drea Dills, a sophomore human services major, utilizes the clinic and although she has had to cancel an appointment, she put aside her problem to stand and support the picketing counseling staff.

“They get us through it someway, somehow, like no matter what horrible things that happen to us, they support us,” Dills said. “So we should be here to support them, because without them where do [students] end up?”

While she is not currently receiving help from the clinic, she ,along with others, have found comfort in other on-campus resources like Campus Ministry.

Colbert said she regularly sees around 10 clients and has canceled and rescheduled appointments to free up her time to help facilitate walk-in situations.

The clinic has had around 458 student contacts this semester, this number includes phone call check-ins, consultations, crisis appointments, call-in concerns from staff members and regular counseling appointments.

Around 225 students are active clients within the clinic, but not all of the students have had appointments rescheduled, according to Colbert.

Almost every student who has requested to speak with someone has at least had an initial appointment to be linked with a counselor, resources and or skills.

Dills said she adores her counselor and if it means missing a few appointments in order for her counselor to get what they need in order to continue working, she will miss a few appointments.

“Not only are our counselors there for us, they remember us, they know what we’re going through,” Dills said. “ I feel like the least we can do is be there for them when they need us.”

Several students who do not utilize the clinic like Jonathan Coffin, a sophomore Spanish and Hispanic studies major, said the strike has heightened anxiety levels.

“I feel a lot more anxious about how the semester will end,” Coffin said. “I also feel anxious and disheartened because I care a lot about my professors and I hate to see them exploited the way they are.”

Anna Snyder, a freshman nursing major, said the strike has not affected her mental health much but has several friends who have counseling sessions and rely on the staff at the clinic.

Snyder said although there are fewer staff members, she feels it is important for the center to remain available to students.

For some faculty on the picket line they said the strike could negatively impact potential counselors who could work at Eastern.

Christiana Harkulich, an instructor in the theater department, said if Eastern paid their staff a fair wage, it would encourage more counselors to come to and stay on campus.

Rob Le Cates is a sophomore journalism major and can be reached at 581-2812.