Mental Health and Wellness Services

How We Help
We provide main campus students with an opportunity to explore their problems and concerns confidentially with a professional psychotherapist. Main Campus students have access to psychiatric services through the Center as well. We provide individual, couples and group services. Outreach is also available to student organizations, residence halls, faculty and staff.

If you’re concerned about a student, contact us by phone or in person. Off-campus referral information is available upon request.

Our Mission
The mission of Mental Health and Wellness Services is to provide professional counseling services and wellness resources to students so they can achieve their full potential in their personal, academic, and professional lives. Mental Health and Wellness Services provides outreach programs and consultation services to students, faculty, and staff, as well as classroom instruction and advocacy for university mental health initiatives.

Renée Pitre, Ph.D., RDT/BCT, LPC 
Director of Mental Health and Wellness Services
B.A., University of Alberta; M.A., Concordia University; Ph.D., Lesley University
[email protected]
Dr. Pitre has 15 years of clinical experience in delivering trauma-centered psychotherapy and drama therapy to children, adolescents, and adults in clinics, communities, and classrooms. She has taught clinical supervision and trained therapists nationally and internationally. She has also served as an adjunct faculty in numerous university settings. Dr. Pitre is passionate about the opportunity for collaboration that counseling provides, especially during the expansive time that college offers.

Catrina Derby, M.S., LPCA
Mental Health and Wellness Counselor
[email protected]
Catrina, also known as Trini, brings a caring, empathetic, and insightful approach to mental health and wellness programing at Post University. Trini earned her master’s in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University; and continued post-graduate studies in Mindfulness Meditation focusing on awareness and compassion practices through the greater good science center at the University of California, Berkeley. Trini is committed to creating space that provides an integrative experience that includes multimodal expression that goes beyond words using sound, movement, storytelling, and silence to heal, grow, and thrive.

Steven Hosking, MA., LPC
Mental Health and Wellness Counselor
[email protected]
Steven brings a creative, playful, and unique approach to our mental health and wellness programming at Post University. Steven earned his Master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy & Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University; a Bachelors in Drama & Musical Theater from Syracuse University; and has continued post-graduate studies in drama therapy and therapeutic music making. With over 10 years of experience within educational and community-based settings, Steven thrives when creating a safe, nurturing, and empowering space that allow his clients’ emotions and authentic selves to be heard, felt, and shared. Steven works from a strengths-based, humanistic, and interdisciplinary framework, while actively weaving holistic practices such as mindfulness, yoga, nature awareness, creative expression (visual arts, music, movement, writing, theater), into his work with students, staff, and on campus..

George Hayes, LCSW, LADC
Counselor
B.S. and M.S.W., Springfield College
[email protected]
George has been working with Post students since 2007, and he enjoys connecting with students who randomly stop by the Center for Mental Health and Wellness.

Dr. Robert McWilliam  
B.A., M.D., University of Vermont
Dr. McWilliam provides psychiatric services in his Woodbury, CT office, just a short drive from campus. Psychiatric appointments may be arranged with your counselor.

MHWS also hosts numerous interns throughout the year who are educated in Athletic Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapies, Mental Health Counseling, and more.

Post cares about your well-being and success. The defining tenet of Post is to make your journey personal and extraordinary.  Student Online Assistance Resource (SOAR), provides 24/7 access to several important services, including counseling, financial resources, legal support, and personal convenience services. SOAR is the result of a partnership with http://www.compsych.com/, the world’s largest employee assistance program provider. With over 35 years of experience in the field, ComPsych provides services to more than 56,000 organizations, including many major universities, throughout the United States and 190 countries.

Student Online Assistance Resource (SOAR) services include the following:

• Counseling Services – Crisis calls and up to three confidential counseling sessions per issue per year to address personal, emotional, and psychological concerns by contacting licensed, professional counselors.
• Financial Resources – On-staff Certified Public Accountants stand ready to assist you with financial planning, debt resolution, tax guidance, and more.
• Legal Support – Unlimited access to “on-call” licensed attorneys to provide legal guidance on matters such as divorce, custody, adoption, home purchase or sale, will preparation, and more.
• Personal Convenience Services – Specialists are available to provide qualified referrals for child and elder care, pet care, food and housing needs, college planning, buying a car, and more.   

This service, at no extra charge, is confidential and available to family members living within the same household as a Post student.

To access SOAR, go to https://post.edu/soar.

First-time users will need to register and will need a Post Web ID. To obtain the SOAR Post Web ID students can login to the Student Portal.

Also Post faculty and associates can also utilize SOAR as a professional and confidential resource for consultation. For further information, please refer to “Instructor Resources” on Blackboard or The Nest.

YOU@Post is a user-friendly platform that takes a holistic approach to student wellness and success. It links you to hundreds of multi-media, self-help resources as well as on campus resources. In addition to searching for different topics, you are able to set up a profile, set goals, log achievements toward your goals, and take “self checks” to personalize your feed.

Go to You@Post now >>

Students are often unsure or nervous about seeking counseling, but many of them find the experience to be productive, positive, and beneficial.  Here are a few anonymous student comments:

“I thought it was very good. I have been going through a tough semester and my counselor has been really helpful to me. I look forward to each session.”

“My counselor is very personable and understanding. I don’t feel judged during our session, which is important to me, and it allows me to open up.”

“Always nice, helpful, friendly, kind, and confidential.”

“I am senior here, and the Mental Health and Wellness Services has always been a help for me.”