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Sherilyn Thomas is clinical assistant professor and director of the Psychological Services Center in the Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.
What services does the Psychological Services Center provide?
The Psychological Services Center (PSC) offers a broad array of psychological services, including counseling and therapy for individuals, couples, families and groups; psychological assessment and testing; and educational workshops focused on relaxation strategies and parenting skills.
What types of problems are treated at the center?
Some of our most commonly addressed concerns include depression, anxiety/panic, relationship difficulties, anger management, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, stress management, conflict resolution and self-esteem enhancement. Because of our commitment to training, we emphasize the use of the most up-to-date and effective treatments.
Are there therapies/treatments that you don't provide?
We do not offer treatment for severe alcoholism or substance dependence, severe eating disorders or unmedicated bipolar disorder or any psychotic disorders.
Are services available only to members of the UB community?
Our services are available to anyone in the entire Western New York and Southern Ontario region. Services are not limited to people associated with UB; however, we do offer special discount rates to UB employees and their immediate families.
Do you take insurance?
We do not accept insurance at the PSC. Instead, we offer a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. For UB employees and their immediate families, the maximum fee is $20 per session, which is substantially lower than the cost of most mental-health-insurance co-payments. We believe that not accepting insurance provides clients with both greater privacy and greater control over the length of treatment. The client and therapist decide together how long treatment should continue, rather than having an insurance company determine when services need to end.
The Psychological Services Center is part of the university's Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. How does that work? Are the therapists also students? Do clients take part in research studies?
The Psychological Services Center is the training clinic for the doctoral program in clinical psychology, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Thus, most of the therapists at the PSC are graduate student trainees, all of whom are closely supervised by Ph.D.-level psychologists on the faculty. Given that we are a university clinic, we do have research programs that are ongoing at the center. Participation in any research project, however, is completely voluntary. If there is an ongoing project that we believe our clients might be interested in, we will tell them about the study and let them decide whether to participate.
How do you know when to seek professional help when you have a problem?
Everyone has occasional "ups and downs" and feels stressed or anxious from time to time; however, if you find that these problems are occurring frequently, are lasting for more than a couple of weeks, or are interfering with your ability to enjoy life or to function at work or at home, it may be time to seek professional help.
The holidays can be a difficult time of year for many people. What are some simple things people can do to de-stress or cope with the pressures?
Often, people put undue pressure on themselves during the holidays by trying to live up to society's image of the "perfect" holiday or their own past holiday celebrations. It is important to set realistic goals for yourself with regard to demands on your time, energy and finances. Try to delegate responsibilities if you can, rather than taking them all on yourself. Take some time to relax and recharge, do pleasant activities and spend time with supportive people. Finally, remember that excessive alcohol use tends to increase symptoms of anxiety and depression, rather than reduce them.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
At the PSC, we treat our clients' privacy and confidentiality very seriously. We want our clients to feel assured that their treatment records and any personally identifying information are maintained in the strictest confidence. No information is shared with anyone other than the professional staff of the PSC without the written consent of the client. If you are interested in services at the PSC or would like more information, please call our main office at 645-3697 or visit our Web site at http://psychservices.buffalo.edu.