Syracuse University has expanded staffing in the Counseling Center as part of Invest Syracuse, a $100 million fundraising initiative to improve the university’s academics and student experience.

Two new staff therapists, Karin DeLeon and Danielle Jones, began working in mid-July and the beginning of August, respectively. Heather Cosgrove was hired as the center’s assistant director in mid-July. The three hires were funded by Invest Syracuse.

SU expected to hire an additional two staff therapists over the summer, according to an SU News release, but those hires have yet to be announced.

SU’s Counseling Center expanded its hours this spring to stay open for an additional two hours on Mondays and Thursdays, until 7 p.m. The university also opened a satellite center at 111 Waverly Ave., the same building as SU Health Services.

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The center also started offering two evening group therapy sessions on Mondays and Thursdays, one to help students with anxiety, and another called “Building Resilience,” to help students develop life skills.

DeLeon, one of the new staff therapists, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to joining SU, she worked as an advanced mental health resident in VCU’s Counseling Services. DeLeon has experience in individual and group therapy for sexual and domestic violence advocacy and crisis response.

She also previously worked as a researcher with VCU’s department of psychology and department of social and behavioral health.

Jones, the other staff therapist hired, is a 2016 graduate of the master of social work program in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Most recently she worked as a therapist at Syracuse-based Vera House Inc., an agency that aims to help survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

She also worked as a counselor with Le Moyne College’s Higher Education Preparation Program as a student therapist with SU’s Couple and Family Therapy Center.

Jones also has a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and spent a year in the AmeriCorps VISTA program at Fayetteville State University’s Office of College Access and Success Programs.

Cosgrove, who has started as assistant/training director of the counseling center, supervises graduate student trainees and behavioral health interns through partnerships with the College of Arts and Sciences, Falk College and the School of Education.

Before working at SU, Cosgrove worked as the assistant director and a staff psychologist at Hamilton College’s Counseling Center. During her time at Hamilton, she facilitated individual and group therapy, and launched a peer counseling program.

Cosgrove received a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University at Buffalo, after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Published on October 7, 2018 at 9:17 pm