CWS | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State’s Counseling and Wellness Services have experienced a lot of change since the spring 2023 semester. Now, there are new staff members, including a new therapist and a new director.
CWS welcomes a new director
On Monday, Oct. 16, the new director, Barb Marsh, started working at CWS. Dr. Marsh and Dean of CHEH Jim Denniston will be the key representatives working alongside the JED Foundation to help improve mental health campus-wide.
Along with Denniston and Marsh, the mental health task force is working to improve mental health on campus.
A new therapist
On Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, Tom Rathbun started working for CWS. Rathbun attended Wright State for his undergraduate degree and his masters in recent years and worked for Wittenberg University prior to his position at Wright State. Rathbun has been licensed for a year now and is excited to see where this position will take him.
While Rathbun was not here for the majority of the changes, he recognizes that change can create difficulty, but it can also allow for new and potentially better things to take the place of the old. Rathbun wants to stress how important it is to take mental health seriously, especially for college-aged students.
Rathbun is passionate about helping students throughout college but especially during the transitional period between high school and college. Rathbun loves the community aspect that CWS has and the opportunity for growth at Wright State. Since he attended WSU recently, Rathbun understands what it is like to be a college student at Wright State.
One of Rathbun’s biggest goals is to make sure that everyone is aware of CWS and everything that they offer. Rathbun also wants to focus on ensuring that students who normally would not feel comfortable speaking to a therapist can recognize friendly faces from tabling events and be more willing to seek out CWS, knowing there is someone familiar they can speak with.
“One thing that I have learned throughout my life and doing this work: we need each other,” Rathbun stated.
General changes
Although there was never a complete lapse in services, a few resources had been temporarily discontinued during the staff changes. Dr. Huma Bashir, a co-director of CWS, reported that all services—aside from the assessment services—have been resumed, including individual and group therapy sessions. There are currently two group sessions running: one on mindfulness and one on coping strategies for anxiety.
One major change to CWS is the physical structure of the offices. The area is now more inviting and relaxed, offering more comfort to students. Dr. Bashir and Dr. Josh Francis have worked hard to ensure that there is a more inviting and diversified culture within CWS. In addition, CWS is looking into offering opportunities for learning about more professions within the College of Health, Education and Human Services.
“We have worked on a positive transition, so this way our students are taken care of,” Bashir said.
