In the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting more than a week ago, there’s been an increased demand for counseling services at the University of Nevada, Reno. KUNR’s Anh Gray reports.
Marcia Cooper is the clinical case manager at UNR’s counseling services and says the tragedy hit close to home.
“Many of our students are from the Las Vegas area or they know people who live in Las Vegas, they have some kind of connection to there, plus this is our state, this is who we are," Cooper explains. "We’re Nevada, so I think this situation is a little bit different.”
Savanna Chasco, a 20-year old UNR student who was at Route 91 Harvest country music festival is recovering from gunshot wounds. And a fifth of the student body hails from the Vegas area.
“The first reaction is often times just shock, and being able to process and understand what’s going on. There’s no answer for a lot of the things that people are feeling right now," Cooper says. "They want to know why and we don’t have that answer so a lot of our work right now is just sitting with the client and being there for them and allowing them to experience their grief and their shock.”
Cooper says more drop-in grief sessions will be offered on campus and students needing help are encouraged to come in during walk-in hours or call for an appointment.
To get more information about UNR counseling services, go online to www.unr.edu/counseling.
