International Student Orientation Welcome to NIU: Counseling & Consultation Services Welcome and introduce myself

International Student Orientation

TWO questions for you Take a few seconds to pause and take a deep breath Now please focus on these two questions: What is something you did to relax back home? What can you continue to do here? We encourage you to keep doing what know works for you as you make your transition to NIU and the USA! Thanks for paying attention to all the information you have already received today. We now want you to engage with us for a minute and give us some information!

Adjusting to new cultures Initial Adjustment: Become busier and find a circle of friends Acceptance & Integration: Develop stronger sense of self through intercultural interactions Honeymoon Phase: Everything is great! The W-Curve (Gullahorn & Gullahorn, 1963) HONEYMOON “I was so excited and looked forward to all that would be new and different.” “I was so busy getting everything done.” “The letters I received and the first people I met were pleasant and friendly.” CULTURE SHOCK “You are irritated by small things until suddenly, nothing is right!” “Things you could absorb at home become unabsorbable.” “I couldn’t understand myself. It was horrible.” INITIAL ADJUSTMENT “You start to find others with whom you feel comfortable.” “You get so busy with academic work it doesn’t matter so much that family is far away and you don’t have a full support system in place.” MENTAL ISOLATION “When we withdraw from the culture around us, we not only isolate ourselves from the local people, but from our own humanity as well.” “It is not so much a desire to be back home as a desire to feel at home in the new surroundings.” ACCEPTANCE & INTEGRATION “On a deeper level the process of coming to know another culture allows us to gradually become ourselves again.” “Living abroad presents us with a unique opportunity for self-discovery and, thereby, for self-improvement.” Culture Shock: Things don’t feel right! Mental Isolation: Want to FEEL at home

Counseling and Consultation Services 心理咨询与谘商中心 Individual Therapy Group Therapy Relaxation Room We create a safe CONFIDENTIAL space for students to sort through their concerns. Triage Crisis services

Counseling &consultation services Campus Life Building room 200 8:00am to 4:30pm Phone: 815-753-1206 We also do presentations and facilitate discussions We consult with students and staff -so you can call us if you are worried about a friend too! Friends bring friends too-support is so important! And that is what I am here to do today besides welcoming you and letting you know that we would be glad to be there for you!

Why go to counseling? Counseling can help with anything that is bothering you! Missing home or concerns about family back home Difficulty with courses Feeling tired or changes in behavior or mood Relationships Feeling disrespected or discriminated against Feeling confused or uncertain Difficulty making decisions Issues that are making it difficult to achieve goals

Therapy Dog Days! Connect with friendly, happy dogs. Second Mondays of every month, but not so in January 6:00 pm-7:15 pm in Stevenson North, Fishbowl Room

Ways to feel more at home here Connecting with others in your department, on campus and in the DeKalb community-Intercultural Café Join us for CHAI CHAT-It will happen this semester-please look for details in International Student Newsletter from ISFO You will see Chai Chat in International Student Newsletter which you should get via email-Please do open and read this newsletter as it has a lot of important information in it from ISFO for international students. JOIN US FOR WARM TEA & SNACKS & FUN CONVERSATION WITH OTHERS!

Contacts Shiraz Tata शिराज टाटा,Ph.D. Licensed psychologist, experiences of working with students for many years stata@niu.edu THE WHOLE CCS STAFF-WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING ALL STUDENTS. Please look up more information about CCS services and staff on the NIU website

Questions? During presentation or offer to answer right after by saying I will be in the back of the room to take any questions.