Thursday, January 21, 1993
New full-time psychologist
named in Advising Office
by Danette Parrett
Feature, Editor
With the onset with the 92-93
academic year, there was a lot of
changes to the faculty and staff.
One of those changes occurred
recently, at the beginning of this
semester, with the appointment
of a new full-time counselor.
Upon entering the Counseling
and Advising Office, one would
not expect to meet a psychologist
with cheery blue eyes and a light
hearted smile, who's previous
jobs have ranged from owning a
vegetarian restaurant to giving
guitar lessons.
However at Behrend, that's what
"It is truly a
success story.
It's about
making your
dreams come
true."
you will get when you meet Sue
Daley, the newly appointed, full
time, psychologist.
Daley came to the Erie area in
1975, when offered a position
with Family Crisis Intervention,
Inc., a job she found valuable,
but challenging.
"Family crisis is a very
stimulating place to work. I've
enjoyed it for many, many years.
Unfortunately it meant a lot of
getting in and out of emergency
vehicles, arriving on the scenes
of many difficult and
discouraging scenarios--battered
women, homicidal, suicidal
people."
"It is fast paced, unpredictable,
and a lot of variety kind of job.
You are never at a desk... The
secretary is sort of like a traffic
cop telling you where to go. I
had reached a point where I
wanted to stop getting in and out
of cars."
Daley arrived at Behrend as a
part-time counselor in 1985. She
feels a lot has changed because at
that point she wasn't seeing a lot
of students, and those she was
seeing were older.
Daley sees her work here calling
for different needs than that of
some of her past work.
"I've been doing a lot of crisis
intervention work. That is what
I do, but the work I'm doing here,
I am calling crisis prevention
work."
As far as improvements in the
position, Daley thinks Louanne
Barton, her predecessor, did a fine
job. Most of her adjustments
will come personally in adapting
Daly: a new face, some new ideas
Sue
to a different • • g 1•g• .• •n-1. • Lucy [from . . . :
atmosphere. the Peanuts comic strip], but I've "I think I've found a home with
"I think Louanne Barton, who thrown that all away. Someone being to asked to be the advisor
did this job for six years, did a suggested skull and crossbones of the gay, lesbian, bisexual
wonderful job. She had a would be more appropriate for group on campus...My hope is
different style than I do. I think
that has been a little tricky for
the administration."
Daley notes that she has been
working a lot of years alone and
now she has to adjust to being a
"team player." She hopes to be
available to faculty and staff so
they can talk to her about their
concerns.
"One problem I've seen a lot is
how to reach the commuter
students. One idea I'm working
on is developing a multi-media
lending library of video tapes
and/or audio tapes on different
topics ranging from how to raise
your self-esteem to how to get a
good night's rest. Hopefully in
the new library there will be a
section devoted to self help, so
students could take them out, like
you take out a book."
Another improvement Daley
would like to make would be in
the area of record keeping. She
has a new system she has
borrowed from her previous work
that she hopes will be as
successful at Behrend.
One area Daley is stressing is
getting students to be aware of
her role on campus.
"I'd like to advertise that I'm
here. One of the ways I plan to
do that is to invent my own
Features
me. So somewhere between
Lucy with a lemonade stand arj a
skull and crossbones Sue
Daley, and I will find Jut what
that is in the next few weeks."
A challenge for Daley is
changing from the image of a
Family Crisis counselor to that
of one located on a college or
university campus.
"Here [at Behrend] people are
not dealing with chronic
problems. [At Behrend] people
are still finding themselves."
Since Daley has arrived she
feels she has received a "warm,
warm, welcome."
"I've seen a lot of genuine
interaction with students, faculty,
and staff here. [A warm welcome]
helps me to see what was done
here and what I can improve on."
Daley hopes to look to other
members on staff for creative
program ideas.
"I'm going to do a lot of
networking with these great
folks, like Patty McMahon at the
Wellness Center has been a great
resource for me. I'd like to work
with Kathleen Turner, the theater
director, on innovative
programming for students."
Daley hopes to work with the
many groups forming on campus
in efforts to help them become
"Somewhere
between Lucy
and a lemonade
stand and a skull
and crossbones
is Sue Daley,
and I will. find
what that is in
the next few
weeks."
that they look at their
organization for serving different
purposes--educational, political,
social. So hopefully out of those
three areas, they will be able to
be a little more visible here and
there in the next thirteen sessions
that they have."
"There are other groups that are
surfacing. I understand there is
some interest in a sexually
abused [support group] forming.
So what I hope is to be an ally
for those kinds of efforts
originating in the students."
"I see myself as an ally with the
students efforts. instead of trying
to reinvent the wheel. It's always
best to hear what their needs are
directly from them."
There is definitely a need for a
full-time counselor on campus.
Daley saw over 90 students last
semester in a variety of different
topics.
"You name it, from A to Z.
Relationship violence, family
problems, divorce, depression,
procrastination, low self-esteem
and acceptance, eating disorders,
homesickness."
Daley explains the increase of
students she saw in 1985 to the
present on the change in society.
"There is now a lot of emphasis
on wellness in our society.
People are starting to see that
[counseling] might be a way out
of your problems. The more
people hear the message to quit
drinking and drugging as much,
the more they are going to to
start showing up at
[counseling]."
An interesting twist in Daley's
history is that she owned and
operated a vegetarian restaurant
from 1988-1991.
"I went to Edinboro for my
Master's degree and in an
interview with the professors,
they asked me where I'd like to be
in five years with my degree. I
told them I'd like to own my own
"Student affairs
concern Sue,
and that's what
makes her
exceptional."
out
vegetarian restaurant. One of
them looked at me and said,
We're going to make a
psychologist out of you yet Sue
Daley.'
"I graduated and started
scheming on how to own my
own restaurant. I had never been
in business in my life, but I
knew I wanted to give back to the
community. That was a way I
could do it."
Daley said her experience with
the restaurant was one of "sheer
joy."
"It is truly a success story. It's
about making your dreams come
true."
Daley efforts with the students
has been noteworthy. One
student had this to say about
Daley's appointment.
"It's not often that you find a
counselor who really cares about
the students. Student affairs
concern Sue, and that's what
makes her exceptional."
Daley has this final suggestion
for students:
"I would suggest that they
tackle the existential dilemma of
not allowing ourselves to be
ourselves."
Sue Daley is available in the
Counseling and Advising Office,
located on the first floor of the
Reed Union Building.
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