Boulder, CO, April 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the COVID-19 crisis, many local therapists and organizations are waiving fees, offering free online support groups, or having people pay what they can. Naropa University's low-income community mental health clinic, Naropa Community Counseling (NCC), was amongst the first to do so. Naropa began this service in response to the overwhelming economic and emotional needs in the Front Range community.

Although social distancing dictates that all services have moved online, NCC's clients have expressed this online format is the only way that they would be able to continue therapy, and that the fear and anxiety that is so palpable currently is easier to bear because of their continued therapeutic support. Clients have also expressed appreciation for this flexibility, stating that they have lost jobs and are worried about paying bills and buying food. 

Sofia Drobinskaya is a student-intern at the counseling center, completing her final year of a master’s degree in Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology. She said, “Being able to move services online so quickly gives me confidence that I can continue to safely offer necessary support to my clients who are struggling. Teletherapy has never experienced such rapid growth. In the future, it might help individuals that can not see therapists in person to get easier access to therapy via the internet.”

Joy Redstone, Director of Naropa Community Counseling, states "One of the things I love and appreciate about Naropa is our commitment to compassion. This pandemic is changing every aspect of our lives and causing widespread suffering for so many people in our world right now. I feel lucky to work somewhere where the values are put in practical action in order to help care for the hearts and minds of our neighbors and friends."

Ordinarily, the center charges $30 for a session or can bill Medicaid. The dedicated students that staff this clinic mobilized in under a week to move all services to telehealth and have generated a resource list for their clients in economic crisis that is also accessible to the public. 

Naropa Community Counseling is located at 3400 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, and is open Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. You can schedule an appointment by phone at 303-546-3589 or at counselingclinic@naropa.edu.

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Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a private, liberal arts institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Naropa University has been recognized as the birthplace of the modern mindfulness movement and is a leader in contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that integrates Eastern wisdom traditions and traditional Western scholarship. Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. 

Naropa Community Counseling integrates contemplative approaches with modern clinical practice to assist our clients in reaching their highest level of emotional and mental well-being. We provide cutting edge, transformative intervention across a broad range of therapeutic services. Naropa Community Counseling serves Boulder and Front Range residents with low to moderate income, with sliding scale services from $30–90. We also accept Medicaid.

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