Since March of 2019, Boston College has experienced the loss of four students students: Patrick Gregorek, MCAS ‘19; Alexander Urtula, MCAS ‘19; Saoirse Kennedy Hill, MCAS ‘20; and Patrick J. Walsh, WCAS ‘23. The Torch spoke with Campus Ministry and University Counseling Services (UCS) about their respective responses and grief services. We communicated with Rick Rossi, the Campus Minister for Pastoral Counseling, through email and we spoke directly with Dr. Emily Kates, Ph. D and Morgan Sorenson, Psy. D., both of whom are Clinicians in UCS.
UCS has organized a program titled “Coping with Collective Loss,” which is described as a “series of drop-in lunchtime conversations to process any feelings that you may have about these losses and explore ways to manage the impact for yourself and the BC community moving forward.” The sessions were held on September 3, 11, 19, and 27 at noon in Gasson 001. As of this article’s writing, the only remaining seminar will be on September 27.
The series distinguishes itself from group therapy and other UCS programs in its specific focus, intentions, and goals. Dr. Kates explained “there isn’t an ongoing dynamic” throughout the series, compared to continuous therapy groups composed of the same six to eight students over various meetings. Although “Coping with Collective Loss” and group therapy “could have overlapping parts,” the series was “intended to be conversations and not therapy.” Dr. Kates stated the series has been “well-received” and that “it’s more important to have the program out there than how many people come.”
Campus Ministry responded to the student deaths through direct outreach to each deceased student’s family, friends, and roommates on campus. Rick Rossi elaborated, “This involves communicating in person, over email, with cards, phone calls, attendance at wake and funeral services, and, as affected students might wish, individual meetings with any campus ministers and with me specifically.”
Additionally, Campus Ministry has served the faculty and staff. Rossi explained, “Last semester Caroline Davis, Craig Burns, and I collaborated to offer support and resources to faculty and staff in the wake of several of the students deaths at that time, and are discussing a similar initiative for this semester.”
Both departments offer continuing services both individually and cooperatively beyond the specific responses to student deaths. Rossi will continue to coordinate a grief support group through Campus Ministry called HOPE, described as “an opportunity for BC students to talk with other students who have experienced loss in their lives. The death of a friend or family member can be difficult, and HOPE reminds us that we don’t have to go through loss alone.” There are several HOPE groups per semester, and they will begin in October.
Further, Campus Ministry offers pastoral counseling and UCS offers individual counseling and psychotherapy, consultations, group therapy, psychiatric services, and referrals. Sorenson explained that, new as of last spring, UCS offers same-day consultations “where people can call on a first-come first-serve basis to come in and meet.”
Regarding the difference between pastoral counseling and UCS individual counseling, Rossi stated, “Pastoral counseling is simply a more particular form of standard counseling psychotherapy that accommodates a person’s desire to bring a particular faith perspective, or faith context, to the issues they want to address in therapy.”
UCS and Campus Ministry are collaborative in many of their programs. Rossi described their relationship as “cooperative,” and Dr. Kates spoke of past “co-facilitation” with Campus Ministry through grief groups and other services. Both Dr. Kates and Rossi spoke of upcoming future collaboration between Campus Ministry and UCS.
Featured image courtesy of Olivia Colombo
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