Throughout November, the College of Psychology will host free Shark Chat webinars via Zoom. The webinars will include topics like “Careers in Psychology and Counseling,” which will provide insight on how to get into the field of Psychology, and “We Can Do Hard Things Part 2: Conversations with Kids,” which will offer parents advice on how to have open, honest and productive conversations with their children. These sessions are open to the public and will also be recorded for people to watch at their convenience.
Shark Chats are live discussions that highlight NSU’s faculty and their expertise in a variety of areas. They cover a wide range of topics from Psychology to parenting advice. The College of Psychology has hosted Shark Chats since 2014, using them as an opportunity to give back to NSU’s stakeholders by sharing fact-driven advice.
“Shark Chats raise the profile of NSU as a community-based university. We believe it’s important to give back by providing information to our stakeholders. It’s also about making sure we provide empirically based information on our topics. We don’t want to say, ‘If I were you, this is what I would do.’ Instead, we say, ‘Here’s the situation and this is what we would encourage you to do based on evidence, research and literature,’” said Gregory Gayle, the director of admissions and recruitment for the College of Psychology.
Many Shark Chats revolve around mental health, as the College of Psychology feels these are important discussions to have, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mental health is still a stigma. When you’re hurt, you go to a doctor. When your car is having problems, you go to a mechanic. But if you’re not feeling well, there’s a hesitancy to go to therapy. For many individuals, it’s a sign of weakness. Sharks Chats are a way for us to tackle that stigma. People are not alone,” said Gayle.
The College of Psychology is home to 15 mental health specialty clinics that serve members in the tri-county area commun and beyond. It’s also home to two undergraduate degrees in psychology and neuroscience, and four master’s degrees in counseling, experimental psychology, forensic psychology and general psychology. Additionally, it has a specialist degree in school psychology and three doctoral degrees in clinical and school psychology.
“This is what we do. We want to educate individuals on the topic of mental health, as well as provide avenues for people to get help,” said Gayle.
To attend upcoming Shark Chats and view previous ones, visit www.nova.edu/sharkchats. Additionally, if there is a topic you would like to see covered in a Shark Chat, you can reach out to Gregory Gayle at ggayle1@nova.edu.
