self help: Self-help workshops to focus on safe-sex practices, relationships

Dwan Brumfield Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: News The Professional Counseling Center will begin offering self-help workshops for male and female students next week. Participants will be able to talk openly and learn about a variety of issues surrounding safe-sex practices and maintaining emotionally healthy relationships. The men's workshop will be led by Dr. William Price Curtis, director of the Professional Counseling Center, every Monday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 11.The women's workshop will be co-facilitated by Dr. Yvonne Montgomery, a licensed professional counselor and professor of psychology, and Neniva Haysbert, a Langston University student who has a degree in psychology and will be receiving her master's in rehabilitation counseling this spring. Their meetings will be held every Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 13. This is the second year the self-help workshops have been offered. The groups will first learn about safe-sex practices to prevent illnesses such as HIV. Price Curtis feels that educating students on the HIV virus is important in light of the HIV crisis in this country and particularly in the African-American community. "The very first thing we do is make sure the participants have good authoritative information about the virus," he said. Price Curtis will cover how HIV is contracted, how it is not contracted, the importance of testing, and what the results mean. Students will also learn how to protect themselves from sexual diseases, which include strategies such as only being involved in monogamous relationships and practicing abstinence. Curtis says there is a lot of abuse going on in relationships today, both physical and psychological; this is one of the reasons why he wanted the workshops to focus on relationships as well as safe-sex practices. Last year's workshop participants appreciated being able to talk candidly about their love lives. "They are struggling with how to establish safe, meaningful, nurturing and affirming relationships," Price Curtis said. Dwan Brumfield Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: News PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 2 next > The Professional Counseling Center will begin offering self-help workshops for male and female students next week. Participants will be able to talk openly and learn about a variety of issues surrounding safe-sex practices and maintaining emotionally healthy relationships. The men's workshop will be led by Dr. William Price Curtis, director of the Professional Counseling Center, every Monday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 11.The women's workshop will be co-facilitated by Dr. Yvonne Montgomery, a licensed professional counselor and professor of psychology, and Neniva Haysbert, a Langston University student who has a degree in psychology and will be receiving her master's in rehabilitation counseling this spring. Their meetings will be held every Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 13. This is the second year the self-help workshops have been offered. The groups will first learn about safe-sex practices to prevent illnesses such as HIV. Price Curtis feels that educating students on the HIV virus is important in light of the HIV crisis in this country and particularly in the African-American community. "The very first thing we do is make sure the participants have good authoritative information about the virus," he said. Price Curtis will cover how HIV is contracted, how it is not contracted, the importance of testing, and what the results mean. Students will also learn how to protect themselves from sexual diseases, which include strategies such as only being involved in monogamous relationships and practicing abstinence. Curtis says there is a lot of abuse going on in relationships today, both physical and psychological; this is one of the reasons why he wanted the workshops to focus on relationships as well as safe-sex practices. Last year's workshop participants appreciated being able to talk candidly about their love lives. "They are struggling with how to establish safe, meaningful, nurturing and affirming relationships," Price Curtis said.