After a national search that began this summer, the Psychological Counseling Center (PCC) at SUNY New Paltz is pleased to introduce two new Senior Counselors who began serving our students in October: Atalia Lyte and Brenden Garcia ’14 (Psychology) ‘17g (Mental Health Counseling).
This expansion of our counseling staff will enable the PCC to see more students, resume a series of group therapy options, and increase outreach, prevention and intervention to affinity groups and residence halls.
By way of introduction, the new counselors each shared a few words about their enthusiasm in joining the New Paltz campus community to work with our students:
Atalia Lyte
“I received my BA in psychology and MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marist College. A lot of my experience is with acute & chronic mental health struggles. I’m coming to the Psychological Counseling Center from Health Alliance Hospital’s Mental Health Services, where I worked in the Adult Inpatient unit and the Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program.
“I am excited to work at New Paltz because I know college can be an overwhelming time and I think it’s a privilege to be able to be a part of a student’s growth and exploration of themselves! I hope to help students recognize their strengths and realize that even when things are tough there are always reasons to smile!”
Brenden Garcia
“I received my M.S. degree in Mental Health Counseling at SUNY New Paltz in 2017 and served as the Coordinator of OASIS/Haven, the campus hotline and walk-in center. For the past four years, I have worked at Family Services in Poughkeepsie, providing counseling services to the Dutchess County community.
“I am excited to provide support to the New Paltz student body – helping students achieve their academic and personal goals, as well as increasing access to and engagement in mental health services.”
More information about the Psychological Counseling Center at SUNY New Paltz can be found here.
