Embedded Therapist Services: CVM

Meet Genel

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CAPS counselor Genel Gronkowski provides counseling, consultation, and workshops to College of Veterinary Medicine students on site at CVM. Learn more:

For College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) students

College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) students can now access Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) support on site at CVM.

CVM is the pilot location for Cornell Health's embedded therapist services, in which ongoing mental health support is provided from “satellite” offices located within the academic colleges. Learn more about the embedded therapist pilot at CVM. 

Embedded therapist services at CVM are ...

  • offered by CAPS counselor Genel Gronkowski 
  • provided on site at CVM (see specific locations below)
  • available to CVM students only (post docs, research associates, and house officers may access the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) and eni Counseling services for mental health needs)
  • designed to supplement Cornell Health's full breadth of services: CVM students can also access group counseling, individual counseling with other therapists, and additional Let's Talk hours and workshops offered by CAPS (see all CAPS services)

Services include:

Office Hours

Students, staff, and faculty members are invited to stop by during Genel's office hours to discuss CAPS and campus resources, how to get support, and how to support a student. 

Wednesdays, 3:00 - 4:00 pm:

"Let's Talk" drop-in consultation

Let’s Talk is a drop-in service that allows students to consult informally with a Cornell Health counselor without an appointment. Consultations are offered first-come, first-served, and are typically about 20-25 minutes in length. Note that Let's Talk is not a substitute for counseling, and not appropriate for urgent concerns or mental health emergencies. Learn more about Let's Talk. 

CVM students are invited to consult with Genel during her Let's Talk hours, listed below. Students may also access other Let's Talk hours, locations, and providers listed on our Let's Talk page. 

Friday, April 19, 3:00 - 4:30 pm:

Monday, May 6, 10:00 - 11:30 am:

*Please join the virtual waiting room and Genel will be with you as soon as she is able. 

Individual counseling 

Genel provides single-session therapy and short-term individual counseling from her office in Shurman Hall (room S2-016).

Students wishing to schedule a counseling appointment with Genel should first schedule a CAPS access appointment. During this free 25-minute appointment, you can discuss your concerns with an access counselor, and request a counseling appointment with Genel. 

To schedule an access appointment: 

  • Log in to myCornellHealth using your Cornell NetID and password, and select "Appointments"
  • Or call Cornell Health during business hours to speak with a scheduler: 607-255-5155 

Follow-up counseling appointments may be scheduled with Genel directly, or by calling 607-255-5155.

CVM students may also schedule counseling appointments with other Cornell Health therapists. Learn more on our Individual Counseling page. 

Drop-in group consultation

Anxiety Hour: Drop-in Anxiety Skill Support

  • Tuesday, April 9 at 12:00 pm, Hagan, Veterinary Education Center
  • Thursday, April 11 at 12:00 pm, Classroom 7, Veterinary Education Center
  • Tuesday, April 23 at 12:00 pm, Hagan, Veterinary Education Center
  • Thursday, April 25 at 12:00 pm, Classroom 7, Veterinary Education Center

Anxiety Hour: Drop-in Anxiety Skill Support is a group consultation hour taking place weekly in April. Students are invited to bring their lunch, bring a friend—or come alone—for a relaxed, casual environment with no pressure or expectation to share personal details. The group leader will facilitate conversation on trouble-shooting anxiety and stress management during busy schedules; share tips and techniques to skillfully manage racing thoughts, fear of failure, and imposter syndrome; and help students make personalized de-stress plans to enhance wellness.

Facilitated by Genel Gronkowski, MA 

Hacking Your Life for Finals, featuring Travis Winter

  • Tuesday, April 16 at 12:00 pm, Hagan, Veterinary Education Center
  • Thursday, April 18 at 12:00 pm, Classroom 7, Veterinary Education Center

This special version of Anxiety Hour: Drop-in Anxiety Skill Support features a presentation co-led by Travis Winter on Hacking your Life For Finals! With the end of the semester just around the corner, this presentation will help equip students with new skills and techniques to skillfully navigate the challenges of increased anxiety and stress as finals approach.

Facilitated by Genel Gronkowski, MA and Travis Winter, LCSW-R

Workshops 

Personal Pet Loss in our Professional Lives

Monday, May 6:

Loving and losing an animal companion can be a difficult emotional experience to manage in a professional setting. In this workshop, participants will learn to name and identity complicated feelings associated with pet loss, center self-compassion on difficult days, develop a grief tool box, and learn to navigate conversations and boundaries surrounding loss in work and school settings.

Narcan Training featuring Tracey M. Denardo & Officer Robinson of CUPD

Tuesday, May 7:

  • In person: 12:00-1:00 pm, Classroom 6, Veterinary Education Center 

Developing an Effective Internal Coach featuring Dr. Cory Myler

Tuesday, May 14:

  • In person: 12:00-1:00 pm, Centennial Room, S2 120, Veterinary Education Center

Do you have a sense that some of the strategies that used to help with productivity and goal-attainment are no longer working as well?  As our level of achievement rises, it's often necessary to "update" our internal coach with more effective motivational strategies, including at the emotional level.  This workshop will focus on developing an effective self-coaching approach, one that has been found to help improve the performance of elite athletes by developing internal motivation that is "more for the love of self-improvement rather than fear of self-criticism."
https://www.thetrueathleteproject.org/blog/self-compassion-for-athletes

Learn more about ...

The embedded therapist pilot at CVM

Why is CAPS piloting the embedded therapist model at CVM?

The CVM has a relatively small student body, their students have historically demonstrated a greater utilization of CAPS services, and the CVM was able to identify the necessary funding and staffing to support this initial exploration of the embedded therapist position. Data from this initial site will be useful in supporting other sites across campus.

Where will it be located?

The new embedded therapist, Genel Gronkowski, has an on-site office in Schurman Hall.

Will the hours be the same as at Cornell Health? 

For the most part, however, given the unique schedules of some CVM students, there may be slight variation. This is another example of how an embedded therapist may be better able to meet the unique needs of the students within their college. 

What types of services will be offered at the new site?

Genel Gronkowski will provide individual counseling services, as well as some psychoeducational programming, advisement for faculty and senior administration on emerging mental health issues and academic integration.

Who does the embedded therapist report to?

The embedded therapist will have a solid-line reporting relationship to CAPS assistant director Eve Abrams. 

How will students make an appointment with the embedded therapist?

Students wishing to schedule an appointment with Genel Gronkowski would follow the same procedure as any student seeking CAPS counseling services and request a CAPS access appointment. At that appointment, the student may request the embedded counselor.

Does the embedded therapist support post docs, research associates, or house officers?

No. Those populations would continue to utilize the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) and eni Counseling services for their mental health needs.

How will this role consult with CVM faculty and staff within the new site?

The embedded therapist may field questions from faculty and staff or proactively serve as a guide when emerging mental health trends surface. Faculty and staff may also reach out to the embedded therapist to request expertise as it relates to communicating mental health information and/or services to students. The embedded therapist will also partner with some staff and faculty to create and deliver psychoeducational programming, as well as partner on annual events such as orientation or other academic transitions.  

What happens when the embedded therapist’s capacity is reached, or students would prefer a different therapist?

If capacity is reached, or if the embedded therapist’s schedule can not accommodate a student’s needs, that student would be directed to a different CAPS counselor during their CAPS access appointment. Students may also request to see a different CAPS counselor at any time during their access appointment or by calling CAPS at 607-255-5155.