Counseling process starts today

As Northern Illinois University students, faculty and staff try to find their way back to normal next week, they won't be alone.

About 300 grief counselors, enough for every classroom, are expected to be on hand when studies resume Monday.

Today, staff are expected to return to the DeKalb campus, closed since a gunman opened fire in a lecture hall Thursday, killing five students and injuring 16.

Teachers and support staff will receive training in dealing with students' concerns from experts affiliated with the University of Arkansas and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech suffered a mass shooting in April 2007.

A memorial service is planned Sunday.

"There are just a thousand details to attend to, both to facilitate the healing process, acknowledge what happened and to move forward," university spokeswoman Melanie Magara said.

Those details include counseling for the entire university community and other memorial activities throughout the semester.

The university is doing the right thing by offering professional help, said Judith S. Tellerman, clinical professor of psychology at University of Illinois College of Medicine.

"It's not a sign of weakness," she said. "Handling it on your own, that's admirable, but it's also a good idea to get help."

Bonding or sharing grief with friends and classmates is very beneficial, Tellerman said.

But individuals who knew the victims, were at the crime scene or near it, or who have lived through violent episodes in the past, could be susceptible to posttraumatic stress disorder, she noted.

Symptoms can be manifested in flashbacks, jumpy or jittery feelings, nightmares, fears about returning to campus or feeling detached from others.

"Often, when you have posttraumatic stress disorder, you pull back," Tellerman said.

In such cases, it's a good plan to take advantage of the numerous counseling opportunities available on campus, she advised.

As the university works through its grief, it will be important to commemorate those who died both so they won't be forgotten and to offer closure, Tellerman said.

"You have to go back to normal. Show you care and mourn for those who died but life must go on," she said.

Information about post-traumatic stress disorder is available at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site at www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/information.