Midway through the fall semester, students can face stress and anxiety brought about by midterms, research projects and class registration. To help students manage their mental health, McNeese Counselling Center organized a pet therapy day.

On Oct. 8, McNeese students and faculty had the opportunity to spend time with licensed therapy dogs brought by members of Dr. Dog’s Pet Therapy. The group came with a variety of canines and allowed people to pet and play with them for three hours. Susan Stanford, the team lead for Dr. Dog’s visit, said she was thrilled with the turnout and reaction they received.

“We love McNeese,” Stanford said. “Usually, we come about five times a year, but we will come any time McNeese asks us. This is one of our favorite places to come.”

The next time students and faculty can expect to see Dr. Dog’s Pet Therapy group on campus is Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. – noon.

Representatives from the therapy app Shmoody were also at the event to share information about the app’s features for managing mental health and building healthy habits.

Shmoody includes an audio toolkit, which can provide white noise or other peaceful sounds to assist students with studying, and action plans where students can create study schedules or test plans. The app also offers mood tracking and a virtual chatbot designed to let students vent and talk through their anxiety in real time.

The premium version of the app is free for all McNeese students, as the university has paid for all students to have access to the app.

Bradie Babin, a mass communication major with a focus in public relations, said students should sign up for the app.

“Students can sign up through the McNeese Counseling Services Facebook page,” Babin said. “We keep a lot of updates on that page, and we are planning lots of fun events.”

Click to access the McNeese Counseling Center Facebook and Instagram.

Click here to request premium access to Shmoody