Counseling after a crisis.

WHEN DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF a crisis on campus, the modern instinct is to bring an army of therapists in to counsel the survivors, but that might not be necessary. "The human psyche is very resilient," says Ian Birky, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Lehigh University (Pa.). Birky was among the 200 counselors and medical professionals who traveled to Virginia Tech in April. He explains that people directly involved in the shootings might suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress and require counseling, but the fears of other people on campus will be based on what could have happened and can well be dealt with by speaking to friends and family.

"We tried not to overreact," he says. "We wanted to acknowledge [the shootings] happened and make counseling available." Birky spent most of the time validating the students' emotions and recommending they visit the campus counseling center, but very few felt they needed to go. The visiting counselors' goal was to offer a compassionate response to students "that links them back into the community that cares about them," he says.

As for the new school year, Birky theorizes that "body memory"--the ability to adapt to day-to-day life--wilt take over and help the students readjust quickly, although they might be affected by the anxiety of parents or professors. For the few that will have anxiety returning to campus, Birky suggests they will have probably worked with therapists over the summer and will have coping mechanisms in place.