About Personal Counseling and the Career Development Center

Personal counseling services are offered through three departments: Personal Counseling and Testing Services, the Career Development Center, and the Life Work Center, located on our Minneapolis campus. All three departments are part of the Division of Student Affairs. The Life Work Center is located on the first floor of Terrence Murphy Hall in Minneapolis, and both Personal Counseling and Testing and the Career Development Center are located on the third floor of Murray Herrick Campus Center in St. Paul.

Personal Counseling and Testing Services and the Career Development Center provide psychological and assessment services to undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff. The Career Development Center offers individual counseling, seminars and a variety of resources to assist in the following areas: vocational testing and self assessment; career choice and change; major choice and change; work adjustment concerns; internship opportunities; interviewing; resume and job search skills development; on-campus interviews; full-time, part time and summer job listings; information on specific careers and employers; and job/career fairs. A job search support group is offered to graduating seniors each summer.

The focus of Personal Counseling and Testing is to provide individual and group psychotherapy to students, staff, and faculty on personal issues to aid in the resolution of personal problems and crises. Personal Counseling also provides outreach services to the college community on a variety of issues pertinent to personal growth and development. These outreach services include workshops, presentations, seminars and consultation services. Individuals come to us with concerns such as: relationship issues; family problems; feelings of depression; difficulties with procrastination; low motivation; anxiety; eating disorders; problems with alcohol or drugs; issues of self esteem ; sexuality issues; values clarification; and stress and time management.

Another service of the PCT office is to provide personality testing to individuals and group test interpretations as requested. Visit the Core Competency page for a list of assessments.

Visit the Personal Counseling or the Career Development Center Web sites.

Training Staff

Sarah K. Armstrong, M.B.A., Psy.D., L.P.
Director of Training / Group Coordinator
(Clinical Psychology, Minnesota School of Professional Psychology, 1994)

Sarah combines psychology with her teaching and business background to provide an educational and solution-focused approach to counseling. Her style is integrative, influenced by humanistic, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, family systems and narrative theories. Sarah's professional interests include psychology education and training, multiculturalism, existential and vocational concerns, and the use of spirituality and mindfulness practices in therapy. Personal interests include traveling anywhere warm with her family, mystery novels, yoga, and golf.

Timothy J. Beyer, Ph.D, L.P.
Life/Work Center Staff Psychologist
(Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 1999)

Tim sees graduate students for personal counseling in the Life/Work Center on the Minneapolis Campus of UST. He also does outreach and consultation for the UST Minneapolis Community. Tim uses an affirming, empathic, and engaged approach to work collaboratively with students to identify their personal counseling goals. He strives to create a safe place for students to do the emotional work that is essential for healing and change. Tim is trained in providing EMDR to use as an intervention for those who have experienced trauma. When not working with people he enjoys spending time with and caring for two terriers.

Debra Broderick, Psy.D., L.P.
Psychologist
(Counseling Psychology, University of St. Thomas, 2005)

Deb integrates developmental, psychodynamic, and cognitive-behavioral theory in her approach to counseling. her professional interests include eating disorders, grief and loss, childhood sexual abuse or trauma, meaning-making, sexual identity development, and clinical supervision. She also maintains a small private practice in St. Paul. Deb lives in St. Paul where she is thoroughly entertained by spending time with her partner, golfing, vacationing, reading novels, and planning house projects that are unlikely to ever happen. 

Diane Crist, M.S.E.
Director of Career Services
(Guidance and Counseling, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 1982)

Diane's counseling style is varied with a client-centered focus. All aspects of career development continue to fascinate and inspire her after 20 plus years in the field. Her best instructors in the field were her two college-educated grown daughters. Another passion developed during the past eight years is mentoring new professionals interested in the career process.

Becky Durham, M.A.
Career Specialist
(College Student Development, Mankato State University, 1986)

Becky uses the career model in her counseling style to promote strong developmental practice. She is interested in the career development process, job-seeking topics, dual-career families, work-family integration and training. She is a strong proponent of integrating technology into career counseling and training. Her leadership in this area provided standardized Power Point training modules for all seminars and she serves as the web content developer for the Career Development Center's Web site. Her work includes a strong focus on outreach via classroom and student club presentations and coordination of the in-house seminars and Job and Internship Fair.

Steven Maurer, Ph.D., L.P.
Psychologist/Practicum Coordinator
(Counseling Psychology, University of Minnesota, 1997)

Steve's counseling orientation is integrative, drawing mainly from humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic theories. His professional interests include religion and spirituality, wellness and life balance, vocational development, ethics, and academic psychology. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Minnesota, and does some consultation work. In his personal life, he tries to keep up with his wife and two sons, spend time with his extended family (in-laws included), and indulge in his pastimes of physical fitness, reading, and wilderness camping.

Geraldine Rockett, Ph.D., L.P.
Director of Personal Counseling/Consultation Coordinator
(Counseling Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 1988)

Jeri has worked in college counseling since 1977. She has a second master's degree in community health and is interested in wellness issues. She is influenced by humanistic, cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic theory. She has been an adjunct professor at both the Graduate School of Professional Psychology and the St. Paul Seminary. She is also a certified sex counselor. Her current interests include ethics, sexual violence, women's issues, student development and spirituality. In her personal life, she and her husband are semi-successfully trying to apply their skills to parenting two teenage boys.

Paul Strickland, M.A., L.P.
Career Specialist
(Counseling Psychology, University of St. Thomas, 1993)

Paul is interested in career and personal issues and their relationship. His counseling style is a mix of developmental, humanistic and social learning theories. He lives in Highland Park with his wife and cat. In his spare time he enjoys movies, all types of music, reading novels and outdoor activities.

Henry Emmons, M.D.
Psychiatric Consultant
(University of Iowa Medical School)

2007-2008 Predoctoral Interns

Joni Downs, M.A.
Predoctoral Intern

Joni is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Counseling at Marquette University.

Kathy Scholljegerdes, M.A.
Predoctoral Intern

Kathy is currently finishing her Psy.D. in Counseling at the University of St. Thomas.

Tom Tiegs
Predoctoral Intern

Tom is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Counseling at the University of Florida.

Personal Counseling and Career Development Center Support Staff

Jennifer Kaysen Rogers, M.A.
Employer Relations Specialist

Chad Kluck
Technical Support Specialist

Jean Larsen
Department Coordinator

Mike Merabella, M.A.
Testing Coordinator/Career Specialist
(Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota)

Suzy Merkling
Operations Coordinator

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