Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine recently appointed Kathryn Bieri, Psy.D., a psychological counselor, to help students through their veterinary academic program. “The veterinary medical profession can be stressful for students as they experience the academic rigors of the program and transition into roles as young veterinarians,” the university noted in its announcement in early November. “I am very pleased to have Dr. Bieri working on our team to care for individuals within the college as she seeks to assist others in developing, maintaining and restoring the skills necessary to endure challenges without becoming distressed,” said Dan Givens, DVM, Ph.D., the associate dean for academic affairs. “When we allow challenges to lead to distress, we are unable to see and appreciate the great opportunities that surround us in our profession.” Dr. Bieri has an extensive background in many diverse fields of psychology and medicine. Her main focus at the school is psychodynamic therapy, which aims to help people understand how their past experiences affect present behavior. “I prefer psychodynamic therapy because I feel like it helps identify the real causes of psychological stress on a person, and you can develop different defensive techniques,” Dr. Bieri said. “One example, which is common here, is test fatigue. Students come in scared to death of a test they have coming up, but the reality is, it’s not the test itself most often that worries students, it’s the fear of failure.” Dr. Bieri is available for appointments on the college campus Mondays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m., and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.
