The Kathryn P. Koslow Center for Marriage and Family Therapy opens to serve the community at Fairfield University | Press Releases

Fairfield University's Kathryn P. Koslow Center for Marriage and Family Therapy will be dedicated on April 8th by Fairfield University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. Media are invited to attend.

Through a generous donation by alumna Kathryn P. Koslow '05, who is also a member of the Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Board, the University renovated an existing building and installed state-of-the-art technology to create The Koslow Center as a training facility for Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) graduate students from the University's Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP). Under the supervision of professional faculty and supervisors, advanced graduate candidates provide individuals, couples and families from the community with clinical services.

Rona Preli, chair of the department of marriage and therapy, sees the Koslow Center as a major force in the community: "The marriage and family therapy department is fortunate to be the beneficiary of Kathy Koslow's generous gift. As a Jesuit institution, our commitment to the community, and particularly to those who are underserved, is profound. With this new state-of-the-art learning center, our graduate students will provide valuable services while learning, and the hands-on experience they receive will make their transition from training to practice in the community seamless. In these difficult and stressful times, we are keenly aware of our obligation to the community to provide them with reliable and excellent mental health resources at an affordable price."

The Koslow Center's décor is cheerful and soothing with five therapy rooms including one especially for children containing toys that encourage play therapy. Several therapy rooms have two-way mirrors that allow graduate students to observe the therapy sessions performed by one student and a supervisor from a discreet location. Where no two-way mirror is possible, an unobtrusive camera has been placed in the room and broadcasts a session while student therapists watch from a control room outfitted with headphones, a monitor and the ability to listen to a session directly through a sound system.

There is a kitchen space that fosters student camaraderie during an intense day of work; a dedicated computer workstation with five computers that enable students to do research and keep records of clients and will also allow graduate assistants to schedule client interviews, do intake evaluations for potential clients and support faculty and supervisors. In addition, there is a seminar room with a large-screen monitor and space to accommodate groups of sixteen where teams can discuss their work and share information.

The Kathryn P. Koslow Center for Marriage and Family Therapy is located next door to the University's Early Learning Center near the Round Hill Road entrance. Parking is available directly across from the building. The Koslow Center operates seven days a week. It seeks to make clinical services available to all clients regardless of their ability to pay, so fees for services are based on a sliding scale. Currently, therapy sessions are being scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, please contact The Koslow Center at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2306.