PCC Grad Takes the Helm at Counseling Center for Wellness
The New Year finds a new director at the helm of the Counseling Center for Wellness: Fritz Haas, LPC, who received his Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Neumann University in 2009.
Obtaining his M.S. in Pastoral Counseling was a dual milestone for Fritz, representing both his second master’s degree (the first is in Mathematics) and the beginning of a total career shift. Fritz, whose undergraduate degree was in Mathematics and Computer Science, previously worked as an information technology professional and college professor before his personal journey led him to consider a career change:
New Counseling Director Fritz Haas.
“I found my time in the business world and the classroom to be very rewarding, but it is in doing one-on-one and group work as a counselor that I am truly happiest,” Fritz said. “In addition, being able to work at Neumann, a place I have come to love, is the best of all worlds!”
While his path to Neumann may not have been a typical one, Fritz found that there was a calling deep inside him that was unavoidable. At first, it was a call simply to explore the Neumann Pastoral Care and Counseling program, but step-by-step it lead to completing a degree in Pastoral Counseling, working part-time as a counselor, and eventually leaving the corporate world to become a full-time counselor.
Prior to joining Neumann in January, Fritz honed his counseling skills as a staff counselor at Life Counseling Services in Haddonfield, NJ, for four years. He has served on NU’s academic affairs committee since 2008.
Fritz plans to continue the excellent work that former director Mike D’Angelo and the staff of the Counseling Center for Wellness have done and to expand on it in new directions. Working on developing new groups, services and resources for the students and staff are his priorities. While much has been accomplished already, Fritz sees new opportunities for the Counseling Center for Wellness to assist students in developing healthy habits for their lives both here at Neumann and for the future.
Fritz likes reading, gardening, sports, rides a motorcycle and is active in his community as a leader in his church and as a coach for Lllanerch Hills baseball and Drexel Hill basketball. He lives in Drexel Hill with his wife and three children.
Welcome to Wellness
Mike D'Angelo
There are a few new faces in the Counseling Center for Wellness (CCW) this year, but its mission remains the same: to promote wellness in body, mind, and spirit. “We love you very much, we care about you very much and we want you to succeed,” says Mike D’Angelo, director of the CCW
This year, all five counselors have ties to Neumann University’s graduate program in Pastoral Care and Counseling (PCC). Director Mike D’Angelo and Wellness Counselor Donna Liu both received their master’s degrees from NU and are licensed professional counselors (LPCs). Mike served as Campus Minister at Neumann for five years before joining the staff of the CCW. He has been director for four years. Donna Liu, who received both her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Neumann, worked in the respiratory therapy field for 20 years before joining the CCW staff.
Frederick Pratt
Neumann students also may choose to see one of three counseling interns who are new to the CCW this year. Frederick Pratt, who received his M.S. in May from Neumann, interns two afternoons a week. He currently is pursuing a certificate in school counseling from Villanova University. Toni Hemmerich, who will graduate from the PCC program in May, interns two full days and one half-day. A self-employed business owner, Toni believes in incorporating spirituality with healing for emotional as well as physical issues. I, Lisa Schaad, am a third-year student in the PCC program and see clients two days a week. I am a writer and editor and former youth minister.
Toni Hemmerich
If you have never been to the CCW, it is located on Convent Road in a Cape Cod-style house next to the Mirenda Center parking lot. Visitors enter through a door centered in a breezeway and head through the kitchen before entering the waiting area. Everyone is welcome to grab a snack from the table or refrigerator on their way to the waiting area in the house’s former living room. Our reception desk is staffed by students and by retired nurse Sr. Cass OSF, who make every effort to assist anyone who walks in hoping to see a counselor. However, when a counselor is not available, our staff will take your information and have someone call you as soon as possible. The best way to make an appointment is to dial the CCW directly at 610-358-4541.
Lisa Schaad
If all you need is a quiet place to clear your mind, feel free to sign into our meditation room, located on the second floor. You are welcome to grab a floor pillow or a chair and just relax. The beautiful mural of Ridley Creek State Park painted on the slanted ceiling helps create a relaxing atmosphere for reading, meditating or just closing your eyes for a few minutes to regain a sense of calm.
Donna Liu
Everyone who works in the CCW adheres to strict code of confidentiality. Some clients greet the CCW staff with a smile around campus; others prefer to keep their ties to the center quiet. It is completely up to you whether you want anyone to know you have come to see us. The students’ needs come first in the CCW.
THE JOUST 