Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

You don't need to listen to the sentences before "but" in Chapter 112.

Nan Zhuren's gaze swept over them, and the information entered his mind.

Then, switch to social mode: "Ah...long time no see."

In fact, he didn't recognize the other person at all.

"It has indeed been a long time."

In response to Nan Zhuren's greeting, the other party gave a mature and socially appropriate reply.

Unlike Nan Zhuren, whose greeting was accompanied by near-perfect facial expression control, the other person, although also trying to engage in social interaction, could not hide the slight hostility on their face under the 【micro-expression analysis】.

"What do you want?" The other party's second question was to inquire about Nan Zhuren's purpose.

“I came here to see… my friend.” Nan Zhuren glanced at Xia Tian and raised the girl’s [Spirit] value by another 0.5 points.

“Then, my current workplace and the school are doing a joint project, and I want to make use of the psychological counseling center platform as well.” Nan Zhuren said in a more official tone, “The specific form is that I will also come here as a counselor to provide free counseling—the relevant details should have been communicated with the center’s responsible teacher beforehand.”

After a moment's hesitation, the other party realized that the front desk of the consultation center was not a place to discuss matters, so he led Nan Zhuren to the office.

Even with a slight frown, he still poured Nan Zhuren a glass of water, then sat down beside her.
"As you can see, I am now the responsible teacher at the mental health center."

Nan Zhuren blinked and tentatively asked, "Congratulations on your promotion?"

"Thank you."

The response remained purely social, and the teacher in charge of the center did not express any joy at being congratulated.

He continued, following Nan Zhuren's words, "Regarding your return to the center as a part-time counselor, the School of Psychology has already communicated with me, and in principle, there is no problem."

Nan Zhuren raised an eyebrow; the way he spoke was quite interesting.

……

University teachers are divided into "administrative positions" and "teaching positions".

Although they are all called "teachers," their specific functions and promotion mechanisms are different.

Teachers, like Nan Zhuren's mentor, are generally required to have a doctoral degree as a starting point. Their basic job duties include teaching, conducting academic research, and publishing articles. They are promoted through a process that follows the steps of lecturer, associate professor, and professor, primarily focusing on research.

Teachers in administrative positions are different. Generally speaking, a master's degree is the minimum requirement. Although they also teach classes, the content of their work varies greatly depending on the department, such as finance, human resources, admissions, etc., and the upper and lower limits are also very different.

For example, "student counselor" is an administrative position, and "secretary" is also an administrative position.

The staff at Jiangda Psychological Counseling Center are all in administrative positions.

……

The way the teacher in the administrative position spoke made it seem like the matter was becoming less straightforward.

Nan Zhuren raised an eyebrow, trying to steer the conversation: "In principle, there's no problem—so?"

"So we need you to leave your schedule with us. If any students make an appointment that matches your schedule, we will notify you."

The teacher in charge of the center paused for a moment: "However—you will be assigned fewer students, since our center already has quite a few part-time teachers and student interns, and they also need visitors to accumulate consultation time."

Here's a little tip for doing English reading comprehension: if there's a question asking for the main idea of ​​a paragraph, and the paragraph contains the word "but," then you don't need to read the sentences before "but," just read the rest of the paragraph.

The same applies to Chinese. Especially when dealing with teachers in administrative positions, just listen to what comes after the "but" in a sentence.

Nan Zhuren understood a bit: Was this because they were worried that he would come and take up their consultation time?
The visitors to the school's psychological counseling center are indeed very valuable.

On the one hand, the school's internal psychological counseling is a free aid benefit provided to students; but on the other hand, it is also an opportunity for professional students and new teachers to develop their skills.

After all, consultation time is calculated by the hour.

Of course, for students who really need help, the school will arrange for some experienced psychologists or professors who may charge thousands of yuan per hour outside to help them; but in most cases, students who come to consult about general psychological problems tend to be handed over to general psychologists for practice.

In other words, student visitors to the mental health center are a resource for mental health workers within the school.

Nan Zhuren is now an outsider.

With a few thoughts swirling in his mind, Nan Zhuren understood what the teacher in charge of the center meant.

This is a bit troublesome, since we're on someone else's turf and I'm the one asking for their help.

“I understand your concerns.” Nan Zhuren tried to reason with him again, “However, when it comes to counseling, we should try to see the results, right? For some students with clear ‘problems,’ professors may not have time to take them on, so they can be handed over to me.”

This is an attempt to step back and let go of students with "general psychological problems" or "sub-optimal mental health," while only taking charge of the more challenging students with "psychological abnormalities."

In theory, this is an operation that can scratch the itchy spot.

Because there is a serious shortage of school counselors, there are either completely inexperienced novice counselors or professors who are experts. The former can only mumble "uh-huh" when faced with slightly difficult questions, while the latter are so busy that they can only spare an hour a week.

As for the so-called "backbone" – the more capable consultants – they naturally all go out to earn money and save up for training fees.

Nan Zhuren's arrival should fill some of the gaps in the core staff of the consulting center.

However, these words were like a needle puncturing the dignified balloon of the teacher in charge of the center, and he immediately became agitated and exploded.

"Do you think that the young teachers at our school are incapable of handling students' problems, while you are, Nan Zhuren?"

"So how are you going to handle this? You'll offer a few vague consultations, then refer them to your own external counseling centers and make the students pay for the consultations, right? I know your purpose, and I know your tactics!"

"The consulting services offered at schools are different from the business consulting services offered outside of school. We—"

dong dong dong-

The knocking on the door suddenly interrupted the teacher in charge of the center's incessant chatter.

With a click of the door, Xia Tian's delicate face came into view.

Given her position, she should have been able to hear the argument inside the door.

But she remained unfazed, as if the world she was in and the world inside the door were on completely different tracks.

"Teacher, a visitor has arrived. They are the person who made an appointment with you for a consultation this afternoon."

Xia Tian glanced at the teacher in charge of the center, then at Nan Zhuren, making a hesitant expression.

"but--"

(End of this chapter)