College can be one of the most amazing experiences in a person’s life. Like many experiences, it is not without its challenges. The Counseling Center is here to help. Otterbein’s clinical team will empower and equip students to discover new insights and perspectives, acquire knowledge and skills, connect with others on campus and in the community, and learn new ways to more comfortably deal with life’s unique circumstances.

Meet one of Otterbein’s caring mental health clinicians:

Denise Harrison, MSW, LISW (she/her) believes that healing and transformation occurs through connection and an individualized approach to counseling. She will help you by developing your personal strengths and by teaching you practical skills to get you through change and stressful situations, perfectionism, depression and/or issues with motivation or focus. As a therapist, she is described as understanding, knowledgeable, and eclectic in her therapeutic approach. Denise is recognized as an Anti-Oppression-Informed Practitioner by the NASW Ohio Chapter and strives to create safe counseling spaces for BIPOC and LQBTQ students. She is originally from Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical social work. In her free time, she likes to attend local festivals with her family, listen to music, and stream shows (anything supernatural or that makes her laugh). 

Q: Why are equity and inclusion personally important to you? 

Denise: I am personally committed to equity and inclusion because of my belief that all individuals are worthy of dignity and respect. Also, I believe that when a person feels valued, accepted, and a sense of belonging, it has an important and positive affect on their wellbeing and mental health. It is super rewarding to be able to incorporate equity and inclusion efforts into my mental health and student affairs work, especially because of my own marginalized identities and the way that my pride of these identities grew in college.  

Q: Why is it important to grow and support a diverse student population at Otterbein? 

Denise: Supporting and growing our diverse students at Otterbein is crucial for a lot of reasons. Our diverse students enrich our classrooms, represent the growing global community, and deserve to be here. I take my responsibility as a staff member that is meant to support them in achieving their wellness and academic goals very seriously. Ultimately, we’re all in this together and if our diverse students succeed then Otterbein succeeds, too.  

Q: How does your work support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts at Otterbein?  

Denise: I love the work I do with the Counseling Center because it allows me to help students improve their mental health, and to provide outreach to the whole campus community too. One way the Counseling Center supports the greater DEIB efforts at Otterbein is by offering culturally competent services to students with marginalized identities. For example, we provided a first-generation student support group last semester and are working with the Office of Social Justice and Activism on community building and wellness programs such as First Gen Fridays and a Wellness Day on March 13. Prior to this year, I advocated to update our website resource list to include counseling services for BIPOC, LGBTIA+, neurodivergent, low income, and other historically underrepresented groups, and to adopt a Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Statement that is posted on our website too.  

Q: What do you do in your daily life to foster understanding with those from different backgrounds than you?

Denise: I am naturally a curious person and knowledge seeker. So, those traits help me have an open mind and open heart whenever I meet new people or encounter a new experience. Daily, I meet new people on campus by seeking collaborations with new departments, attending staff wellness events, stopping by at student events, and serving on Staff Assembly and campus committees. Previously, I have used volunteer work to foster community and greater understanding of others. I volunteered on the board of directors for the Westerville Queer Collective, and WeRise of Greater Westerville, both of those groups are doing great work in making Westerville a more inclusive place to live. Volunteering with those organizations was a very good experience for me!