Eliminating barriers: Let's Talk offers appointment-free counseling sessions through Counseling Center

As the fall semester gets busier and the end of the year fast approaches, mental health becomes an often-neglected priority for many college students. Finding the time to take care of your mental health can be hard, as the University Counseling Centerknows well. In recent years, they've introduced a new program called Let's Talk, which allows students to virtually chat with a counselor.

"Let's Talk is an opportunity for students to be able to talk one-on-one with a therapist without having to make an appointment," said Maha Baalbaki, psychologist and coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives at the University Counseling Center. "They don't have to fill out paperwork; they don't even have to sign up for therapy. It's a great space if students want to talk through a specific problem, explore solutions, get the perspective of a therapist or just feel what it's like to talk with a professional."

The Counseling Center can be intimidating, said Baalbaki, especially to students who have never gone through the process of making appointments or connecting with a therapist before. Let's Talk aims to reduce some of those barriers: it's virtual and can be accessed anywhere, times vary to accommodate different schedules and no initial screening appointment is required.

Students discuss a variety of issues in Let's Talk sessions from roommate problems to managing stress to anything else that might be troubling them. "Let's Talk isn't a substitute for therapy, but most students get their needs met in just one or two sessions," said Baalbaki. For some, it might lead to longer-term discussions, but for others, a few conversations is all that is needed.

Let's Talk occurs at different times every weekday to offer students a wider range of opportunities to take advantage of the program. The current schedule is:

• Mondays: 4-5 p.m.
• Tuesdays: 1-2 p.m.
• Wednesdays: 11 a.m.-Noon
• Thursdays: 4-5 p.m.
• Fridays: 10-11 a.m.

Another program available for those who might not be seeking out full therapy appointments is Togetherall, an online peer support community where Lakers can talk anonymously with each other about mental health. The Counseling Center is located in the Student Services building on the Allendale campus and in the Career Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. There are also a variety of resources on the Counseling Center website, available at any time.