In the previous post, I introduced you to the program Let’s Talk. In this post, you will learn about the people who work at Let’s Talk and the important role they play.
Let’s Talk is made up of a diverse group of counselors who also work on campus in an additional role such as an Academic Adviser or a counselor, thus bringing their expertise to their Let’s Talk work. They are there to build relationships with students, many of whom are predominantly students of color, and to provide multiple forms of support. Let’s Talk really stresses the importance of selecting counselors who are knowledgeable about systematic and personal issues that students may have or be experiencing so that they can be best equipped to assist students in these areas.
The counselors are there to listen and provide support (for instance, by referring students to the correct resource or by working with the student to come up with a plan on how to best approach a situation). The most important thing is that the counselors are there to help students feel like they have a clearer picture moving forward than what they came in with. The goal is to make students feel a sense of relief and agency such as “I can handle this.” or “I know what I’m doing next.”
Now do you see how supportive Let’s Talk counselors are? In the next post, I will talk about how you can sign up for Let’s Talk, but if you can’t wait to know more about it, here is the link: https://counseling.umn.edu/lets-talk. I know the staff members are far more knowledgeable about mental health than I do, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to Let’s Talk if you are interested!
