For college students, mental health is sometimes a struggle that spans beyond the school week. The real question is: What tools do we have to conquer this?
At Parkland, our students are equipped with Counseling and Mental Health Services located right here on campus! A resource that is little-known, but doing crucial work for our college community, can be found in room U-267.
For many students, reaching out is the most difficult part of dealing with mental health struggles. But the truth is, the first step, acknowledgment, and acceptance, is the most important. As students we have a lot on our plates. Most of us work off campus, juggle school, social presences, and adulthood; all of which can be tasks in and of themselves. Having a licensed professional to talk to when feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, or just plain stress, kick in can be extremely beneficial to your success as a student, and more importantly to the success of your mental health.
Parkland College’s Counseling Support Center website states, “Short-term, solution-focused, and confidential mental health counseling is available for currently enrolled students. Students experiencing significant distress are seen as soon as possible.” In addition to short-term, one-on-one mental health counseling, the Counseling Support Center has a peer support group called “Get Real Peer Support’ which is an online safe space to connect with peers, share your experiences, and find new ways to cope. The Counseling Support Center also has a student organization called the Body/Mind Alliance, which dedicates itself to spreading information on everything about mental health, and hosts workshops and events to help you learn how to take care of yourself.
To learn more about Parkland’s Counseling Support Center and all of its resources, visit their website: https://www.parkland.edu/Main/About-Parkland/Department-Office-Directory/Counseling-Services/Counseling-Support-Center.
As we head into the last few weeks of a fall semester unlike any other, we must remember to take care of our minds.
