Counseling and Health Services has established a new counseling option on campus called Let’s Talk.
The Let’s Talk program is a less daunting way for some students to ease into counseling or simply have a shorter counseling session. The brief and less formal setting of Let’s Talk compared to normal hour-long scheduled sessions is provided to be more pleasant for students who prefer an alternative to longer conversations.
“We decided to implement this program knowing that for some students, processes involved in traditional counseling — such as completing an intake form or scheduling weekly hour-long appointments — may not be appealing. Let’s Talk reduces those barriers by providing opportunities for brief, informal consultations with a professional counselor,” Hussein Rajput, the Director of Counseling and Health Services, wrote in an email.
First-year student Abbie Greene shared similar feelings about the program and how it can be an uncomplicated way for people to ease into counseling.
“I think it’s a good way for people who have never had these resources before to get into it because it is really scary to go to counseling and find a good person to talk to. It takes a while, the process is very long, but this cuts down on that,” Greene said.
The sessions are set up in a simple format of 15 to 20 minute long conversations with one of the Hamline licensed psychologists. The counselor listens to concerns, provides support and suggestions. Shih-Hsun Lin, one of Hamline’s psychologists, further explained who Let’s Talk can benefit.
“Let’s Talk is a good fit for students who are not sure about counseling and wonder what it’s like to talk with a counselor; are not interested in ongoing counseling, but would still like to get the perspective of a counselor; have a specific problem and would like to talk it through with someone; have a concern about someone else and want some thoughts about what they can do to help,” Lin wrote in an email.
Greene, who shared that they have only experienced longer counseling sessions in their life, also expressed why a short session could be advantageous.
“If it’s your first time with this process, it could be a nice break into it if you don’t want to get that deep but you do have a problem that you just want advice on I think that could be nice,” Greene said.
These sessions are being held during the fall semester two days a week: 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays in Anderson Center 302, and from 11:00 a.m. to noon on Thursdays in GLC 104E.