In a collaborative effort to promote student well-being and mental health awareness, the Women’s Center and the Counseling Center have partnered to create a bimonthly drop-in healing space event, called Healing with Purpose, for students to relax, relate and release.

Bri Elum, the assistant director for the Women’s Center, said Healing with Purpose is aimed to help students become more self-aware about their mental health needs.

“I really like to have conversations with students about being intentional,” Elum said. “When we think about healing with purpose, how do we heal and take care of our mental well-being based on our five senses?”

Haley Foard, a third-year studying computer science, said supporting mental health is important to guide students through the transition to college.

“For a lot of people, coming to college is losing what they know as their normal support system, whether that’s your family or your friends from home,” Foard said. “Some people are moving from really far away, like international locations, so I think creating a support system for students is really important because you’re losing a lot of that by coming to college.”

Elum said the event will offer a variety of healing strategies, such as coloring and engaging in private conversations with a counselor from the Counseling Center. She said this partnership will raise awareness about mental health resources on campus.

“I think it’s super important to shed light on the Counseling Center,” Elum said. “The great work that they do is very instrumental to this campus.”

Elum said students who attend the Healing with Purpose event will also be able to connect with other students and build a sense of community.

“Having open, honest conversations where mental health is encouraged, light is shedding on these spaces, is super important for students,” Elum said.

Foard said in addition to seeking help from on-campus resources such as the Counseling Center, engaging with others is a practice that can improve student mental health.

“I think building a community here is important, whether that’s making friends or going to clubs,” Foard said. “There’s lots of different ways to support your mental health, but I think finding a community is one of the most important ways.”

According to Elum, working with the Counseling Center is crucial to create the most valuable healing experience for students.

“While I may not be a licensed clinical health professional, being able to allow their clinical experience and my innovation and creativity to come together to birth a transformative healing space for students is integral to their overall well being and a huge part, I think, to the future of the wolf pack,” Elum said.

Elum seeks to reduce the stigma behind seeking mental health resources and encourages students to attend the Healing with Purpose events.

“It’s okay to not be okay,” Elum said. “It’s okay to not have it all figured out. It’s okay if you need help and you need to talk to someone. We have very amazing trained professionals here on this campus who want to support your holistic well-being.”

The next Healing with Purpose event is March 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Talley Student Union room 5210.