UMD Health Services

Please note Health Services will be closed Tuesday, May 5th, Wednesday, May 6th and Friday, May 8th from 1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. for a staff meeting. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

What is consent?
Most people can give a text book definition of consent - “an affirmative, enthusiastic yes” - but, how do you ask in real life?

Counseling partnered with the library and tabled in front of KAML on April 16th for College Student Grief Awareness Day.

The students and staff who stopped by and engaged were grateful to have public recognition of grief in our daily lives.
Here are a few pictures of the event and the messages that students and staff left on the table for others.

College Student Grief Awareness Day is April 16
What is Grief Literacy?
The ability to understand, recognize, and respond to grief.
Accepting the uniqueness of everyone’s grief experience.
Reducing stigma by challenging societal expectations about how grief “should” look or be experienced.
Grief is defined by the person experiencing it.

Grief is a natural response to loss — such as death, job loss, or the end of a relationship — and is experienced differently by each person. It is an all-encompassing, cross-cultural part of being human that affects people in individual ways. It is unpredictable, non-linear, and disorganized. Grief can affect people emotionally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically, and how we behave.

There is no “right way” to grieve or process a loss of any form. When there are expectations of how we move forward while carrying our loss, grief can become disenfranchised. Disenfranchised grief happens when a loss is not openly acknowledged or validated, which is often a result of stigma or assumptions about the loss.

Having grief literacy means we can support those experiencing grief with less judgment and expectation, and more compassion and understanding.

How to Support Someone Who is Grieving
Listen without trying to fix or offer solutions
Acknowledge their loss (“I’m really sorry you’re going through this”)
Be present, patient, and understanding that grief can impact school, attendance, and focus
Avoid trying to explain or minimize the loss (e.g., “everything happens for a reason”)
Check in over time — grief doesn’t end after the first conversation, especially during a busy semester
Offer simple, practical support when appropriate (e.g., sharing notes, walking them to class, or helping them connect to campus resources)
Grief is evidence of love. Support those grieving by practicing grief literacy and inviting grief to be a normal, welcomed experience in our everyday lives.

Support and Counseling Services
UMD Counseling Services is committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of all students and to fostering a campus environment that promotes understanding, care, and access to support. Make an appointment by calling 218-726-7913. The UMD
Crisis Line is available 24/7, every day of the year, at 612-301-4673.

Spring Cleaning for Your Mind 🌿

A new season can be a chance to pause and reset.
Just like physical spaces, your mental space can become crowded with expectations, pressure, and constant “shoulds.” Taking time to clear some of that out can help you feel more focused and steady.
You might consider letting go of:
• pressure
• comparison
• perfectionism
• guilt
Keep what supports you—routines, connections, or habits that help you feel more grounded.
Resetting doesn’t mean starting over. It means making space for what helps you move forward.

UMD Counseling Services is here to support you.
Appointments: 218-726-7913
24/7 Crisis Line: 612-301-4673

Spring break hours 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
March 9-13th, 2026

Due to the UMD weather related closure today, February 18th, health services is also closed. Please visit our website for after-hours care information. If you had an appointment today, please call 218-726-8155 to reschedule, when campus operations resume.

Health Services reduced hours December 12th-15th, 2025, we are open from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Reminder, we will be closed from Monday, December 22nd through January 2nd, 2026. Healow patient portal communications will be checked periodically on days the campus is not closed in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

We will reopen on Monday, January 5th at 9:00 a.m.

See below for after hours care needs.

Emergency & After Hours Care | Health Services | University of Minnesota Duluth In the event of an emergency, please call 911. After Hours Care:In the event of a mental health or medical emergency, or non-emergency medical concern occurring after the Health Service's hours, please see the contact information below. Students are advised to call the customer service number on th...