University of Minnesota Student Counseling Services

Educational Workshops!

Keep Calm and Thrive in Graduate School is a 3-session workshop designed to provide graduate and professional students insights on how to better prepare for academic demands, to overcome common obstacles, and succeed! We’ll cover topics on strategies for academic success, managing expectations, professional relationship building, as well as wellness and self-care.

Day/time: In-Person on Fridays 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM First Round: 10/25/24, 11/1/24, 11/8/24

Second Round: 11/15/24, 11/22/24, 12/6/24

Facilitators: Chia-Chen Tu and Eve Sussman

Let us know you are interested by completing a brief form on our website: (https://forms.gle/3QjMDwXT8EDNs6pF)
We will share more information about how to join us once you’re registered.

Support Groups!

The Q***r Survivors Support Group begins this Friday (10/11)! For more information and to sign up, go to: z.umn.edu/qssg.

The Q***r Survivors Support Group is a virtual, drop-in space for q***r and trans folks who have experienced s*xual assault or relationship violence to connect, heal, and share wisdom. This supportive space will focus on the current impacts of past trauma, with a new discussion topic introduced each week.

The group will meet virtually every Friday from 3:00 - 4:00 PM (first drop-in session on Friday, Oct. 11th).

Sign up: z.umn.edu/qssg

Educational Workshops!

The first session of The Sexed Class You Wish You Had workshop starts this Friday (10/11)!! Go to z.umn.edu/s*xedclass to find what more about the workshop and the sessions offered!

Can’t make it this Friday? See what other sessions you might want to attend and sign up for those (You don’t have to attend all sessions, just the ones that feel important to YOU! )

More about the SexEd Class You Wish You Had:

This is an interactive group space, tailored to the needs of our group members. We know that a lot of s*xual education curriculum is based in cisgender, white, heteros*xual, thin, able-bodied, monogamous, vanilla, Allos*xual norms, so this group tailors sessions to be inclusive of all folks in the space, and with a s*x-positive and trauma-informed lens.

All participants are asked to keep other participant information confidential: what’s said here stays here; what’s learned here leaves here. Some of the topics we hope to explore include reproductive anatomy, s*xually transmitted diseases and how to protect oneself, consent, pleasure, substance use and s*x, body image and s*x, p**n, what healthy s*x looks like, and much more!

Presented in collaboration with the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE)

Fridays 1:00 - 2:30 pm PM (virtual)

Facilitators: Nina Hernandez Beithon (she/her; SCS), Dan Piñon (they/them/elle/elles; SCS), and Mick Castro (he/him; MCAE)

z.umn.edu/s*xedclass

Counseling Groups!

Understanding Self and Others is a weekly counseling group lead by counselors here at SCS!

Do you want to develop better relationship skills? This group provides an opportunity to learn from each other, while giving and receiving support around the many personal issues that students deal with. Participants will help each other develop greater self-awareness and increased ability to have satisfying relationships. Relationships, self-confidence, balancing demands, and more–this group will address the issues of greatest concern to its members.

The following sections are still accepting new members for Fall 2024:

Section 2: Wednesdays 3:00 - 4:30 (in-person)
Starts 10/9

Section 3: Wednesdays 4:00 - 5:30 (in-person)
Started 9/24, but still accepting new members

To join: Contact SCS at [email protected] or 612-624-3323 to schedule a group screening/orientation meeting with group facilitators

Connection Spaces at SCS!

PAM starts next week!!

This space invites students at the U of M to gather and support one another in our experiences and identities as Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim students.

Join us in this confidential space to support and share our experiences with events happening in Palestine, the Middle East, and elsewhere. This space is designed to create community and offer support in addressing our emotional and mental health needs, including experiences of Islamophobia and other forms of oppression and injustice.

Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30 (in-person)

Starting October 1st - Nov 26th on the East Bank (Specific location will be provided upon registration)

Facilitators: A Palestinian Mental Health Counselor and a Muslim Egyptian SCS Staff member.

To register, complete this sign-up form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOtrzmMCOxjZ_QdZ6msRnLK_i6pJlq78FkHt0PN-4W1PtiDA/viewform?usp=send_form

Connection Spaces at SCS!

BAAAM starts this Friday!!!

This space is designed to provide an affirming and supportive environment for all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who identify as Black, African American, or African here at the U of M. In this confidential and courageous community environment, we will talk about topics including, but not limited to: school stress; lived experiences as Black/African American and African students at a PWI; experiences related to our identities; stereotypes; micro/macro aggressions; socio-political climate; racial in/justice; relationships; culture; community; family; and moments that bring victory and joy. Hope to see you there!

In collaboration with the Care Program and the department of Dr. Rev Martin Luther King, Jr Program

Fridays 10:00 - 11:30 (virtual)
Starting Fall ‘24 semester

Facilitators: Greg Sawyer (SCS), Mari Weigel (the Care Program), Melanie Johnson (MLK)

To register, complete this sign-up form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQrHxVvzSxOM7HFU_Rl321MOu9hIaW-a8NCazvfEYHzVVGsg/viewform?usp=send_form

Happy Week 3 Fall 2024 Semester!!

As the semester continues you might find yourself needing more mental health resources. At Student Counseling Services we offer various resources to help you navigate mental health.

This guide will help you see 2 ways to get access to the resources you need. Visit counseling.umn.edu/individual-counseling or counseling.umn.edu/LetsTalk to get started.

As the week continues we will be posting our Fall 2024 offerings for our Counseling Groups, Connection Spaces and Educational Workshops.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Fall 2024 Affinity Groups/ Connection Spaces!

Pláticas: Latinx Connection Space is a hybrid weekly group for Latina/e/o/x undergraduate and graduate students to come together and discuss specific needs, themes, challenges, joys, and identities in our community. Some of the themes we may discuss include: colorism, language, belongingness, indigeneity, mestizaje, gender roles, religion and spirituality, immigration, and ongoing events that impact our people and communities.

We acknowledge that within the Latinx community there are many different identities, experiences, and preferences in how we describe ourselves. We invite this variety in lived experiences and trust that each of our identities and stories will add to our group and discussions. Sometimes we can wonder if we belong and if these spaces are for us. We want to honor how vulnerable it can be to consider joining a community space and hope to affirm your belonging and enough-ness. Come as you are and we hope you will join us and explore these reactions, wonderings, and questions together.

In collaboration with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program

Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30 (Hybrid: in-person or virtual)

Facilitators: Marisela Rodriguez-Gutierrez (she/her/Ella; MLK), Joselin Navarro (she/her/ella; SCS), Sonyna Castillo (she/her/ella; MLK), Nina Hernandez Beithon (she/her; SCS)


To register, complete this sign-up form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/e/1FAIpQLSfER_Y__J1tbfv7EEp-qgRh5OBuDDdDV6b55L545Ws9BYgKLw/viewform?usp=sf_link&pli=1

Bi/Pan+ Support Group

This space is open to U of M students of all genders who identify as bis*xual, pans*xual, ambis*xual, fluid, heteroflexible, bent, exploring, polys*xual, questioning, etc. This group meets in-person on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:30pm in Appleby Hall. More details including a sign-up form can be found at https://counseling.umn.edu/groups-workshops.

Sign up form: https://forms.gle/8XM4Z9fHiGABYGzT7

Finals are here and some of you may already be feeling the burnout! Here are some tips on how to resist burnout to keep in mind as you continue your educational/career journey.

Finals are here! Make sure you are making some space to take care of yourself this finals season, especially if you’re feeling burnout.

Navigating Current Events: Resources

There are resources on campus that can help you navigate the intense emotions that come with ongoing events in our world.

Slide 1: On-Campus Resources

Let’s Talk: a free, confidential, no appointment necessary counseling service provided by SCS. Go to our website to find out how to connect with a Let’s Talk counselor today!

Boynton Mental Health Crisis Clinic: Same day urgent/crisis counseling services are available for students who are experiencing emergent mental health concerns.
Monday - Friday: 8 am - 4:30 pm at Boynton Health
For urgent/crisis needs after hours, please call the 24/7 Crisis Line 612-301-4673
BIPOC Mental Health Collective