Casual counseling program “Let’s Talk” expands to Campus Rec
By Theresa Pratt, contributing writer
Towson University is expanding the “Let’s Talk” mental health program to Campus Recreation after a pilot run at the Center for the Arts during the fall, offering students casual, 15-minute one-on-one sessions with a university counselor outside of the Counseling Center.
“The reasoning behind the one-on-one format is to make it more comfortable for students,” Alessandra Pieraccini, the Counseling Center’s director of clinical services, said. “If they have questions about mental health or are personally struggling with something, it is a good way for students to ease into the conversation.”
The program came to Towson last fall. While it was not in place “long enough to see significant results,” Pieraccini said in an email Wednesday that there have always been plans to bring the program to other locations to expand the Counseling Center’s reach beyond its home at Ward & West.
The various locations of the sessions help to reduce stigma, according to Greg Faller, associate dean for the Center for the Arts.
“My favorite thing about the program is that it is free and informal,” he said. “There’s no required registration for it. No appointment is necessary. We’ve established it in a location where it provides privacy but that does not suggest a student is walking to some secret area because they need this counseling.”
Pieraccini said the Counseling Center determined it would be beneficial to bring the program to Campus Rec, where student wellness is already being fostered.
The national program launched in 2009 at Cornell University and has been implemented in over 100 college counseling centers, according to an article from Inside Higher Ed.
“Let’s Talk” adds to the university’s resource toolbelt, alongside self-help app Welltrack Boost and emotional support platform Togetherall.
“Let’s Talk” sessions will be held on Mondays in Burdick Hall in room 148 and on Thursdays in the Center for the Arts in room 2005, according to Dave Stewart, the assistant director of Membership and Guest Services at Campus Rec. Counselors are available from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Burdick Hall and 1-3:00 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, Campus Rec employee Dominic Maston said.
The Counseling Center is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday when the university is open.
