Ohio State’s Let’s Talk offers help for student stress

As finals are underway at The Ohio State University, the Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service is offering a program to help students manage the stress and anxiety that can overwhelm them at this time of year.

The university’s Let’s Talk program offers informal mental health consultations without an appointment. The program is free and confidential for students registered at Ohio State.

“Let’s Talk is something that we’ve been doing for the past few years. It’s a drop-in consultation where students can come and talk to a licensed clinician about concerns that they’re having,” said Harry Warner, a clinical counselor at CCS. “It could be problem solving, it could be resource based. It’s basically face-to-face, a kind ear, pointing a student the right direction.”

The service supports students who may not need traditional counseling, but who could benefit from one-on-one support and consultation. Sessions typically last between 15 to 20 minutes with a staff member from CCS.

The sessions take place in the Multicultural Center in the Ohio Union. Services in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish are available.

“Sometimes you need maybe just 15 minutes of someone to listen and give you some advice,” Warner said.

The end of the academic year can be a source of stress to students for a variety of reasons. Warner said stress or anxiety can build up throughout the year and come to a head during preparation for final exams.

“I would say some of the most common [questions we get] are questions around how to deal with stress or anxiety,” he said. “So some of the questions can be about how do I de-stress? And typically the answers are talking about deep breathing or connecting with friends. Maybe this is a good time to call your mom and check in. If you have a student organization or a faith group, check in with those folks and get support.”

Warner points out that the program is part of a continuum of care offered at Ohio State. Let’s Talk consultants are mental health professionals but the consultations do not constitute mental health treatment.

However, if a consultant determines a student could benefit from a higher level of care, they can refer a student to other appropriate resources at the university or the surrounding community.

“We’re really looking to decrease the time for students who don’t have a lot of concerns but then also increase the reach to students who may not reach out,” Warner said.

Click here for more information and a schedule for services during finals week.

For immediate help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255/TALK (or 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish speakers). To reach someone at Ohio’s 24/7 Crisis Text Line, send 4HOPE to 741741.