Mental and Emotional Wellness
Mental and emotional health play a huge role in maintaining overall health and wellness. It is important to be proactive about taking care of your mental health. This could mean anything from finding fun and individualized ways to de-stress to seeking help for stress-related issues that may arise during your time at William and Mary. Departments and groups such as the Counseling Center, Office of Health Education and HOPE (Health Outreach Peer Educators) sponsor many mental-health related events and programs such as weekly relaxation sessions at the Counseling Center, Mental Health Screening Day in the fall semester, or de-stress events year round. Attending events like Mental Health Screening Day, where students can come in for a mental health "check-up" and receive one-on-one feedback from a counselor, is a great way to be sure you are giving adequate attention to your mental well-being and overall health. Keep reading for more information on these great resources.
William and Mary Counseling Center
The Counseling Center offers a range of free professional services to students wanting help with personal concerns. We work with psychological problems, relationship and family issues, academic and personal stress, and crisis situations. Students are initially seen by an individual counselor. Continuing services, if needed, may be offered in the form of individual, couple, family, or group meetings, depending on what best matches the student's need. We also provide consultation to friends, faculty, and parents concerned about a student in distress.
The Office of Health Education (OHE) is committed to enhancing the overall health and wellness of our William & Mary Tribe! The OHE has four focus areas:
- Alcohol and Other Substances
- Mental Health and Wellness
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Health
HOPE (Health Outreach Peer Educators)
HOPE is a group of trained undergraduate students who work to provide our college community with up to date and reliable health information. HOPE works primarily with the Office of Health Education to achieve this goal. In addition to promoting student health on campus through programs and events, HOPE also presents hour long as well as 15 minute programs to groups upon request. The organization is currently divided into four branches, each addressing specific topic areas: Sexual Health, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Sexual Assault/Dating Violence. Their various program topics fall within those four main subject areas.
William and Mary's Chapter on Active Minds
Active Minds is the an organization working to utilize the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses. By developing and supporting chapters of a student-run mental health awareness, education, and advocacy group on campuses, the organization works to increase students’ awareness of mental health issues, provide information and resources regarding mental health and mental illness, encourage students to seek help as soon as it is needed, and serve as liaison between students and the mental health community.
Through campus-wide events and national programs, Active Minds aims to remove the stigma that surrounds mental health issues, and create a comfortable environment for an open conversation about mental health issues on campuses throughout North America.
See a list of Williamsburg Mental Health Resources on their website.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Are you feeling desperate, alone or hopeless? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.
- Call for yourself or someone you care about
- Free and confidential
- A network of more than 150 crisis centers nationwide
- Available 24/7