Sarah Allen
The winter season can make people feel trapped indoors and can have a poor effect on mental health. Fortunately, The Pruitt Center and Student Health and Counseling Services can offer help to any student.
The Pruitt Center is free to UWS students as it’s cost are included with tuition. “The most common struggles we see are anxiety and depression, but we see things all across the board,” said Randy Barker, director for Health, Counseling and Well-Being.
The centers can help relationship issues, managing stress, difficulty adjusting, eating disorders, and personality disorders.
The Pruitt Center provides free mental health services to UWS students. Photo by University Relations
“Anyone can come in, drink tea, and look through the books and resources we have available,” Barker said. “You can learn how to maintain your mental health, receive added support, or just come in with the curiosity to learn more.”
The Pruitt Center offers proactive and preventive resources to be resilient during challenging times. Weekly offerings such as Mindful Mondays, Tai Chi, and Yoga are available. Trainings, workshops, and even a three-credit Introduction to Mindfulness course are also offered.
To receive more hands-on help and personalized help, the Student Health and Counseling Services can assist. Discussions are kept private and confidential, with counseling taking place either in person or online.
Office manager Marcus Kadinger said, “We offer both in-person and virtual meetings so online students are eligible as well, which also allows us to stay in touch with students over winter break.”
Barker said, “We’ve noticed a decrease in the gender gap as we’re trying to destigmatize mental health.”
The Pruitt Center is location at 3117 in Swenson, while the Student Health and Counseling Services is at MWC 1729.
