According to their website, Emmons features several mental health services available to students, including drop-in chat spaces and group counseling services, which occur once per week for one to two hours. Examples of these spaces include What’s the Word, Hummingbird? — a space centering the experiences of POC, LGBTQ+, first-generation and international students — and Black Voices, which provides individualized support for Black students.
Alejandro Aguirre, the director of counseling services for Emmons, said that the groups and sessions offered this semester vary in when they were created. He said Black Voices and Between the Lines existed before the COVID-19 pandemic while others, like First Time Tigers and Power Over Substance, were created in the Fall 2023 semester. Other sessions were updated in the Spring 2024 semester, he said. Aguirre also said that drop-ins and groups serve different purposes, with groups focusing on the communal aspect of mental health at Occidental.
“The groups are centered on mental health themes or topics that have been shown to improve when discussed alongside peers and shared experiences,” Aguirre said via email.
Aguirre said that drop-in sessions, on the other hand, are one-on-one, focusing more on individual needs regarding specific topics.
“Think of these [drop-ins] more as an informal check in,” Aguirre said via email. “No need to schedule an appointment, no time limit, time minimum or commitment; it is simply an opportunity to have a chat with a provider who can listen, support and can guide to more formal services if needed.”
One of the group sessions, Power Over Substance, discusses overcoming substance use and is led by Emmons staff therapist Tyler Carter.
“The weekly workshops are intended to help students gain better control over their patterns of substance use,” Carter said via email. “Examples of topics include coping with triggers, setting boundaries and self-nurturing.”
Carter, who also leads the individual drop-in chat First Time Tigers, a space centering first-year and transfer experiences, said that the nature of being on a college campus is an asset to the success of these spaces.
“College students tend to be open-minded and goal-oriented, two qualities that are incredibly helpful when looking to make meaningful life changes,” Carter said via email.
Claudia Ortega, another Emmons staff therapist leading What’s the Word, Hummingbird? and Take Care Tuesday, said that she aspires to make her sessions more engaging to students by connecting student wellness with hands-on activities.
“I’m hosting Take Care Tuesday workshops about every other week around self-love, coping skills and empowerment,” Ortega said via email. “These were created by joining my affinity for arts and crafts [with] care for students’ wellness and thinking of fun and interactive ways to engage students in self-care knowledge.”
Aguirre leads the individual drop-in session Between the Lines, which he said is a space for student-athletes to share their experiences directly affiliated with Oxy Athletics.
“All of the groups and drop-ins are aimed to be held in other departments and in partnership with other organizations to normalize the intersections that students occupy and to battle the stigma around mental health services,” Aguirre said via email. “To affirm support is not solely found in mental health clinics, but can be addressed collectively in all areas of our lives.”
Ortega said that another organization Emmons partners with is the Intercultural Community Center (ICC), where sessions including What’s the Word, Hummingbird? and Take Care Tuesday are held.
“I recognize the importance the ICC holds for students and wanted to continue incorporating the drop-ins in the space,” Ortega said via email.
Emmons staff therapist Eric Robinson leads the drop-in session Peace it Together — a space for Black male students to share their experiences privately — also said that group and drop-in sessions deviate from traditional therapy.
“It is not therapy, but it is a confidential space for students to drop in, hang out and talk about whatever is going on with them,” Robinson said via email. “The time for drop-ins was set aside as a safe space for students, and an opportunity for us to learn what the needs of students are so that we at Emmons can be more intentional in our offerings.”
Robinson said that he is a new staff therapist this semester and hopes more students will attend Peace it Together. According to Robinson, Emmons plans to continue offering these spaces in the future, potentially with adjustments.
“The drop-in space will continue next semester,” Robinson said via email. “However, depending on students’ needs, the theme and/or focus of the group could change.”
According to Aguirre, the creation of these groups already represents a success, and he said it is important to increase recognition of the benefits of group and drop-in services.
“The formal groups and informal drop-ins are successful [because] we have established consistent and stable partnerships for this format of programming to be held,” Aguirre said via email. “Now we are able to focus on increasing the student awareness of these spaces so that students can feel comfortable and empowered to utilize the services.”
Carter said that he believes raising awareness about the resources available to students on campus is difficult but beneficial to the student body as a whole.
“I think it is always a struggle to get the word out about new programs, especially when students on this campus already have so many responsibilities to juggle,” Carter said via email. “We are brainstorming different ways to improve our outreach and social media communication.”
According to Carter, the drop-in nature of these services makes them more accessible to students wishing to discuss their experiences in a supportive environment.
“For anyone who thinks they might be interested in any of our community-facing programs, please drop by,” Carter said via email. “There is no reservation, paperwork, preparation or long-term commitment necessary for any of our drop-in spaces or workshops.”
Contact Clay Carson at carsonc@oxy.edu
