Identity Specific Mental Health

Resources and Offerings

• Resource Lists

  Hamre Center’s goal is to make you aware of possible resources in the community that may be helpful. These lists are not comprehensive of all available resources, and we do not endorse any of the following services as the right option for any specific individual. You can also visit MiResource to connect with off campus mental health resources.

  Gender Affirming Health Care Resources

  BIPOC Mental Health Care Resources

  Sexual Violence Community Resource Guide

• Identity Specific Counseling Groups

  Identity specific counseling groups are tailored to center the needs and experiences of BIPOC, International, First Generation, and/or Queer/Trans students as well as mixed and intersecting identities. The goal is to offer a safe and supportive environment that offers an intersectional framework (including gender identity, sexuality, class, religion, disability, citizenship, and more). Groups are facilitated by mental health counselors experienced working with these intersecting cultural and identity groups.

  Groups encourage continuous attendance to obtain the full benefit and require a pre-group individual meeting to make sure the group is a good fit. With that being said, acceptance into most groups will be open throughout the semester. 

  Spring 2023: Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Expansive Thriving

  TBD for dates/times, based on students’ needs, with anticipation that the group will run for approx. 4 weeks 

  Interested in making meaningful community connections, offering and receiving support as ways of navigating challenging systems, and celebrating joy and reclaiming gender euphoria? This group is for individuals with identities within the transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive communities and will be facilitated by genderqueer counselor Jen Moore (they/them). To learn more about the group and see if it’s a good fit for your needs, reach out to Jen at [email protected]

  Spring 2023: Queer/Trans* International Student Support Group

  TBD for dates/times based on students’ needs

  A group to provide a space for listening, community, and solidarity for those with intersecting identities who may not be heard or seen. This group is for individuals that self-identify as an international student (non-immigrant visa, dual citizenship, citizenship from another country, Green Card, DACA, and more) and individuals with identities within the queer and transgender communities. 

  For questions or to sign-up–email Erica Lee (she/they) @ [email protected]. 

  NOTE: This group will start when we have 5 students committed to attending continuously, though acceptance into the group will be open throughout the semester.

  Share your group ideas or request other groups!

  We believe in groups as a powerful tool to support mental health and collective healing. We want to offer groups that meet the unique needs, identities, and histories of our students.

  Some students have expressed interest in the past for the groups listed below. If you are interested in attending a weekly or bi-weekly group on one of these topics or if you have another group you’d like to request, please complete this Group Interest google form. When there are at least 5 students interested, we will reach out via email.

  Here are some group ideas:

  -BIPOC Grief and Relief Support Group*

  -BIPOC Sexual Violence Support Group

  -International Student Support Group

  -BIPOC Connections**

  -Mental Health and Disability Support Group

  -Coaching/Support for Faculty, Staff, and Students Already Leading Classrooms and Groups

  *Past: BIPOC Grief and Relief

  

  This is a space for Black, Indigenous, students of color, and/or mixed identities and communities struggling with grief after the death of a loved one, grief reactions and anger after an incident of community violence, or other types of losses as it pertains to being BIPOC in the United States. We will explore, process, and heal together in an atmosphere of understanding, community, and mutual support.

  *Past: BIPOC Connections

  This is a space for Black, indigenous, international students of color, and mixed identities and communities to come together to support mental health and share their experiences on campus, at home, and in our community. Some of the themes we may discuss include: imposter syndrome, belongingness, enoughness, gender roles, religion and spirituality, racism, immigration, and ongoing events that impact BIPOC and international folks.

  Within the BIPOC and international community, there are many different ways in how we experience the world. We will work together to affirm one another, better understand ourselves and our community, explore our identities, and the systems that impact us and our mental health. I invite this variety in lived experiences and trust that each of our identities and stories will add to our group and discussions.

• Let’s Talk Program

  Let’s Talk is a drop-in service that takes counselors with varying identities and positionalities out of the Hamre Center and into the campus community with the goal of providing easier access for students who might not find their way to us. These are confidential, informal, and anonymous consultations with no appointment necessary. Just drop in during the scheduled times to sign up for a 15-minute time slot.

  Let’s Talk is not a substitute for formal counseling and does not constitute mental health treatment, but counselors can listen to specific problems, provide support, help explore solutions, and give information about other resources. Let’s Talk is not designed to provide crisis support.

  This program is facilitated by a BIPOC identifying counselor, Dana Suttles, with other counselors filling in as needed. Dana (she//her) is a cis-female, Black person.

• Identity Specific Counseling Providers

  There are several counseling staff at the Hamre Center for Health and Wellness with varying ethnic and gender identities and positionalities. You are able to request specific counseling staff based on availability, therapeutic modality, gender, ethnic and racial identity, and more. Visit the About Us page to learn more about our counseling staff. When possible and available, you will be matched with a counselor that meets your needs.

• Gender Affirming Health Care

  

  Transgender, genderqueer, gender fluid, gender expansive, or people outside of the gender binary identity routinely face discrimination and misunderstanding from health care providers, which prevents many of them from getting the care they need. We are committed to providing comfortable, affirming, and accessible care to our trans and genderqueer community at Macalester College. We strive to create an environment that is gender affirming and inclusive so that you feel safe in order to get the care you need. We provide individual counseling for students who are seeking therapeutic support related to gender identity and expression, coming out and physical/social transition, and/or other related or unrelated mental health concerns as it pertains to gender identity.

  For additional resources, we created a gender affirming care resource list of local medical clinics, mental health agencies, and books to support you in your journey.

  Care Coordination for Gender Affirming Care: Looking for gender affirming care in the community and would like additional support? We can partner with you to refer you to larger gender care clinics that offer mental health services, hormone care, surgery, voice and communication therapy, dermatological procedures, hair removal, reproductive and sexual health, and more. We are actively trying to grow our list of places that Macalester students have had success receiving gender affirming care in our local community. If you have specific resource needs, you can reach out directly to mental health counselor and Care Coordinator Jen Moore (they/them) at [email protected].

  Visit our Gender Affirming Care page for more information and FAQ. 

• Identity Specific Workshop Series

  The Identity Specific Workshop Series has been adapted to better serve you, our students. We understand that you have limited availability, and we want to meet you where you are. For this reason, student groups, leaders, collectives, clubs, classrooms, and more can invite a counselor from the Hamre Center to present on a topic of interest and join you in your own space.

  Our workshops are designed to center the needs and experiences of BIPOC, International, First Generation, and/or Queer/Trans students. We will offer a safe and supportive environment that offers an intersectional framework (including gender identity, sexuality, class, religion, disability, citizenship, and more).

  How to get started? First, you can choose a topic or we create a topic together. Second, email Hanin (she/her) at [email protected] to further discuss this opportunity.

  • Managing Stress and Inclusive Skill Building: A workshop designed to help students manage stress in healthier ways. We will discuss inclusive skill building related to managing emotions, tolerating distress, communicating more effectively with others, and staying present in your own life.
  • Introduction to Mindfulness
  • Strengthening Activism through Rest and Meditation: BIPOC and QTPOC students have been at the forefront of most social movements. In an effort to make lasting change, most activists recognize the work needs to be attended to daily. This workshop is designed to provide an introduction to mindfulness practice for student activists.
  • Self-Care in Community Activism
  • When Home is Hard: You are probably not the same person today as you were prior to starting college, though your family may only see you as who you were before. You might also find yourself unexpectedly dealing with changes at home that happened while you were away. Returning home can be challenging. This workshop offers a space to connect with others who understand having difficult dynamics at home and an opportunity to learn coping strategies.
  • Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Have you ever felt like you’re not as capable as people think you are or felt like a fraud about to be uncovered? You may be experiencing Impostor Syndrome. In this workshop, we will share techniques for recognizing and combating Impostor Syndrome.
  • Navigating Conflict – Restoring and Repairing Personal Relationships: Join this workshop to learn tools for using restorative justice principles in personal relationships.
  • Prioritizing Play and Movement: A movement-based workshop to learn stress reduction and grounding skills by focusing on spontaneity, play, and laughter.