Good2Talk to create lounge at Laurier

/

Graphic by Alan Li

Good2Talk, a helpline for post-secondary students in Ontario, will be creating a lounge at Wilfrid Laurier University on March 16 and 17 for students to learn more about the resources available to them in a safe, calming environment.

Good2Talkโ€™s outreach coordinator Megan Van Massenhoven explained that Good2Talk is a free and confidential service that is available 24 hours, seven days a week, all year-round.

โ€œAnyone who calls the helpline can get information in French or English about services and supports on their campus or in their local community, like off-campus mental health services. Or they can speak to a counsellor right on the phone,โ€ Van Massenhoven said.

The idea behind creating the lounge on campuses for students is to essentially recreate a similar environment which would mimic the experience of calling Good2Talk.

The lounge, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the concourse, will include couches and bean bag chairs, providing a space for students to unwind, relax and hangout while learning about the services Good2Talk offers.

As well, there will be free giveaways and a masseuse will be present to give free massages for students who stop by.

โ€œWe feel as though the experience when you call Good2Talk is that you feel a little bit of that pressure taken off, a little bit of a safe space to talk to somebody about whatโ€™s going on,โ€ Van Massenhoven said.

โ€œA lot of people have said you know it reminds them of their living room โ€ฆ thatโ€™s exactly what weโ€™re going for, to make people feel at home and comfortable while learning about, and hopefully accessing, the service when they need it.โ€

Ultimately, the goal of the lounge is to expose students to the calming environment that they provide, especially if students are currently unaware of Good2Talkโ€™s services.

โ€œWe want them to see the lounge and remember that Good2Talk is available to them all the time, even if they donโ€™t need it right now … they might have a friend who needs help finding a service on campus or needs someone to talk to,โ€ Van Massenhoven said.

As well, Good2Talk may be beneficial for students who need assistance outside of typical hours offered by on-campus mental health services.

โ€œHaving that information will be vital down the road when they need to access it,โ€ she said.

โ€œThis is the first time weโ€™ve done a big marketing campaign like this where we have something like an event on campus and itโ€™s been really well-received. We would like to bring it to as many campuses as possible.โ€


Leave a Reply

Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. Weโ€™re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.