Georgian College students seek support through peer counselling program

To break the stigma and support students with their mental health, Georgian College has created a peer support counselling program.

The program was developed in 2023 and bridges the gap between students and councillors, giving students interested in the field of counselling and psychology the opportunity to work as a peer support councillor.

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Ruqiya Temouri is a psychology student at Georgian College and a mental health counsellor at the Barrie campus. She said the service has given her hands-on experience and the opportunity to support students struggling with mental health.

"I am a student in a counselling psychology program, so I felt like it's amazing to connect with students at Georgian College and just hear how I can offer my support to them as a Counselling student," she said.

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In under a year, the peer support program has supported just over 3,000 students needing counselling at the college, far surpassing the program coordinator's expectations.

"Our goal was 1,000 students in two years, so I think it just demonstrates the strength of the program and the really incredible group of support that's provided by our peer supporters," said Jennifer Lloyd, manager of mental health and well-being at the college.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), in any given year, one in five people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness, and by age 40, about 50 per cent of Canadians will have or have had a mental illness.

"It comes back to stigma, right? If people are feeling unsafe to disclose that they're struggling, then they are not likely to reach out, so we really want to reduce that to people feel safe having that conversation," said Meredith Fryia, CMHA manager of addiction services.

Friya said the conversation doesn't end on Bell Let's Talk Day. Canadians needing support can still access mental health services seven days a week, with the CMHA offering that service through their hotline.