Anna Hudak, features editor

As the end of the semester approaches, final exams loom and students begin to coordinate their summer plans, it is easy to become overwhelmed or anxious. The Center for Wellness and Counseling (CWC), a resource available to all Augsburg students on the first floor of Anderson Residence Hall, is prepared to offer students the support they need to navigate the pressures and challenges that accompany this time of year. Counseling through the CWC offers students new techniques for coping with these challenges. In addition to counseling, the CWC supports wellness event programming on campus and can refer students to specific resources off campus. 

The CWC’s licensed counselors are dedicated to supporting students and helping them thrive academically and personally. According to the CWC’s website, their mission is to provide “short-term, confidential, strengths-based counseling, from a stance of cultural humility which seeks to honor each student’s goals, cultural background, and identities.” Each student has 10 free counseling sessions with the CWC, and “students come to counseling for many different reasons: anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, losses, loneliness, procrastination, family problems, problems with sleep, problems with focus, concerns about eating and body image, sexual and gender identity, coping with microaggressions, and more. You don’t have to worry that what you are struggling with “isn’t important” — it is important to us,” according to their website.

Appointments with counselors can be made by sending an email to cwc@augsburg.edu or calling 612-330-1707. The CWC also has walk-in hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For students who are in need of urgent counseling when the CWC is closed, after-hours counseling is provided through a partnership with ProtoCall at 612-330-1707. Upon calling, follow the prompt by pressing #1. 

Although the CWC is most known for its counseling, they are also actively engaged on campus to find ways to promote well-being. The CWC supports initiatives and programming to promote mental health awareness and self-care practices aligned with their holistic vision of health, including Sound Healing and Yoga. Wellness Wednesdays (every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) have included events such as Painting Day, Mini Zen Garden and Friendship Bracelets. These events create community and promote self-care in Augsburg’s student body. If you’re interested in making a furry friend, the CWC even has Auggie Doggies Day with emotional support dogs (and sometimes cats) every first Wednesday of the month in the CWC lobby! All Augsburg students are encouraged to participate in these events and practice wellness together. 

For those who are not inclined to attend events or have counseling, the CWC website contains an array of self-help resources relating to mindfulness, healing from racial trauma, eating concerns and more. Unfortunately, the CWC does not remain open during the summer. However, there are many free and low-cost counseling services available to students including the Lotus Therapy Fund, Open Path and Hamm Clinic. A comprehensive list can be found on the CWC website.