Students participate in a workshop put on by the Center for Belonging and Social Change. Credit: Courtesy of Madison Eagle
The Center for Belonging and Social Change is hosting a self-care workshop centering the Black experience around discussions of mental health in celebration of United Black World Month Thursday.
Led by Madison Eagle and Darreon Greer, the free workshop held at the Ohio Union, titled “Bounce Back: Self-Care and Community Care,” will dive deeper into topics including self-care, self-soothing and community care.
Eagle, CBSC’s coordinator for belonging and student support, said she was inspired to put on this workshop after hearing Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Anxiety,” which discusses mental health care for Black people.
“She has really created a conversation shift around the topic of mental health and how it doesn’t have to be stigmatized,” Eagle said.
Eagle said the presentation will provide tangible and sustainable ways for students to incorporate self-care into their lives. She said it will discuss the “differences between self-care and self-soothing.”
“On social media, there is this idea that self-care is all about bubble baths or treating yourself,” Eagle said.
Greer, an embedded clinical therapist with Counseling and Consultation Services, said the workshop will allow students to share their personal experiences with self-care and will discuss how to navigate the resources available to them.
“Every student may not need therapy or mental health treatment, but we may have some resources that are for you that you just very well may not know of,” Greer said. “We have even gotten feedback from a number of students that the amount of free resources here at Ohio State overall can be a little overwhelming. Let us help you all unpack that.”
Eagle said the workshop will provide students direct ways to access services best fit for them.
“This is just a really good opportunity to walk away with some really tangible, concrete self-care, mental health skills and use those as you finish the semester,” Eagle said.
Eagle said the workshop will also discuss the different barriers students may face when reaching out for help, including not being taken seriously and facing discrimination, racism or sexism in healthcare settings.
“That can be really discouraging for folks to seek out mental health services,” Eagle said.
Greer said the goal of the workshop is to add to the culture of inclusivity at Ohio State.
“We try to pull each other in and have these interactive dialogues and cultural considerations and discussions to try not to sound so cliche with it, but to try to do our best to authentically and genuinely see each other better, see each other more,” Greer said. “To try to heal the world and make it a better place for each of us.”
The event will be held Thursday 6-8 p.m. in the Barbie Tootle Room at the Ohio Union. Dinner is provided. RSVP online is required.