WEST MICHIGAN — From East Lansing to West Michigan, therapists are reaching out to the Michigan State University community to offer their services.
"We're offering you know online services to that community and people in our community at a free or reduced cost, you know short-term to make sure we can be there," says Olivia Brooks-Mclaughlin, a counselor at Lake Michigan Counseling Services.
Mental health matters, and while many of us may feel we can sort through our feelings ourselves, having some help can make all the difference in our well-being.
We've talked about checking in on friends and loved ones - and yes, that's so important— but as we continue to see and hear about the mass shooting at MSU, the emotional effects may ebb and flow with no rhyme or reason.
And another thing to think about - many of us are all trying to process this in our own way. And while talking is important, therapists say sometimes the best listeners are professionals.
"There's so many mixed emotions specifically with trauma, grief, loss, you know grief is kind of like a fingerprint you know not one person's experiences are the same, so it is so important that people allow themselves to talk,” explains Brooks-Mclaughlin.
“One of the difficulties is sometimes we think we can just talk to people you know in our lives friends and family but there's such a ripple effect. and sometimes the distress is so big that you know it's better to talk to someone confidentially who you can really process because it's a lot of complex emotions a lot of ups and downs," she continued.
That's one reason Brooks-Mclaughlin and many of her colleagues at Michigan Counseling Services are offering free and reduced-cost therapy to the MSU community.
"Just being validated I think is a big one, sometimes we may feel ok but what if I didn't get direct exposure?’,” says Brooks-Mclaughlin. “Well you know you're completely valid so just knowing that someone is there for you for that purpose to help you through all of that complex trauma and emotions."
If you feel you need to speak with someone - we have so many resources.
Click hereto learn more about Lake Michigan Counseling Services.
A list of mental health resources can be found below:
Kent County
Ottawa County
Kalamazoo
Battle Creek
Allegan County
Muskegon
