For the first time, on-campus wellness groups will be available specifically for all Black, Caribbean, and African students at Carleton University. Previously, the groups were only accessible to racialized students living in residence.
Starting on Jan. 23, these groups will work to create safe spaces where racialized students can openly discuss their struggles and victories.
Faisa Omer, a residence counsellor for racialized groups at Carleton’s wellness centre, said the purpose of the wellness groups is to create connections between people.
“The point of the group is to create a safe space that creates a bond between the members, so we do group therapy,” Omer said. “The idea is to give these students a space where they can heal, or celebrate their triumphs.”
Fireda Ahmed, another residence counsellor who will be assisting in the organization of these groups, said she hopes these groups promote “community, connection and collective healing” by allowing open group discussion between students.
“I hope this group allows more students to find out about our services and demystify how we work around mental health issues,” Ahmed wrote in a Jan. 21 email to the Charlatan.
“We also recognize that individual counselling is more of a Western approach to dealing with mental health issues.”
Another goal Omer hopes to achieve is to destigmatize the narrative around racialized students seeking mental health support.
“I know there’s this huge stigma when it comes to mental health, especially around students in general and in our communities … The idea is to kind of lessen that stigma and foster a very safe environment,” Omer said.
Melissa Melbourne, a third-year criminology student at Carleton, said she has found it difficult to find a community she fits into. She said despite there being many groups and committees for racialized students at Carleton, there is a lack of visibility.
She said wellness groups are important for student experience and inclusion, as they give people the chance to meet like-minded peers and participate in clubs.
“You can come to understand that you’re not by yourself,” Melbourne said. “Even though you’re not one of me, and I’m not like you and I don’t share your ethnicity, I can still understand you.”
Kyle Wright, co-president of the Caribbean Student Association at Carleton, said many racialized students struggle to find proper representation of their cultures in certain groups on campus, and that attending wellness groups is something that students may not be used to.
“In our culture, we tend to not pay much attention to our wellness,” Wright said. “We come from a culture where you see it in your parents. It’s that hustle mentality.”
Wright said wellness groups can change that by building supportive communities.
“It’s important just because our stories deserve to be heard,” he said. “The people from these groups are so interesting and they go through the day feeling like no one sees them.
“It’s just really important that they feel heard. They feel supported, and feel like there are others out there and are in this wisdom together,” Wright said.
Pelumi Olagunju, social media manager for Carleton’s Black Student Alliance, said why it is important to have access to counsellors who may share similar experiences as racialized students do.
“I think that it’s also beneficial for students that will attend because they know that they’re going to speak to people who will understand them,” she said.
Olagunju said it’s time to forge new pathways for racialized students that are informed by their previous generations’ struggles.
“I think it’s very important because mental illness is something that is stigmatized, and they stem from so many things in a lot of different racialized communities. I definitely think that it’s important we can kind of break free from ‘generational curses.’”
Students can email the group therapy team to register in these wellness groups.
Featured Image provided by Faisa Omer.
