Southwestern Michigan College this fall partnered with a teletherapy platform that offers three 50-minute online sessions to students.

Cody Semrau founded BetterMynd in 2017 because of mental health challenges he experienced himself as a college student.

“I know how hard it can be to ask for help when struggling, so I created an online experience with the mission of making getting help easier for any college student who needs it,” Semrau said.

BetterMynd serves 75 colleges and universities.

An estimated 49 percent of U.S. college students have symptoms of depression or anxiety disorder, according to the latest Healthy Minds Study, a national survey conducted during the 2022-23 school year.

Of 76,406 college students who participated in the annual online survey, 14 percent reported they seriously thought about attempting suicide in the past year. Two percent said they attempted to take their own lives. Nearly one third said they intentionally injured themselves in the previous 12 months.
Thirty-six percent of respondents reported receiving therapy or counseling in the past year. But 41 percent believe a stigma attaches to doing that.

Director of Academic Advising Kathie Gries has helped write United Way of Southwest Michigan grants that have funded SMC counseling services since 2017. Pre-BetterMynd, the college employed a female professional part-time.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and enormous demand, “There’s a crisis right now with mental health therapists,” Gries said.

As of March, 160 million Americans live in areas with mental health professional shortages, with more than 8,000 more needed to ensure an adequate supply.

“I was hesitant” about the online therapy option initially, Gries admitted, until she saw the  benefits available to SMC students, including ease of registration and scheduling, an ability to choose from a diverse team of counselors, increased availability of counselors evenings and weekends and better service to online students.

“We used our in-person counselor’s departure as an opportunity to re-look at our options,” Dean of Student Development Dr. Katie Hannah said.

“Moving forward,” Gries said, “I think all schools are going to have to have some form of therapy because it’s become such an important piece. Previously, there was a little stigma about mental health, especially in some cultures, but COVID really opened people’s eyes about talking to someone about how you’re feeling. That might one positive thing that came out of COVID.

“Now we have a bank of therapists who are credentialed in Michigan — or where you live, which could be Indiana or California if the student enrolls in the online psychology program. That’s an improvement, and so is being able to meet with somebody like yourself that you can identify with. That’s the biggest advantage. And they can do it sitting cross-legged on their beds.”

“A lot of people have created accounts, but haven’t used any therapy yet, which I think is preferred,” Gries said. “Mental health is not something to hide or be ashamed of, thanks to education.”

It reminds her of the hushed tones previous generations reserved to whisper about cancer.

Students turn to therapy for any number of challenges — loss of a loved one, persistent anxiety, feeling consistently low or sad, handling a breakup, past or current experiences of trauma or abuse, academic pressures and performance, housing or roommate tension, challenges with family members or at home, stress from being the first in their families to attend college or experiencing discrimination related to race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, weight or immigration status.

“If they feel a stigma,” Hannah said, “students can go on the site without talking to anyone at SMC. They can do their survey, select a counselor, make an appointment with a counselor and meet with a counselor. There is no barrier, like having to walk into an office. We really want students to sign up and use this resource.”