Active Minds of Long Beach City College hosted the online event, Conversations with a Mental Health Professional, with Dr. Amy La last Thursday.
This online event was hosted by Sergio Grimaldi, the Healthy Viking coordinator for Long Beach City College. Sergio has joined Active Minds so that way he could, “. . .remove the stigma of mental health, and because I saw how it has affected people of color.”
This free online event was an hour long, allowing anyone who joined to ask questions that they wanted to ask a mental health professional.
Dr. Amy La, a mental health clinician for LBCC’s Student Health Services, was very open and detailed when answering every question, giving a lot of valuable information to attendees.
La answered questions about studying psychology, and discussed advice on what to ask when going to a therapist.
One of the biggest topics that was discussed was the stigma of mental health and going to see a therapist.
“I wish that we could talk about it freely, it should be nonchalant. It should be everyday conversations. You’re not crazy or broken, it is normal and it should be normal to talk about,” said La.
She expressed her passion for removing the different stigmas of mental health and talked about what people should do when looking for a therapist.
“There is no exact formula. You have the right to interview them and see if they fit. Sometimes there are things that you want like similar gender or cultural background. Do your research and see who is a right fit for you. Check credentials, check complaints, see if their license has been suspended. Ask, ‘are they hearing me, or are they trying to tell me something else?”
“Treat looking for a therapist like you’re picking a hair stylist. See who you connect with,” said La.
Since school is now online, so are all mental health services. The services are free after the $20 health fee that students pay at the beginning of the semester. These sessions are over the phone and students on average have three to four sessions with a mental health professional.
“Just call us, it is voluntary and you can talk with us at any time. It is all confidential and we do not hold it on your student record. When we talk to you for the first time, it is not the last time to share everything about you. Go at your pace to share about yourself. Some people want me to ask questions about them and some want me to just listen,” said La.
Since school is online and outside activity is limited due to COVID-19, self-care is a major factor in maintaining good mental health.
“Self-care! Now it is limited to what you can do before. Look what it was before our current situation. Take time for yourself to relax. Get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, avoid things are irregular in your routine. Routine is your best friend when maintaining good mental health,” said La, regarding what people can do to maintain mental health at home.
The event closed with La telling people to talk about mental health more and create conversations about it.
Below is a link to the mental health service page for Long Beach City College.