Many people view the winter season as just the holiday season, and believe it harbors nothing but cheer. However, seasonal depression is a mood disorder that many people are affected by annually. This lines up with midterms and finals in the fall trimester, causing stress and anxiety to overwhelm many college students, putting a damper on that holiday cheer. Although this is a scary thought, there are things that can be done right here on campus to better understand your mind and how to take care of it.

“I think it’s easy to kind of isolate yourself during the colder months, it can be awful, but I think kind of providing a structure for yourself and continuing to do things that make you happy or finding outlets can help. Continue to make yourself happy,” said Rachel Drechsler, USAO’s coordinator for Student Wellness & Accommodations.

USAO’s Student Services offers many different mental health services to its students, and many are completely free to students. Things like one-on-one counseling, workshops, and referrals to outside, private therapy centers are available with a quick email to the counseling center on campus. Additionally, USAO offers BetterMynd, an online therapy for college students. They offer six free sessions right away where participants choose their counselor and meeting time. The Student Center’s staff also offer their offices for privacy during these online calls if students feel uncomfortable in places where they might be heard. This offer pertains to meetings held during the Student Services’ hours of operation: weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm.

USAO will soon be partner with TAO, or Therapy Assistance Online, which offers many different resources for college students to assist their mental health and integrity. The one-on-one counseling currently offered, as of November 2022, includes two counselors, with one available on Mondays and the other on Tuesdays. Both counselors take students by appointment throughout the day and do their best to work with schedules. Kirby Ladyman, a Licensed Professional Counselor candidate, the person available on Mondays, has hours from 12pm-3pm currently. Rex Fryer, a Licensed Professional Counselor, the person available Tuesdays, has hours from 11am-3pm currently.

Kirby Ladyman, a licensed professional counselor candidate, works on Mondays with hours from 12 pm-3 pm currently. Rex Fryer, a licensed professional counselor, works on Tuesdays with hours from 11 am-3 pm currently. If neither of these counselors’ schedules work for you then the referral options are always available. This can also happen if the concerns exceed the short-term focus of the on-campus counselors.

Additionally, there are workshops offered periodically throughout the trimester focusing on different topics, including self-esteem, managing your relationship with stress, healthy relationships, and time management in college.

If the trimester seems like it’s never going to end, just keep your eyes forward as best as possible because the holiday break is approaching fast.

“Just try to do your best, sometimes it’s hard but you just have to make it to December 2nd, and then you’re good. You get to take a break,” said Drechsler to encourage students to make it until the end of the fall trimester.

To learn more about these services, go to https://usao.edu/student-life/student-services/counseling-services/index.html. Additionally, email Rachel Drechsler at rdrechsler@usao.edu, or send an email to usaocounseling@usao.edu if you have any other questions.

Bea Bourland is a first-year Environmental Science and Biology major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.