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“Mental health at Grand View University is finally looking up for students here on campus. Since the Fall of 2022, GVU has been without a counselor, leaving many students struggling to find help among the booked, off-campus counseling clinics. Fortunately, GVU understands how vital it is to have mental health resources for their students and put together an amazing set of reliable resources. 

Heather Thomas is GVU’s new counselor, providing students with one-on-one, confidential support. Thomas is a Des Moines local who has lots of experience to bring to the table. GVU interviewed many potential candidates, but Thomas stood out and was offered the position. 

GVU Student Affairs Officer John Howe gave insight on the hiring process as well as why Thomas was such a quality candidate.   

“…(Heather has) care, concern, she’s very steady, a great listener, which is always great for a counselor. The skill set that has come with her experience, but also her education and the resources she has at her fingertips, I think is a really great referral agent as well. There were a lot of things that aligned right,” Howe said.   

GVU was very conscientious with their hiring process and were looking out for the betterment of the students and future developments for campus, as well.  

“There is an expectation to have mental health resources on campus. I’ve been in higher education for a while. When I started to say to a student, I think we should get you to a counselor, there would be a lot of resistance, and now students are very receptive to it… there’s not that stigma, which I think is fabulous,” Howe said.  

Thomas is a warm character and skilled listener. Since she began her position in November, students have had many wonderful remarks about their experiences with her. With lots of experience, Thomas studied at Mount Mercy and then continued her education at the University of Madison-Wisconsin. After college, she moved to Des Moines and began working up the rankings with Eyerly Ball, a community mental health service. Though within her past jobs she has worked specifically with substance abuse and general community counseling with people from all walks of life, she was intrigued in the position here at GVU.  

Since starting in mid-November, Thomas said, “I wasn’t sure what I would think about only working with college students and I’ve loved it.” 

When students begin seeing Thomas for counseling, the first step taken is diagnosis. Thomas will conduct an overall assesment of the student and together they will be able to come up with a plan of action that the student is comfortable with. Thomas’ practices generally come from a cognitive behavioral therapy foundation. She strives to assist all students in whatever they may be facing.  

“I never know what is about to walk through the door but we will figure it out,” Thomas said. 

Though Thomas is a wonderful source to be able to sit down face-to-face with, she is not the only option available for students regarding their mental health needs. UWill is an online, tele-therapy resource offered for students. This service partners with colleges in order to give students mental health and wellness solutions with their immediate appointments with a licensed therapist that are based on the student’s preferences. 

“Grand View went in a different direction with UWill. We know that students don’t confront mental health between 8am-4pm on Monday through Friday,” Howe said.   

Students are able to receive five free sessions per semester with a quality counselor over Zoom. Whether students feels like they cannot find time in their schedule to meet with Thomas, are looking for a counselor of a specific background or counselor who speaks a different language, UWill is an amazing resource that is offered.  

The third and final mental health resource that is offered on campus is are the Peer Wellness Advocates (PWA). Although PWA members are not licensed therapists, they have gone through various trainings to better help fellow GV students. PWA is a perfect resource if a student feels intimidated by meeting with a therapist they may not be familiar with or talking about various life situations and hardships with a stranger. Most of the friendly faces that make up PWA are very involved on campus and may be more familiar and less intimidating for students. They are here to listen and support students in any way they can. If a student meets with one of the PWA members, the conversation will be kept completely confidential. PWA is a leading group of students that host many self-care events on campus and are always available to reach out to.  

GVU has recently undergone major shifts to its mental health resources and counseling department. It can be assured that all of these changes were well thought out and are intended for student success. GVU cares about their students and understands that life can get chaotic. They have assembled this set of resources for students to turn to when life becomes challenging and overwhelming. The future is looking much brighter for GVU students when it comes to having the proper resources that are vital for improving and overcoming mental health hardships.