New free wellness coaching available for Utah college students
According to the American College Health Association, about half of college students experience moderate or serious psychological distress during a given semester. With midterms rapidly approaching, USU students are already feeling the pressure.
“Right now, I really feel like I’m pretty swamped,”said Aidan Meek, a senior studying mechanical engineering. “There’s a lot of stuff going on. Labs, projects, work, et cetera. It’s a lot.”
Trula Campus, based out of St. George, is a little-known resource available to students during this stressful time. Founded in 2019, the non-profit adopts a unique approach to student wellness, pairing students with a trained peer coach to help them accomplish academic and personal development goals.
Annie Buxton, a senior studying communications, is one of those peer coaches. She explained the role of a coach is to help students find the answers already inside themselves.
A typical session lasts about 30 minutes and is conducted over Zoom, phone call or text. Students practice grounding exercises such as deep breathing, discuss how their week has been and set goals for the future.
Buxton said her experience as a peer coach has been rewarding. “I’ve definitely learned a lot, and it’s been cool to see the kids progress,” she said.
Dillon Marstella, another Trula peer coach, mentioned one of Trula’s main advantages is its convenience. Students fill out a short online form and then receive a text from a peer coach within one or two days.
During a student’s first session, coaches introduce themselves, establish a relationship and go over their privacy policy or other concerns. Students typically do one session each week for six weeks.
The best part? It’s free.
Through their partnership with the Utah System of Higher Education, or USHE, Trula provides free peer coaching to students at any public college, university or tech school in Utah. Any student at these institutions can get in touch with a Trula peer coach, whether they are an undergraduate or graduate student.
USHE institutions include Utah State University, Weber StateUniversity, the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College and Dixie State University. However, private colleges and universities such as Brigham Young University and Westminster College are not included in this network.
Earlier this year, USHE allocated $1.45 million to the Trula Foundation. An additional $1 million fund compensates Trula’s peer coaches for their time, with scholarships of $1,000 or $2,000.
USU’s Counseling and Psychological Services, has a similar peer coaching program called CAPS REACH. According to former REACH peer and recent graduate Reed Erickson, CAPS almost always has a lengthy waitlist, with most attention focused on students facing immediate crises.
Additionally, it is almost impossible to meet with a CAPS REACH peer without a referral from one of CAPS therapists. USU does not have the capacity to meet demand, especially for students who are deemed lower risk.
Beth Haggart, Trula’s chief wellness officer, explained the benefits of Trula’s unique approach. Peer coaching can serve as a preventative treatment before negative emotions cascade into a full-blown breakdown. Additionally, getting ahead of the problem can help students build their confidence and resilience.
She also noted peer coaching is evidence based and supported by a large body of research. Trula plans to conduct a study of their own in collaboration with Joanna Drinane from the University of Utah.
They hope to demonstrate that Trula’s program is effective in promoting well-being, reducing stress and establishing positive peer relationships.
Trula is not currently at scale but hopes to expand throughout Utah and eventually nationwide. For the time being, however, most students who use Trula go to Dixie State University, where the company got its start.
Rachel Zundel, a junior studying marketing and business administration, was enthusiastic when asked about adopting Trula’s peer coaching program more broadly at USU.
“I think that would be super beneficial to people who don’t want to go in person [or] can’t get resources right now,” she said.
However, it is important to note that peer coaching is distinct from mental health services. “Coaching isn’t therapy, it is outside of that scope, it is a very specific area,” said Tasha McNamee, Trula’s program director. “We are present and future focused, we’re not working on things necessarily in the past or diagnosis. That’s a therapist’s realm of work. Ours is to help students find their goals.”
Although Trula’s peer coaches receive eight hours of training and go over various topics relating to mental health, there is no substitute for professional help.
Peer coaches are mandatory reporters, which means they are required to tell their supervisor if they learn of a student who experienced suicidal ideation, a sexual assault or abuse. It is best to consult a licensed clinician if you are struggling with a serious mental health issue.
For students who want to better their time management, accomplish goals or work on self-improvement, McNamee said that Trula can help.
If you are interested in learning more about Trula you can visit their website at www.trulacampus.org. For more wellness and mental health resources, check out USU’s Aggie Wellness page at www.usu.edu/aggiewellnessand download the Utah State Safe app from the App Store or Google Play.
Edward.Pfeiffer@usu.edu