By Lauryn Jelsema, Culture Editor
Wege Student Center, which houses the CHW office – Photo by Aquinas College
Many Aquinas students may not be aware of the Counseling, Health & Wellness department or its mental health services, despite the high risk of stress among college students nationally.
According to a 2025 study, administered by the Healthy Minds Network based at the University of Michigan, 37 percent of college students show depressive symptoms, 32 percent show symptoms of anxiety and 52 percent report high levels of loneliness.
The services that the CHW provides are meant to alleviate the burden that students feel trying to keep up with sports and schoolwork.
Although mental health services can be costly, Aquinas offers many free benefits, including counseling. Any currently enrolled student registered in at least one class is eligible to receive free counseling services, with up to eight fifty-minute therapy sessions per semester. If there is cause to believe a student needs more frequent sessions, eight can be a starting point, and they can continue as needed. All sessions are confidential due to legal regulations, such as HIPAA, so students are welcome to visit the counseling center for a safe space to discuss anything that might be weighing on them.
For those wary to try therapy, Crystal Kasper, a CHW intern, says to simply just go for it.
“Let go of the worry about what it will be like. Let go of the worry about only getting eight sessions. Let go of worry about cost, as it is currently a free service. And please let go of the worry that it won’t be confidential,” said Kasper. “90% of counseling success is finding a clinician that you like and trust. The other 10% is the client’s willingness to try new things or follow the recommendations given to see change.”
Kasper currently serves as one of three CHW counseling interns and works with many different students who come into the office. She is completing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with an emphasis in Child and Adolescent Disorders online from Grand Canyon University, at the moment. Interns like Kasper are able to provide free care to students by gaining the practical experience required for their degrees, benefiting both parties.
Although the interns have not fully completed their education, and are still navigating mental health practices, all services are overseen by a state-licensed mental health professionals: Director of counseling services, Wade Stitt. He oversees all activity within CHW, and has insight into each client and every session, so interns are monitored and supervised. Wade acts as a teacher for the interns in many ways.
However, Kasper, along with the two other CHW interns Jonah Maichele and Heidi Carlson, is leaving Aquinas. All caseloads from this year are to be distributed amongst the new, incoming interns.
“We have two already in place, and will be interviewing for the 3rd internship slot in the coming months,” said director Wade Stitt.
Though this should not discourage students from trying out some of CHW’s services. As interns like Kasper held clients from the start of the fall semester up until now, there is still stability within the therapy offered; but if that does not appeal to some Saints, there are options other than just one-on-one therapy sessions.
The CWH also has a “wellness zone” located in its office, in the basement of Wege, which is open to everyone on campus and is free to use during business hours. The area features a massage chair, a vitamin D Lamp, coloring, puzzles, meditation and relaxing music. It provides a pressure-free space for students to relax and decompress, offering relief beyond just talk therapy.
As Aquinas continues to address the mental health needs of its students, the availability of free counseling and wellness resources through the CHW department marks a significant step toward fostering a supportive campus environment.
Outside of the CHW office – Photo by Lauryn Jelsema
The Saint 