To help people deal with stress and other feelings brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, graduate students in Florida Gulf Coast Univerity's Counseling Department will be offering virtual one-on-one support meetings to the public starting in May.
The department’s clinical and accreditation coordinator Dr. Yaro Garcia is overseeing the initiative.
"These support meetings are meant to provide that support and get the community to have someone to connect to," Garcia said.
Participants can schedule up to 10 individual support meetings at no cost.
Second-year mental health counseling graduate student Gracie Tipton said participating students will not advise or treat people during the sessions.
"It's basically having somebody to talk to," Tipton said. "They’re trying to help individuals alleviate stress at home, we’re all locked up so this is helping individuals relay some of that stress they may be feeling."
Individual support meetings will be available through July.
