Let's Talk Program

Curious about mental health care or need same-day support?

Taking the first step toward mental health care can be difficult. Boynton's Let’s Talk program offers informal drop-in consultations for students in need of support. There is no cost for Let’s Talk consultations and no appointment is needed

Let's Talk is not a substitute for psychotherapy or formal counseling and does not constitute mental health treatment. Let's Talk counselors provide informal consultations to help students with specific stressors and introduce them to what it’s like to speak with a counselor. Your Let's Talk counselors can help you determine whether formal counseling would be useful for you and, if appropriate, assist you in connecting to additional mental health resources.

Let's Talk is not designed to provide crisis support. For crisis services, please refer to the Crisis Mental Health Care section or call the UMN Crisis Line at 612-301-4673.

To Get Started

  1. Check out our Let’s Talk counselor bios and our schedule below to find a time that works for you.
  2. Right before entering the Let's Talk consultation space, complete a brief Google form for your Let’s Talk counselor to review. Please only complete this form when you are ready to attend a session immediately (unless using the Schedule Ahead option).
  3. Virtual: Once you've completed this form, click on the Zoom meeting link to enter the waiting room for your counselor. You will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
    In-Person: Check in at the front desk if available. If not, grab a number and slide it under the door to let the counselor know someone is waiting for them. The counselor will be with you as soon as they become available. Consultations cannot start in the final 15 minutes before a session ends.

Let's Talk Schedule

Monday

Marnie Andrews
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
Lind Hall, Room 105
Zoom link
Not available on November 10

Taylor Karnilaw
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Recreation and Wellness Center, Room 370D
Not available on December 29
 

Tuesday

Siming Xie 
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), Hubert H. Humphrey School, Room 190D
Zoom Link
Virtual only on November 11

Natalie Rivera
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Appleby Hall, Room 135

Jake Loeffler
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Recreation and Wellness Center, Room 370D

Schedule Ahead
 

Wednesday

Siming Xie
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC), Appleby Hall, Room 311 (Conference Room)
Zoom link
Not available on November 12

Thursday

Idil Ugurluoglu
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Room 133
Zoom link

Kaelyn White
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
St. Paul Student Center, Room 110
Zoom link, Meeting ID: 785 924 3610, Passcode: kaelyn4
Not available on November 27 or December 4

Eve Sussman
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Room 133
Zoom link

Friday

Sumitra Madhuri Ramachandran
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Virtual Only)
Zoom Link

 

Counselor Bios

Expand all

Chia-Chen Tu

Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese; experienced in providing bi-lingual counseling. Expertise in resilience to shame, relationship distress, anxiety, childhood trauma, cultural adjustment and identity development for international students, common concerns for first generation students or students of color, training and supervision of psychology trainees, mind-body integration.

Jake Loeffler

Expertise working with depression, anxiety/stress, mood disorders, trauma, academic skills development, grief, identity development, family and relationship issues, and spirituality. Utilizes an integrated holistic framework that incorporates person-centered, interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral and insight-oriented theories that value individual differences and diversity with the goal of identifying and developing personal strengths that foster empowerment.

Sumitra Madhuri Ramachandran

Expertise in advising and guiding prospective students as they consider graduate school and supporting graduate students from the start of their academic journey through their graduation.

Natalie Rivera

Fluent in English and Spanish. Expertise working with: multilingual, BIPOC, Latine, first generation populations; Concerns: identity development, adjustment, ethno-racial trauma, anxiety, depression, OCD, BPD, suicidality, self-harm, shame, sociopolitical climate and advocacy concerns,and familial/relational concerns. Therapy approach is guided by person centered and radical healing principles. Emphasis is on trusting the strengths and cultural understandings of clients and the communities they come from while collaboratively exploring past and present experiences that can inform healing and growth.

Siming Xie

Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese. Expertise in culturally sensitive treatment, cross-cultural adjustment, brief therapy, positive psychology, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship concerns, training and supervision, and concerns for BIPOC and international students.

Eve Sussman

Expertise in self/identity exploration, depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship concerns (relationship to self, friends, partner, family), academic concerns, grief, experiences of oppression, self-esteem, and supporting and empowering BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students.

Marnie Andrews

Experience with undergraduate and graduate students. Frequently provides holistic support to students identifying as first-generation, women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), students with racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, former foster youth, veteran students, and students with diverse abilities or accessibility needs. She has expertise in working with students navigating academic challenges, imposter syndrome, and basic needs insecurity, and supporting them in developing self-advocacy skills and resiliency.

Idil Ugurluoglu

Fluent in English and Turkish; experienced in providing counseling in both languages. Expertise working with international, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC community members in navigating adjustment, anxiety, stress, depression, relationships, trauma, or ADHD-related concerns, and supporting students for academic skills development. Utilizes a multicultural approach to meet students where they are at and empower them to reach where they want to be.

Taylor Karnilaw

Expertise working with adjustment concerns, chronic pain, masculinity and emotions, career and academic concerns, relationship concerns, anxiety, depression, identity development. Works with students to identify strengths and resiliencies with an understanding of the broader systems that are contributing to their lived experiences.

Kaelyn White

Experienced in working with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, grief, adjustment concerns, identity development/exploration, and relationship challenges. Applies a whole person, strengths based approach that values individual differences and diversity.