“I felt ridiculous for asking for a mental health care provider with the knowledge and competency to give me the care that I needed. Yale health is not equipped to support working class students of color and queer students until they can provide fast, easy access to care with counselors who share their lived experiences.”

Because I do not have to pay the student income contribution, I have been able to find time in my schedule for counseling appointments, and have had enough flexibility during business hours to get matched with a therapist much faster than some of my peers. However, when I asked to be paired with a queer therapist during my intake appointment, the man taking my information shrugged and told me that it was possible but he was not confident. I felt ridiculous for asking for a mental health care provider with the knowledge and competency to give me the care that I needed. Yale health is not equipped to support working class students of color and queer students until they can provide fast, easy access to care with counselors who share their lived experiences. Any plan to reopen Yale in the fall must include provisions for how to remove barriers to mental health care for students regardless of class. My name is Sarah (’20) and I’m fighting for more queer therapists.

Sarah Mele, They/them, 2020, GH