You are welcome here. UMass Lowell Counseling Services welcomes people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. We want to provide a place of:

AFFIRMATION because you are valuable regardless of your skin color, hair texture, facial features, heritage, cultural values and practices, country of origin or language used.

REFUGE from overt and covert societal messages and behaviors that suggest you are somehow inferior or do not deserve to be here.

COMMUNITY to connect with those who share your experiences and those who may not share your experiences but want to understand as best as they can; those who want to support and/or advocate for equity; those who simply want to connect with you and accept you for who you are.

EMPOWERMENT to help you create your own sense of self that is shaped by your values and beliefs rather than those places upon you by others; to make choices about when you decide to take action or step back; to help you use your values, whatever they may be to guide your life and find fulfillment.

While UMLCS embraces and values you, we recognize that as a person of color, you often come in contact with individuals, institutions and systems that leave you feeling mistreated, demoralized, rejected or judged. We welcome you to talk about these experiences in our space. All of our staff is committed to our own on-going growth in cross-cultural competence to improve our ability to help you address issues related to race and mental health. We constantly check our own privilege, and make an effort to meet students where they are at. We also seek to incorporate your culturally-bound values and practices into our work together and invite you to check out the completely free and confidential services we provide.

Resources for Students of Color

UMass Lowell Office of Multicultural Affairs: This webpage has put together a list of culturally-relevant mental health needs, challenges and resources to spread more awareness of the unique experiences of marginalized groups. This list is not intended to exhaustively describe these items but offer an access point for those looking for more information or to start conversations on these topics.

Content adapted from and with permission from University of Kentucky Counseling Center.