Northwoods Reporter

University of Wisconsin-Superior issued the following announcement on May 27.

Kevin Lynch is a member of our Counseling Services team and Lori Tuominen is a program manager at the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being.

The health and counseling services team at UW-Superior care deeply about our students’ mental health and wellbeing and help carry out the university’s commitment to embracing a ‘Culture of Care.’ During Mental Health Awareness Month, we caught up with two staff members that students meet when visiting Counseling Services or the Pruitt Center for Well-Being and asked them to introduce themselves.Meet Kevin Lynch and Lori Tuominen.

Kevin Lynch, M.Ed., LPC – Clinical Counselor

Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to become a mental health counselor.

I have been at UW-Superior for about four years now.  I love the area, and could not imagine myself in any other place.  When I am not here on campus, I am likely spending time with my wife and two kids. We enjoy the many beautiful things that surround us in this area, and love taking our three dogs for hikes, and hunting in the fall with them. As for the counseling part of my life and how I got here, it just seemed to be a natural fit for me. I grew up in a supportive family. Even when things became difficult, I still had support. I think each person deserves that same kind of support from someone no matter what they’re going through, so I wanted to be that person and thought counseling would be a good place to start.

What could someone expect on their first counseling visit with you?

During the first session with me I want to find out what the person wants to achieve or work toward. I want to find out what is important in their life and their values. I want to learn about the person I am talking with. I also want to learn about their strengths. The first session may seem overwhelming at times with all the questions I ask, but I try and keep my approach conversational and friendly.

What advice do you have for people who are considering scheduling a counseling session?

Just give it a shot. At the very least you will have judgement-free space to talk about what is important to you, and your life. You’ll be supported and challenged during sessions to be able to create positive change in your life outside of sessions.

What are some of the changes you’ve seen in peoples’ overall mental health concerns in the past couple of years?

Some big changes I have seen in the last couple of years is the increase in feelings of isolation people have been experiencing. We are all social beings and with the increase in isolation and lack of physical proximity, people are experiencing more symptoms of depression and anxiety. Reconnecting with others is important as we continue to move through the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Lori Tuominen - Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being Program Manager

Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to become a program manager at the UWS Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being.

I have always been interested in helping people to become their best selves. I like to listen to people share their stories and learn from their experiences. I also like to ask questions and share my perspective, perhaps helping them to see things in a way they hadn’t considered before. Teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, along with the Intro to Mindfulness course that I co-teach with Randy Barker, are my favorite things to do for this reason. I like meeting people where they are and helping them consider additional possibilities. My interest in Positive Psychology began in the mid 90’s when our kids were young. Our son who was in second grade at the time had some behavioral difficulties in school and we had many meetings about it. I had just read a book called Positive Discipline, so the next time we met with the teacher and I asked her, “What percentage of the time would you say he’s misbehaving?” Her response was, “Fifteen percent.” I said, “Fifteen percent? So that means 85 percent of the time he’s behaving appropriately? Why aren’t we focusing on that?”

What could someone expect when they meet you at the Pruitt Center?

I love to learn about other people and laugh. So the first visit to the Pruitt Center might include me asking you a bunch of questions or sharing a bad joke or two so we can laugh together. I might ask you where your favorite place to travel is, or what your favorite thing to do is. I might also suggest we take a walk outside (no matter what time of year!), because there is such value in getting outside.

What advice do you have for people who are considering taking a class or visiting the Pruitt Center?

Please come and visit any time! Have a cup of tea, maybe practice some mindfulness together, look through our resources, tell me about yourself. Randy and I strongly believe that we would never teach a person how to swim when they’re drowning; why do we wait until things are in crisis before we seek help? A person shouldn’t have to be in crisis to feel cared for or to receive care.

What are some of the changes you’ve seen in peoples’ overall mental health concerns in the past couple of years?

I think the pandemic has been tough on many people in a lot of different ways. Isolation and loneliness were high pre-COVID, and they’ve only gotten worse in the past two years. I think many of us have gotten out of practice for how to be social, so social situations can cause anxiety for many of us. I also think many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the news (COVID, politics, racial and social disparity, to name a few). I also think a person can be informed without being informed to the point of being overwhelmed. Perhaps take a moment to read the news once a day instead of ten times a day, or every other day instead of daily. Taking care of our mental health is as important as taking care of our physical health. Perhaps even more important.

Original source can be found here.