BYU Counseling hosts conversation about racial stress at Latinos Unidos meeting

Mark Beecher and his colleague, Hui Wai Yoko Cadwell, led a discussion on academic and racial stress at a Latinos Unidos club event on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Beecher is a licensed psychologist who works at BYU Counseling and Psychological Services. He teaches classes such as positive living and specializes in different mental health areas including multicultural and diversity issues, depression and anxiety, and eating disorders.

“We talked about some basic relaxation strategies like breathing exercises, focusing on the present, mindfulness, some of those kinds of things,” Mark Beecher said.

Beecher led the group through an exercise where they were told to stare at the hands of a clock and focus on their breathing — one way to help students calm down when they are going through a stressful situation.

The group discussed stressors and how to recognize them when they are happening. The discussion was then opened up to any questions that the students may have had.

“This event is super important for us as students, specifically due to the amount of stress and anxiety we experience, especially for us as a minority here at BYU.” Izzy Riera, a member of the Latinos Unidos club said.

The students were reminded to give themselves the same benefit of the doubt that they would give to others and to remember to go easy on themselves when they are struggling.

Beecher hopes to get rid of some of the misconceptions that surround the CAPS office that make some students feel hesitant to go.

“I guess I hope, number one, that they feel like there are some resources on campus to be helpful, that they’re going to be heard and understood if they come to get some psychological services.” Beecher said.

The CAPS walk-in office hours are every day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.