Therapy at Boynton Health
Winter is coming, and Boynton Health is here to help, to some extent.
By Miranda Shapiro
These days, it seems like everyone is going through it. Maybe it’s due to our never-ending descent into a depressing political landscape or the impending climate disaster. Every day, there is news saying we have 10 years until the planet dies or five years until overpopulation kills us; everything is in demise. So it’s no surprise that students are in need of help. That help comes in the form of Boynton Health.
According to the Boynton Student Survey Report, 41.5% of students report not being able to manage their stress, which can come from a number of things, including roommate conflicts, homework, and finance. However, Boynton only offers 10 sessions of one-on-one therapy per student per year. Is that enough for the hardships students have to deal with on a daily basis?
My personal experience with Boynton has been rocky. I went to get therapy when the school year started, unable to deal with the anxiety that was bogging me down. Things went smoothly in the beginning. The therapist I first met with was lovely. She listened to my issues, gave me sound advice, and recommended that I get evaluated for medication. The only issue I had was when I missed an appointment because I got sick. I was annoyed at the $20 charge I received.
A couple of weeks went by and my evaluation was due. I went in, expecting the warmth and hospitality that my first therapist had given me, despite her having to meet with many students every day. But when the evaluation began, it was not what I expected. The therapist started with a standard greeting and dove in.
“So, if you tell me you’re suicidal, I have to press this button and they’ll take you to the hospital,” she said nonchalantly. “Have you had any suicidal thoughts lately?”
I was caught off guard. It seemed like a set-up. Why would a student acknowledge having suicidal thoughts after being threatened to be taken to a hospital against their will?
The evaluation went on how it started. The therapist talked about serious matters in an almost robotic way. I didn’t feel comfortable talking to her. At the end, I expected her to recommend multiple medications and run through them with me. She didn’t. She gave me one medication, told me about the possible side effects, and sent me off with my prescription. I felt like I was a product of the Boynton therapy machine.
Other students have noticed this type of treatment, too. I posted a question on my Instagram, asking people to share their experiences, positive or negative. “They gave me a mental health diagnosis that I needed, but couldn’t help me beyond that,” one student said. Others complained about the long waitlists, sporadic scheduling, and appointment limits. However, some had nothing but good things to say. “They accommodated my preference to have a WOC as a therapist, which I’ve found to be super helpful,” one student said. “I’d say they are really good for temporary issues/things that happen to everyone,” another student said.
At the end of the day, everyone’s case is different, though some are more severe than others. And maybe Boynton is helpful for those people who need a push towards fixing their mental health, but there needs to be a change. There are more than 40,000 students at the University and fewer than 50 mental health providers at Boynton.
Getting help isn’t easy, and Boynton is easy to access, for the most part. However, students pay a lot of money to live and go to school here. Asking for simple things like more appointments per year, more personal connections, and more availability doesn’t sound unreasonable.