With finals season in full swing, McGill’s Mental Health Services are often stretched to the max with overly stressed out and anxiety-ridden students. However, with the incredulous influx of students, this often means that students who aren’t deemed ‘priority cases’ cannot gain immediate access to the multiple services mental health provides. That’s where Vent Over Tea comes in. This relatively new program on campus is looking to help students de-stress by providing confidential peer support – without a lengthy wait time. Her Campus McGill got the chance to sit down with Vent Over Tea volunteer Anastasia Semikhnenko to learn more about this amazing initiative and how you can take advantage of their valuable services.
Alexandra Sakellariou for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): What does Vent Over Tea do?
Anastasia Semikhnenko (AS): Vent Over Tea is a student-run organization aiming to provide active listening support to students who need someone to talk or vent to. Vent Over Tea volunteers are trained in active listening, and are available to meet up with anyone who needs to talk. The meetings typically take place in quiet coffee shops, or a quiet space on campus. Vent Over Tea volunteers are compassionate and non-judgmental listeners simply there to listen; available any day of the week, anytime from when the first coffee shop opens to the time the last coffee shop closes.
HC McGill: How long has it been around and why was it started?
AS: Vent Over Tea officially launched on April 1st, 2014. It was founded by a McGill student who noticed the inaccessibility of mental health services for those not in need of emergency care. Everyone encounters distressing periods throughout life, and it helps to be able to talk it through with a caring and empathetic listener. You shouldn’t have to wait weeks to get a chance to discuss what’s bothering you, nor should you have to pay up to $100 an hour when your problem doesn’t necessarily need professional help. Vent Over Tea was established to help people de-stress by providing an outlet for people to vent to with someone outside of their inner circle of friends and family. Vent Over Tea is free, easily accessible, and you can set up an appointment that best fits your needs.
HC McGill: What are the future goals for Vent Over Tea?
AS: Vent Over Tea is working to expand the mental health resources available to students, making it easier to arrange a meeting with a compassionate listener, so that anyone in need of support has access to it. Vent Over Tea is also aiming to branch out of the McGill community, to not only provide active listening support for students but also for the general public.
HC McGill: What would a typical venting session look like? How does someone indicate they want a session and how do they and the ‘ventee’ meet?
AS: In a typical venting session, the student has the opportunity to vent about his or her problem. The volunteer listens and facilitates the conversation to help the student work through their problem through talking about it. In order to book a session, students can submit a form at ventovertea.com where they can indicate their availability times and what they want to talk about. They are then matched with a volunteer who will contact the student via e-mail to set up a meeting time and location.
HC McGill: Did your volunteers have to go through any training or have qualifications in order to volunteer?
AS: Every volunteer has been thoroughly interviewed and has received additional training in active listening. Some volunteers, however, have received more extensive training through volunteering or working with other organizations.
HC McGill: Does Vent Over Tea target a specific area of personal difficulty (ex. mental health, grieving, academic stress)? Or, are ‘venters’ free to talk about anything that is troubling them?
AS: Venters are free to talk about absolutely anything that is troubling them. We encourage ventees to include what they’d like to discuss when submitting their form online. This helps us make the best match between venter and volunteer, as certain volunteers may be more knowledgeable or experienced in a specific area. It is worth noting though that our volunteers are not a replacement for professional help.
HC McGill: Some people may feel uncomfortable talking to a stranger about their personal life. Why should they not feel this way about Vent Over Tea?
AS: Talking to someone you don’t know personally can actually be very liberating. Unlike family or friends, volunteers don’t have any expectations or biases; there’s freedom to discuss anything and everything without consequence. Vent Over Tea’s goal is to provide a safe space where a student can discuss what is bothering him or her in a non-judgemental environment. Furthermore, all the Vent Over Tea meetings are confidential, meaning that volunteers will not divulge any information relating to the content of the discussion to other people (with the exception of life-threatening information).
HC McGill: Why did you personally want to volunteer with Vent Over Tea?
AS: I really love the concept of Vent Over Tea and I feel and know from personal experience that everyone sometimes has the need to vent about certain aspects of their lives. Often people do not feel comfortable discussing their problems with their friends or family, or they feel that they do not want to burden them. I find that the support that Vent Over Tea offers is really important.
HC McGill: What is your advice for someone struggling or going through a difficult time?
AS: I would advise someone going through a difficult time to take a step back and try to find the causes of what is bothering him or her. Branching out to family and friends is also really important. If, however, you do not feel comfortable discussing certain issues, then branch out to a peer support network. Often a single discussion can make you look at the things that are bothering you differently and make you less stressed about them and make your life more enjoyable.
If you want to take advantage of the awesome services that Vent Over Tea provides or contact them with any questions, you can check out their Facebook Page or Website!
Images provided by interviewee.