If you’re reading this, you have a friend in us.
We are Kendall and Ian, and we are excited to announce that we are the Peer Contacts for If You’re Reading This. We joined IYRT because we want to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health issues and help anyone who struggles with it. Like many of you, we have both had our personal struggles with mental health, so while we may not have experienced some of the problems you are going through, we do understand the difficulty and pain that goes with anxiety, depression, and other mental hardships. Our goal is to let you all know we are here for you as a friend with a shoulder you can lean on.
As Peer Contacts, we provide counseling for UVA students who might need a friend to listen. If you need someone to talk to and are not comfortable seeing a professional or hesitant to discuss it with your friends, please reach out to us. We are more than willing to help in any way we can, whether it be a simple check-in, providing guidance, or connecting you with other available resources. We are both mental health first aid certified and have gone through extensive empathy training; however, we are not professionally certified counselors. We are here to communicate, empathize, and understand what you are going through, no matter the scale of the issue. Our meetings will remain 100% confidential, and they can be as casual as a coffee date or as personal as a closed door meeting. This is simply an easily accessible resource to provide you with unbiased support and advice. Whatever you need, we will provide it. If you’re reading this, you have a friend in us.
Kendall & Ian, Peer Contacts