Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Massachusetts on February 8, 2026 , Win , 71, to, 57
WBB
Final
James Madison
71
at Massachusetts
57
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Dukes Let’s Talk: JMU Makes Mental Health a Priority
10/21/2020 3:00:00 PM | Administration, Student-Athlete Services
Dukes Let's Talk is a way of showing how mental health is valued at JMU, specifically in the athletic department. Stigma is often discussed when talking about mental health and that is especially prevalent in athletics. This is our way to keep the conversations going and hope to break down barriers for student-athletes who need help.
Assistant athletic trainer Lauren Sander and football academic advisor Ashley Parsons answered questions about the origin of Dukes Let's Talk, its leadership and the positive impact it has made on JMU's student-athletes.
How and when did Dukes Let's Talk get started?
Lauren: Dukes Let's Talk truly started with Denesha Morris, an academic advisor for student-athlete services. In the fall of 2018, I was working on my Master's thesis looking at the help-seeking behaviors of student-athletes when it came to mental health support services. When I presented my proposal at a head coaches meeting, our sport psychologist Dr. Bob connected me with Denesha, who was working on gathering student-athlete representatives from each team to be mental health advocates. I met with her the following Sunday at their first official meeting to discuss the mission and the vision of what the group was going to look like. A few days before this meeting, Eric Kussin and We Are All A Little Crazy came to campus and presented on the concept of #SameHere. Their message was that we all have different life experiences that impact our mental health and well-being.
Mental health exists on a spectrum and it's a sliding scale that can change day-to-day. This presentation could not have come at a better time. Our goal with this "mental health awareness group" was to continue the conversation that had started with that presentation. That day of that first meeting, Denesha had confided in me that she was planning to leave JMU and asked if I could take over the responsibilities of getting the program off the ground. From there, I continued to work with the support of Jenn Phillips, Tom Kuster, Bob Harmison, and Melinda Fox to make it happen. I also received a lot of support and gathered inspiration from Olivia Lubarsky, a gymnast at Towson University who had already created a similar group called "Own Your Roar."
I believe Denesha got this idea off the ground because of all the things she heard regularly as an academic advisor surrounding mental health. As a built-in support system, she saw the need for something more. I could completely relate. As an athletic trainer, I spend most of my time managing the physical health of student-athletes. I learned very quickly how prevalent and connected their mental health was and I too saw a need for something more than what I could provide. This was further proven in my thesis research – there is a need for peer support systems because those are the types of people student-athletes seek first.
What is the mission of Dukes Let's Talk?
Lauren: To normalize the conversation about mental health among student-athletes with a holistic approach by providing support, education and resources to empower, inspire and facilitate success in the classroom, in competition and in life beyond athletics. So many initiatives say things like "talk about mental health" or "let's talk about it" but they don't ever tell you what that looks like or what to talk about. We hope to change that. We don't just say "Dukes, Let's Talk" we say "Dukes, Let's Talk about stress management, how to reach out to a struggling teammate, how to establish a healthy routine, etc."
We want to present the information and education to build student-athlete skills and knowledge about mental health-related topics. The second goal is to provide a safe space for student-athletes to seek and provide support for one another while building connection and truly keeping those important conversations alive.
Discuss leadership in the beginning of this group and individuals who have been involved.
Lauren: It's amazing looking back to that first semester and see how much we've grown and how many were involved in that growth. Aside from the administrators I mentioned previously, a few other staff members were extremely supportive in the beginning (and today).
In 2018, I was still just a graduate assistant athletic trainer. Marisa Maleike, the staff athletic trainer with lacrosse, acted as a staff advisor for myself and the group. She has been tremendously supportive and helpful through attending meetings, helping me to plan them and get connected with the right people.
Another important staff member is Christian Carter. Before DLT existed, Christian has always been a tremendous advocate for mental health awareness. He would attend meetings in a supportive role, always helping the conversation get started. He was a HUGE connection between us and the male student-athletes. His support and involvement from the start was so helpful as we tried our best to spread the word.
Liz Sanborn was a doctoral intern working both with Dr. Bob Harmison and Melinda Fox. She helped me to create content for meetings, helped to facilitate discussion and was such a wonderful constant presence during her time here.
And Lastly, Ashley Parsons has taken on a leadership role in the past year as my co-facilitator. She has stepped into Marisa's role, helping me with the logistics of meetings, providing new ideas, and being another connection to the student-athletes from the student-athlete services side of things.
Ashley: When Dukes Let's Talk began, Lauren was a graduate assistant and I felt there needed to be a full-time staff member for consistency and longevity of the program. Dr. Bob [Harmison] has been a crucial part of the program, as we wanted to provide a mental health professional at all of our meetings. Dr. Bob's graduate assistants are supportive and have attending meetings if needed as well. The counseling center has been a great resource and is working with us to create another group that student-athletes can attend in their area. Christian Carter is another staff member that has encouraged students to attend the meetings and is always willing to share his experiences and support our athletes.
How were the initial meetings for Dukes Let's Talk?
Lauren: Our first meeting with Denesha was in the Duke Club Room in the Convocation Center on October 7, 2018, and we had 17 student-athletes representing most teams. This session was mostly an introductory and brainstorming session. Denesha shared her vision and we received feedback from the group on what they wanted and what they needed.
Our kickoff meeting open to all student-athletes was November 5, 2018, in a Godwin Hall classroom. Our topic of discussion was Stress Management (perfect for heading into the end of the semester). I think we had 13 student-athletes attend. Since then, we have had between eight to 40 student-athletes attend our meetings and representatives of all men's and women's programs in some way.
Discuss the importance of this group, especially in a time where mental health has never been more important.
Lauren: Dukes Let's Talk was created as a response to a perceived need. Those in student-athlete support services and sports medicine were encountering struggling student-athletes and wanted to do something about it. At JMU, we have excellent professional support services through our sport psychology and counseling services departments. What was missing was an extension of their social support system. In my master's research I found that our student-athletes preferred to first seek help from their social support system (friend, teammate, family member) before seeking help from a professional.
At JMU, our message surrounding mental health is that everyone has it. Mental health and well-being exist on a continuum that will change from day to day and is influenced by each individual's own life experiences. Having a safe place, like DLT, gives them a way to manage on the days when they are fluctuating on that continuum. More importantly, we emphasize that DLT isn't just for people who may be struggling, it's an opportunity to share an experience, to provide support for others, or just learn something new!
Ashley: Everyone has mental health, and there are many negative beliefs surrounding the topic. We want to educate our student-athletes about mental health and how they can stay mentally healthy. They face a variety of pressures, and we want to give them ways to cope with those stressors and ensure they know about all of the resources that are available to them.
Which student-athletes over time have taken a leadership role with the group?
Lauren and Ashley: Sophie Brause, Sophie Bollinger, M'Kaela White, Riley Stapleton and Jordan McKelvin (along with many others in small ways) were extremely helpful in that first year as we got things off the ground.
Lauren: In the spring of 2019, Sophie was appointed to the SAAC position of Health and Wellness Coordinator (a position that was created specifically to serve as a student-athlete representative for DLT). Sophie has been an incredible advocate for DLT and mental health on our campus and in the athletic department. She has gone from someone to bounce ideas off of, to organizing and planning a mental health video campaign series. She is a crucial voice for the well-being of her fellow dukes and her input and involvement has been SO valuable as Dukes Let's Talk has grown.
How often does Dukes Let's Talk meet in person or virtually?
Lauren: We aim to meet every two weeks! We try to plan strategically around competition schedules and Dukes LEAD events so that we can complement other events happening throughout the semester and to not overwhelm student-athlete's schedules.
Ashley: All of our meetings prior to spring 2020 were in person, but with JMU making the move to online classes and the majority of students returning home, we started virtual meetings. We have continued with the virtual meetings throughout this semester, but will hopefully be able to meet in person again in spring 2021.
How have you seen Dukes Let's Talk transform since the beginning?
Lauren: It's amazing to see how much we have grown while maintaining our core values and building a foundation. It's been great to see how many students and staff have been involved throughout and left both small and large impacts on the program. I have been incredibly blessed to see it through over the past few years. The goal was to build a foundation of what we wanted Dukes Let's Talk to be before we began to add to it and transform it.
Since we've started, we've added events during final exam week to "stress less" such as coloring pages, leave an take some positivity notes, handouts from the counseling center, mindfulness practices, etc. Last year we partnered with a local therapy dog training organization called Positive Paws and had two therapy dogs come to campus every Thursday for "Therapy Dog Thursdays." We've taken advantage of learning events such as the APPLE conference held at the UVA each year.
Ashley: The number of students that are attending the meetings has increased, and there have been more individuals that speak up and participate in the conversations during the meetings. There has also been an increase in the number of student-athletes utilizing their mental health resources.
Dukes Let's Talk is very vocal on social media about mental health and wellness. Talk about the group's approach to social media.
Lauren: Our social media approach is to meet the student-athletes where they are. We want to reflect and share what other schools or organizations are promoting including the happenings here at JMU. We want to use it as another way to educate student-athletes on various topics. We want it to be a way to reach those student-athletes who may still not be comfortable with attending a meeting but are eager to learn more about mental health and all things related to it. I have no experience in graphic design, marketing or anything that qualifies someone to run a social media account, but we see it as a way to be genuine, authentic and keep that conversation alive.
Ashley: Social media is a way to reach a wide variety of individuals. We obviously encourage all of our JMU athletes to follow our accounts and want them to be seeing our posts, but it also has the opportunity to extend much further. We recently participated in a #TellMyStory challenge that encourages others to share what they do in times of stress or to stay mentally healthy. There may be others that see those posts and can use those techniques themselves.
How have seen this group impact student-athletes over time?
Lauren: My favorite story is in one of our first meetings a group of three girls from the same team were in the same discussion group. When we had groups share what they spoke about, they said that they had discovered that they all struggled with similar things and even utilized similar coping mechanisms. They had known each other for a few years now and had never known that about each other until this point. They said that it comforted them so much not only to know they weren't alone but that their own friends and teammates could understand what they were going through and even support them through it.
Our meetings are typically a great mix between regular attendees and first timers. It's amazing seeing someone attend a meeting super shy to start and then see how they begin sharing and contributing to the group as they become more comfortable.
Especially during the pandemic, we've heard from student-athletes how thankful they are that programs like this exist to support them during such uncertain circumstances. Our most highly attended meetings happened virtually last spring.
Through conversation, what other needs have you found from our student-athletes aside the mental-health aspect?
Lauren: This year we have taken the opportunity to incorporate conversations about current events and social injustice. We feel that providing student-athletes with a safe space to have more informal conversations about these topics absolutely fits into the mission of our program. We hope to continue this in years to come.
How has Dukes Let's Talk personally impacted you?
Ashley: It has allowed me more contact with athletes from teams that I do not advise and would have limited interaction. We start the meetings with information, so I have been a part of that learning as well.
Lauren: Dukes Let's Talk has impacted me in ways I can't even begin to articulate. Mental health is a true passion of mine. I plan to obtain a second Master's degree in mental health counseling or a PhD in sport psychology. My work with this program has only solidified those goals. Throughout this process I have met some truly incredible people, not only at JMU but at different universities around the country. I have grown so much as a professional but more importantly as a human. Seeing the openness and willingness to participate from the student-athletes and more importantly their growth from meeting to meeting is truly incredible to watch. To be honest, DLT has impacted my own mental health journey. I have learned so much while gathering content for meetings and listening to our content experts from sport psych or the counseling center. And although I exist at JMU in a completely different way from the student-athletes, a shared experience is a shared experience and its always helpful to know you're not alone.
It sounds counterintuitive, but in the hours leading up to a meeting, I would be so nervous, scrambling to make sure the meeting presentation was ready, making sure everyone knew where to go, making sure our social media posts went out along with Teamworks reminders. However, as soon as I was in the room (or in ZOOM), all of that immediately melted away. No matter what happens leading up to a meeting, no matter what kind of day I've had, I ALWAYS leave feeling better. Every single time I leave the room I am left with a sense of pride for how far we've come and excitement for all that we have yet to achieve. The message of hope has always been, if we help even one person then all of it was worth it.
Where do you see this group going in the future and what opportunities are there for Dukes Let's Talk to work with other groups within Athletics or across campus?
Lauren: Our goal in these first few years was to establish a foundation of what DLT was and what it looked like. My hope is to continue this group as an extension of SAAC and truly have it driven by the student-athletes to meet their needs and reflect the message they want to share about how we approach mental health in the JMU athletic department.
I hope to be able to host events and guest speakers. I hope to be able to be expand the psychological services offered to student-athletes. I hope to collaborate with other groups on campus through the health center or other student organizations. Student-athletes are college students first and foremost. It is easy for them to feel disconnected from the general student population. Dukes Let's Talk also serves to provide a connection between them and different offerings provided by the university. I hope that once we can have competitions again, we can have games dedicated to mental health awareness (in the same way they do breast cancer awareness, etc).
Ashley: I hope to see more students attending the meetings and a reduction in the stigma surrounding mental health with open conversations. We are participating in the Out of the Darkness walk on October 10 that raises money for suicide prevention resources and think that more activities that raise awareness about mental health is an opportunity. We are also working on promotional videos for mental health and hope to see these continue in the future. We are continuing to look for more opportunities and open to working with any other departments across campus or the community.
JMU students experiencing a mental health crisis can call or come into the Counseling Center to speak with a clinician. Counseling Center hours are Mon - Fri: 8am-5pm. Outside of those hours, if you live on campus, call JMU Police (540-568-6911). If you live elsewhere in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, call the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Community Services Board (540-434-1766). There are additional 24 hour services listed below or you can always access the services at Sentara RMH Medical Hospital (540-689-1414).
JMU Student-Athletes seeking mental health resources may contact any of the following:
- Dr. Bob Harmison | Director of Sport Psychology | harmisrj@jmu.edu | Godwin 116
- Cameron Straughn, DO | Team Physician | straugcd@jmu.edu | Godwin 134
- Melinda Fox | Athletics Liason, JMU Counseling Center | fox3mm@jmu.edu
Dukes Let's Talk is a mental health education and peer support group for student-athletes at JMU. Its mission is to promote conversations surrounding mental health and well-being through education and connection. Student-athletes are invited to attend bi-weekly meetings and can stay up-to-date by following @DukesLetsTalk on Instagram and Twitter.
JMU Student-Athletes struggling with disordered eating and body image concerns should seek support from a dietitian in addition to working with a mental health professional. To set up an appointment, please contact:
- Lauren Hartman, MS, RD, CSSD | Sports Dietitian | harm3ln@jmu.edu | APC 243
Additional 24-Hour Emergency Services:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: Text "HOME" to 741741
Assistant athletic trainer Lauren Sander and football academic advisor Ashley Parsons answered questions about the origin of Dukes Let's Talk, its leadership and the positive impact it has made on JMU's student-athletes.
How and when did Dukes Let's Talk get started?
Lauren: Dukes Let's Talk truly started with Denesha Morris, an academic advisor for student-athlete services. In the fall of 2018, I was working on my Master's thesis looking at the help-seeking behaviors of student-athletes when it came to mental health support services. When I presented my proposal at a head coaches meeting, our sport psychologist Dr. Bob connected me with Denesha, who was working on gathering student-athlete representatives from each team to be mental health advocates. I met with her the following Sunday at their first official meeting to discuss the mission and the vision of what the group was going to look like. A few days before this meeting, Eric Kussin and We Are All A Little Crazy came to campus and presented on the concept of #SameHere. Their message was that we all have different life experiences that impact our mental health and well-being.
Mental health exists on a spectrum and it's a sliding scale that can change day-to-day. This presentation could not have come at a better time. Our goal with this "mental health awareness group" was to continue the conversation that had started with that presentation. That day of that first meeting, Denesha had confided in me that she was planning to leave JMU and asked if I could take over the responsibilities of getting the program off the ground. From there, I continued to work with the support of Jenn Phillips, Tom Kuster, Bob Harmison, and Melinda Fox to make it happen. I also received a lot of support and gathered inspiration from Olivia Lubarsky, a gymnast at Towson University who had already created a similar group called "Own Your Roar."
I believe Denesha got this idea off the ground because of all the things she heard regularly as an academic advisor surrounding mental health. As a built-in support system, she saw the need for something more. I could completely relate. As an athletic trainer, I spend most of my time managing the physical health of student-athletes. I learned very quickly how prevalent and connected their mental health was and I too saw a need for something more than what I could provide. This was further proven in my thesis research – there is a need for peer support systems because those are the types of people student-athletes seek first.
Lauren: To normalize the conversation about mental health among student-athletes with a holistic approach by providing support, education and resources to empower, inspire and facilitate success in the classroom, in competition and in life beyond athletics. So many initiatives say things like "talk about mental health" or "let's talk about it" but they don't ever tell you what that looks like or what to talk about. We hope to change that. We don't just say "Dukes, Let's Talk" we say "Dukes, Let's Talk about stress management, how to reach out to a struggling teammate, how to establish a healthy routine, etc."
We want to present the information and education to build student-athlete skills and knowledge about mental health-related topics. The second goal is to provide a safe space for student-athletes to seek and provide support for one another while building connection and truly keeping those important conversations alive.
Discuss leadership in the beginning of this group and individuals who have been involved.
Lauren: It's amazing looking back to that first semester and see how much we've grown and how many were involved in that growth. Aside from the administrators I mentioned previously, a few other staff members were extremely supportive in the beginning (and today).
In 2018, I was still just a graduate assistant athletic trainer. Marisa Maleike, the staff athletic trainer with lacrosse, acted as a staff advisor for myself and the group. She has been tremendously supportive and helpful through attending meetings, helping me to plan them and get connected with the right people.
Another important staff member is Christian Carter. Before DLT existed, Christian has always been a tremendous advocate for mental health awareness. He would attend meetings in a supportive role, always helping the conversation get started. He was a HUGE connection between us and the male student-athletes. His support and involvement from the start was so helpful as we tried our best to spread the word.
Liz Sanborn was a doctoral intern working both with Dr. Bob Harmison and Melinda Fox. She helped me to create content for meetings, helped to facilitate discussion and was such a wonderful constant presence during her time here.
And Lastly, Ashley Parsons has taken on a leadership role in the past year as my co-facilitator. She has stepped into Marisa's role, helping me with the logistics of meetings, providing new ideas, and being another connection to the student-athletes from the student-athlete services side of things.
Ashley: When Dukes Let's Talk began, Lauren was a graduate assistant and I felt there needed to be a full-time staff member for consistency and longevity of the program. Dr. Bob [Harmison] has been a crucial part of the program, as we wanted to provide a mental health professional at all of our meetings. Dr. Bob's graduate assistants are supportive and have attending meetings if needed as well. The counseling center has been a great resource and is working with us to create another group that student-athletes can attend in their area. Christian Carter is another staff member that has encouraged students to attend the meetings and is always willing to share his experiences and support our athletes.
How were the initial meetings for Dukes Let's Talk?
Lauren: Our first meeting with Denesha was in the Duke Club Room in the Convocation Center on October 7, 2018, and we had 17 student-athletes representing most teams. This session was mostly an introductory and brainstorming session. Denesha shared her vision and we received feedback from the group on what they wanted and what they needed.
Our kickoff meeting open to all student-athletes was November 5, 2018, in a Godwin Hall classroom. Our topic of discussion was Stress Management (perfect for heading into the end of the semester). I think we had 13 student-athletes attend. Since then, we have had between eight to 40 student-athletes attend our meetings and representatives of all men's and women's programs in some way.
Lauren: Dukes Let's Talk was created as a response to a perceived need. Those in student-athlete support services and sports medicine were encountering struggling student-athletes and wanted to do something about it. At JMU, we have excellent professional support services through our sport psychology and counseling services departments. What was missing was an extension of their social support system. In my master's research I found that our student-athletes preferred to first seek help from their social support system (friend, teammate, family member) before seeking help from a professional.
At JMU, our message surrounding mental health is that everyone has it. Mental health and well-being exist on a continuum that will change from day to day and is influenced by each individual's own life experiences. Having a safe place, like DLT, gives them a way to manage on the days when they are fluctuating on that continuum. More importantly, we emphasize that DLT isn't just for people who may be struggling, it's an opportunity to share an experience, to provide support for others, or just learn something new!
Ashley: Everyone has mental health, and there are many negative beliefs surrounding the topic. We want to educate our student-athletes about mental health and how they can stay mentally healthy. They face a variety of pressures, and we want to give them ways to cope with those stressors and ensure they know about all of the resources that are available to them.
Which student-athletes over time have taken a leadership role with the group?
Lauren and Ashley: Sophie Brause, Sophie Bollinger, M'Kaela White, Riley Stapleton and Jordan McKelvin (along with many others in small ways) were extremely helpful in that first year as we got things off the ground.
Lauren: In the spring of 2019, Sophie was appointed to the SAAC position of Health and Wellness Coordinator (a position that was created specifically to serve as a student-athlete representative for DLT). Sophie has been an incredible advocate for DLT and mental health on our campus and in the athletic department. She has gone from someone to bounce ideas off of, to organizing and planning a mental health video campaign series. She is a crucial voice for the well-being of her fellow dukes and her input and involvement has been SO valuable as Dukes Let's Talk has grown.
Lauren: We aim to meet every two weeks! We try to plan strategically around competition schedules and Dukes LEAD events so that we can complement other events happening throughout the semester and to not overwhelm student-athlete's schedules.
Ashley: All of our meetings prior to spring 2020 were in person, but with JMU making the move to online classes and the majority of students returning home, we started virtual meetings. We have continued with the virtual meetings throughout this semester, but will hopefully be able to meet in person again in spring 2021.
How have you seen Dukes Let's Talk transform since the beginning?
Lauren: It's amazing to see how much we have grown while maintaining our core values and building a foundation. It's been great to see how many students and staff have been involved throughout and left both small and large impacts on the program. I have been incredibly blessed to see it through over the past few years. The goal was to build a foundation of what we wanted Dukes Let's Talk to be before we began to add to it and transform it.
Since we've started, we've added events during final exam week to "stress less" such as coloring pages, leave an take some positivity notes, handouts from the counseling center, mindfulness practices, etc. Last year we partnered with a local therapy dog training organization called Positive Paws and had two therapy dogs come to campus every Thursday for "Therapy Dog Thursdays." We've taken advantage of learning events such as the APPLE conference held at the UVA each year.
Ashley: The number of students that are attending the meetings has increased, and there have been more individuals that speak up and participate in the conversations during the meetings. There has also been an increase in the number of student-athletes utilizing their mental health resources.
Dukes Let's Talk is very vocal on social media about mental health and wellness. Talk about the group's approach to social media.
Lauren: Our social media approach is to meet the student-athletes where they are. We want to reflect and share what other schools or organizations are promoting including the happenings here at JMU. We want to use it as another way to educate student-athletes on various topics. We want it to be a way to reach those student-athletes who may still not be comfortable with attending a meeting but are eager to learn more about mental health and all things related to it. I have no experience in graphic design, marketing or anything that qualifies someone to run a social media account, but we see it as a way to be genuine, authentic and keep that conversation alive.
Ashley: Social media is a way to reach a wide variety of individuals. We obviously encourage all of our JMU athletes to follow our accounts and want them to be seeing our posts, but it also has the opportunity to extend much further. We recently participated in a #TellMyStory challenge that encourages others to share what they do in times of stress or to stay mentally healthy. There may be others that see those posts and can use those techniques themselves.
How have seen this group impact student-athletes over time?
Lauren: My favorite story is in one of our first meetings a group of three girls from the same team were in the same discussion group. When we had groups share what they spoke about, they said that they had discovered that they all struggled with similar things and even utilized similar coping mechanisms. They had known each other for a few years now and had never known that about each other until this point. They said that it comforted them so much not only to know they weren't alone but that their own friends and teammates could understand what they were going through and even support them through it.
Our meetings are typically a great mix between regular attendees and first timers. It's amazing seeing someone attend a meeting super shy to start and then see how they begin sharing and contributing to the group as they become more comfortable.
Especially during the pandemic, we've heard from student-athletes how thankful they are that programs like this exist to support them during such uncertain circumstances. Our most highly attended meetings happened virtually last spring.
Through conversation, what other needs have you found from our student-athletes aside the mental-health aspect?
Lauren: This year we have taken the opportunity to incorporate conversations about current events and social injustice. We feel that providing student-athletes with a safe space to have more informal conversations about these topics absolutely fits into the mission of our program. We hope to continue this in years to come.
Ashley: We found that the student-athletes were not always feeling heard by the department. Upon realizing that, we set up meetings with each team to provide them a space to share with senior administration present. Their responses are being gathered and we are working on making changes that the students want to see.
How has Dukes Let's Talk personally impacted you?
Ashley: It has allowed me more contact with athletes from teams that I do not advise and would have limited interaction. We start the meetings with information, so I have been a part of that learning as well.
Lauren: Dukes Let's Talk has impacted me in ways I can't even begin to articulate. Mental health is a true passion of mine. I plan to obtain a second Master's degree in mental health counseling or a PhD in sport psychology. My work with this program has only solidified those goals. Throughout this process I have met some truly incredible people, not only at JMU but at different universities around the country. I have grown so much as a professional but more importantly as a human. Seeing the openness and willingness to participate from the student-athletes and more importantly their growth from meeting to meeting is truly incredible to watch. To be honest, DLT has impacted my own mental health journey. I have learned so much while gathering content for meetings and listening to our content experts from sport psych or the counseling center. And although I exist at JMU in a completely different way from the student-athletes, a shared experience is a shared experience and its always helpful to know you're not alone.
It sounds counterintuitive, but in the hours leading up to a meeting, I would be so nervous, scrambling to make sure the meeting presentation was ready, making sure everyone knew where to go, making sure our social media posts went out along with Teamworks reminders. However, as soon as I was in the room (or in ZOOM), all of that immediately melted away. No matter what happens leading up to a meeting, no matter what kind of day I've had, I ALWAYS leave feeling better. Every single time I leave the room I am left with a sense of pride for how far we've come and excitement for all that we have yet to achieve. The message of hope has always been, if we help even one person then all of it was worth it.
Where do you see this group going in the future and what opportunities are there for Dukes Let's Talk to work with other groups within Athletics or across campus?
Lauren: Our goal in these first few years was to establish a foundation of what DLT was and what it looked like. My hope is to continue this group as an extension of SAAC and truly have it driven by the student-athletes to meet their needs and reflect the message they want to share about how we approach mental health in the JMU athletic department.
I hope to be able to host events and guest speakers. I hope to be able to be expand the psychological services offered to student-athletes. I hope to collaborate with other groups on campus through the health center or other student organizations. Student-athletes are college students first and foremost. It is easy for them to feel disconnected from the general student population. Dukes Let's Talk also serves to provide a connection between them and different offerings provided by the university. I hope that once we can have competitions again, we can have games dedicated to mental health awareness (in the same way they do breast cancer awareness, etc).
Ashley: I hope to see more students attending the meetings and a reduction in the stigma surrounding mental health with open conversations. We are participating in the Out of the Darkness walk on October 10 that raises money for suicide prevention resources and think that more activities that raise awareness about mental health is an opportunity. We are also working on promotional videos for mental health and hope to see these continue in the future. We are continuing to look for more opportunities and open to working with any other departments across campus or the community.
JMU students experiencing a mental health crisis can call or come into the Counseling Center to speak with a clinician. Counseling Center hours are Mon - Fri: 8am-5pm. Outside of those hours, if you live on campus, call JMU Police (540-568-6911). If you live elsewhere in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, call the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Community Services Board (540-434-1766). There are additional 24 hour services listed below or you can always access the services at Sentara RMH Medical Hospital (540-689-1414).
JMU Student-Athletes seeking mental health resources may contact any of the following:
- Dr. Bob Harmison | Director of Sport Psychology | harmisrj@jmu.edu | Godwin 116
- Cameron Straughn, DO | Team Physician | straugcd@jmu.edu | Godwin 134
- Melinda Fox | Athletics Liason, JMU Counseling Center | fox3mm@jmu.edu
Dukes Let's Talk is a mental health education and peer support group for student-athletes at JMU. Its mission is to promote conversations surrounding mental health and well-being through education and connection. Student-athletes are invited to attend bi-weekly meetings and can stay up-to-date by following @DukesLetsTalk on Instagram and Twitter.
JMU Student-Athletes struggling with disordered eating and body image concerns should seek support from a dietitian in addition to working with a mental health professional. To set up an appointment, please contact:
- Lauren Hartman, MS, RD, CSSD | Sports Dietitian | harm3ln@jmu.edu | APC 243
Additional 24-Hour Emergency Services:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: Text "HOME" to 741741
JMU Football | No Regrets
Saturday, December 20
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Sunday, December 07
JMU Football | One year for one moment.
Sunday, December 07
JMU Football | See You At Bridgeforth
Friday, December 05
