Although the counseling services department offers several extracurricular programs such as coloring in the Demuzio Campus Center and the mindfulness and meditation meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays, Blackburn College does not have a group that is focused entirely on counseling. According to the American Psychological Association, group therapy provides benefits, like a support network, that individual therapy cannot offer. Graduate intern for counseling services Brooke Schmidt decided to start “Fishbowl Conversations” in order to remedy the lack of a therapeutic group discussions at Blackburn.
Schmidt was inspired to create this group due to her experience at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She mentioned that they had a similar group called “Sex in a Fishbowl” where students would ask questions and discuss experiences in a safe environment. “Some conversations would be extremely funny, and participants can laugh, or it will be serious and heartfelt,” she added.
Schmidt thought that Blackburn College offered opportunity for students since they can be involved with a multitude of organizations. “But where are the groups where students can just get together and talk about what’s up? There is such a stigma with mental health that people would rather stuff it than actually seek help,” she noted. “So I wanted to create an open group where students could comfortably come and discuss topics of interest or general concerns in a safe environment.”
“Fishbowl Conversations” offers anonymity to its participants. Each person takes a slip of paper, writes down a topic and places it in a fishbowl. Schmidt added, “There’s a chance his or her topic will or won’t be chosen. The only way people find out who wrote what is if that person says, ‘Oh, that’s mine,’ or if they feel they want to explain the background for that topic.” Participants are given the option at the end of the meeting to toss leftover topics or keep them for future sessions.
The group meets every Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the alcove by the Blackburn College Admissions Office. Based on student attendance, location is subject to change in the future. Schmidt added that attendance is currently low, but she believes that the group will grow with time. “I’ve had students approach me asking about it during coloring or venting tables for more information,” she said. “I have a feeling there’s some discomfort with the group for being associated with counseling services, and I understand.”
Schmidt’s overarching hope for these gatherings is that students will discover comfort in numbers. She said that so far the group has covered topics such as stress management, conflict resolution, communication skills and building healthy relationships. Schmidt hopes to continue these meetings into the coming semester and noted that, “Studies show that students who process concerns with those within their community – and thus are sharing in similar experiences – are more resilient in life.”