By Brandi Turner
Correspondent
Mia Nosanow served as a mental health counselor for 20 years at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, providing support to students through both individual and group counseling. Although she didn’t always envision becoming a licensed psychologist or specializing in mental health, her passion for mentoring began while working at a local TV network, where she enjoyed guiding interns.
“This passion of mine led me to volunteer at a local hotline for three hour shifts,” Nosanow said in an interview with The Signal.
Nosanow then returned to school, realizing her calling was to support college students and their mental health journey.
After starting her career in 2001, she noticed students were hesitant to come to her office for counseling. However, over time there was a shift. Students began coming in, reporting issues with sleep, struggles with self comparison, breakups, managing schedules and navigating friendships in emerging adulthood.
In 2007, she began to brainstorm ideas for a book, but it wasn’t until 2016 when she really immersed herself into the writing process.
During her 20 years of experience, Nosanow observed that student concerns weren’t solely centered around mental health, but wellness. To address this, in her new book, “The College Student's Guide to Mental Health,” she breaks this down into six distinct parts:“Your Body,” “Your Identity,” “Your Thoughts,” “Your Emotions,” “Your Relationships,” and “Your Time,” offering a comprehensive approach to student well being.
Throughout the writing process, Nosanow experienced self doubt and imposter syndrome. She often asked “why me?” when thinking of embarking on this journey of writing. Nosanow eventually overcame these thoughts and viewed writing the book as a puzzle, putting together a problem that needs to be solved.
One of the main takeaways from the book that Nosanow wants students to understand is that when it comes to establishing a plan of action for wellness and bettering one's mental health, each student is different.
“It's about brainstorming what works best for you,” she said. “There are many different ways to get good nutrition, make new friends and get a healthy sleep pattern. Do what works for you”.
For instance, Nosanow recalled asking a client what brought them joy. The client said birds brought them joy, and Nosanow suggested they try bird watching. When they returned, the client shared how much they enjoyed the experience. This newfound joy even inspired them to take up a new hobby in birdhouse modeling.
Engaging in activities that bring happiness, no matter how small, can significantly enhance one’s day-to-day well-being. “Building your well comes with using your creativity,” Nosanow said.
When discussing some of the most significant mental health challenges she has encountered in her career, she highlighted loneliness. Nosanow noted that most times, college students may be nervous to socialize.
“The pandemic made it worse, so many people were being told to isolate themselves after being told to build their socializing skills,” she said.
She also said that because of the pandemic, there was and continues to be a rising emphasis on mindfulness in mental health. Nosanow is a big fan of mindfulness, describing it as a great tool that students can utilize in an effort to calm down, become more self-aware and gain acceptance.
However, Nosanow also recognizes an issue with mindfulness.
“The problem with mindfulness is that it has become a buzzword,” she said. It is important for students to recognize that it does not cure everything, and it is okay to accept your emotions.
“People in student life and student affairs are genuinely mission-driven. They want to help you. However, not every therapist will be the right match, and therapy isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s rare to find the perfect fit on the first try ten times to fit the perfect fit for you.”
In the long term, Nosanow hopes students take away an important message from the book: you don’t need to have everything figured out. Whether it’s building career skills or managing mental health, there’s no one “right” way to navigate life’s challenges. Each path and skill set is unique to the individual. What matters most is finding what works for you and continuing to push forward.
“It’s all about being in that place where you can trust, it's a process to get from having a problem to getting a solution,” Nosanow said.
