The Black Student Success Centre welcomes new wellness counsellor to support Black students in overcoming mental health barriers
Foluke Akinboyo, the Black student wellness counsellor at the Black Student Success Centre, recently transitioned into her new role. Previously, she was a wellness counsellor in student affairs in Undergraduate Medical Education.
Akinboyo is a registered psychotherapist with over a decade of experience in community mental health, student support and culturally considerate care. In this new role, she focuses on providing a supportive space where Black students can address their mental health needs and feel understood.
The BSSC is a dedicated space for Black-identifying students, aiming to support and uplift their academic, personal and professional success. It is a space that aims to combat racial isolation and connects Black students to resources, peers, programs and faculty to foster their academic and personal growth.
Akinboyo currently offers individual counselling and group wellness programs for Black-identifying students.
Akinboyo’s motivation to take on this role at the BSSC came from her own experiences as an immigrant student. She reflected on the difficulties she faced, such as feeling isolated, struggling with unfamiliar systems and lacking adequate support. Her own journey led her to realize the importance of creating spaces that help students overcome these barriers.
“Even if I cannot impact everybody, even if it was just one little tear at a time that we could change, let me try,” said Akinboyo.
Even if I cannot impact everybody, even if it was just one little tear at a time that we could change, let me try.
Foluke Akinboyo, Black Student Wellness Counsellor
Black Student Success Centre
Addressing stigma and mistrust in health care
Akinboyo discussed the stigma surrounding mental health within the Black community. According to her, mental health concerns are often viewed as a sign of weakness.
“How dare you not have that mental toughness to be able to function? What is really bothering you that you cannot function?” said Akinboyo, describing some of the thought processes behind this stigma.
She explained that these attitudes can discourage individuals from seeking help. She further elaborated that the cultural expectation that Black individuals should remain strong and resilient in the face of adversity often leads to mental health issues being minimized or ignored.
The 2017 Pan-Canadian Health Inequalities Data Tool found that between 2010 and 2013, 64 per cent of young Black women aged 12-17 reported their mental health as excellent or very good. However, this was significantly lower than the 77.2 per cent of young white women who reported excellent or very good mental health.
Akinboyo also pointed to a long-standing mistrust in health care systems among many Black communities, stemming from historical injustices such as unethical medical experimentation.
“When we look at the history of unethical experimentation, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study . . . our parents and our ancestors raised us to be wary of things that are like that because we could be thrown into spaces that we don’t understand,” she explained.
When we look at the history of unethical experimentation, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study . . . our parents and our ancestors raised us to be wary of things that are like that because we could be thrown into spaces that we don’t understand.
Foluke Akinboyo, Black Student Wellness Counsellor
Black Student Success Centre
In addition to stigma and mistrust, Akinboyo noted that mental health issues in Black individuals are often overlooked or misunderstood, as they may be seen through a lens shaped by racism and bigotry. She explained that symptoms such as irritability or aggression may be misattributed to stereotypes rather than recognized as signs of an underlying mental health condition.
“Some women may show aggression—quote-unquote this ‘aggressive Black woman’ type of talk. However, what if she’s actually depressed?” said Akinboyo.
Akinboyo also pointed out that Black men in particular face barriers to seeking therapy and are less inclined to reach out in comparison to Black women. The cultural expectation of Black men to be strong, protective figures can make it difficult for them to embrace vulnerability.
“Black men are supposed to protect, provide, serve, you know, be the person that we women or society could lean on,” said Akinboyo, detailing the cultural and societal expectations of Black men.
This societal pressure leads to emotional challenges being viewed as a sign of weakness, creating additional obstacles to accessing mental health support.
“We’re all emotional beings. So why can’t they be emotional?” said Akinboyo, emphasizing that creating safe spaces for Black men to express their emotions and seek support is essential.
The role of Black wellness counsellors
Akinboyo emphasized that her role now focusing on Black students is not meant to exclude other students or invalidate the work of other counsellors. Instead, it is aimed at helping Black students who feel vulnerable or misrepresented and combating the unique barriers they face in accessing mental health support.
“The work that we’re doing is tapping into the minds who are very vulnerable, who are questioning, who are scared to raise their hand up, who don’t have a voice, who are afraid to even use their voice, because their voices have been misrepresented many times,” she said.
Akinboyo has several initiatives in mind to support Black students. One of her upcoming services is titled Power Emotion, a wellness group designed to help Black men connect with their emotions and seek mental health support.
Akinboyo also hopes to introduce a program titled Success Beyond the Degree, which would help upper-year and graduate students transition from academic life to their professional careers, while maintaining a strong sense of self.
“You can still be you beyond that degree that you have,” she said.
Ultimately, Akinboyo believes that the presence of Black wellness counsellors is essential for creating inclusive and supportive environments for students who may feel overlooked. She argued that without adequate representation, universities risk failing to provide the quality of care their students deserve.
“There is a lack of not just representation, [but] a lack of voices on tables that matter . . . And when we continue to remove voices or not create spaces for the voices that are represented in the student body, especially on those types of tables, then we run the risk of pretty much failing our students. We take the money, but we don’t give the quality,” said Akinboyo.
There is a lack of not just representation, [but] a lack of voices on tables that matter . . .
Foluke Akinboyo, Wellness Counsellor
Black Student Success Centre
For anyone who connects with Akinboyo, she wants to leave them with the following message:
“Stop bullying yourself . . . Be gentle with yourself as you forgive yourself . . . You have to start forgiving yourself so you can actually love yourself again.”
Akinboyo’s role at the BSSC focuses on supporting Black students’ academic, emotional and mental well-being. Through initiatives aimed at fostering safe and inclusive spaces, she works to help students navigate challenges and build resilience.
To learn more about the work that Akinboyo and the BSSC are doing, visit their Instagram and website. Students interested in booking a session with her can email [email protected].