College can be an exciting yet challenging time for many students. With academic pressures, social changes, and financial burdens, mental health can take a hit—especially for those without access to healthcare. That’s where Beyond Grey, a local non-profit, is stepping in to provide support. NBC6’s Johanna Torres reports.
College can be an exciting yet challenging time for many students. With academic pressures, social changes and financial burdens, mental health can take a hit—especially for those without access to healthcare.
That’s where Beyond Grey, a local nonprofit, is stepping in to provide support.
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WATCH HEREFounded in 2020 by Bianca Natali, Beyond Grey was created to help young adults navigate the stressors of college life. Through group mental health activations and therapy sessions, the organization has already supported more than 300 students from Miami Dade College, the University of Miami and Florida International University.
“Our mission is to just provide a safe space for people to feel like they can be a part of something through mental and physical health, and have people not feel so alone," Natali said.
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The inspiration behind Beyond Grey stems from Natali’s personal experience. She recognized the lack of accessible mental health resources and knew that proper support could make a difference.
"I found there was a need for it... honestly just from personal experience," she said. "I felt like I didn't have the resources in a certain time in my life, and I felt like if I had mental health resources that were accessible to me, things would've gone a little differently.".
According to Harmony Healthcare IT, 46 percent of college students have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD and even insomnia are common struggles.
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Jessica Wylie, a therapist with Beyond Grey, describes this phase as a transitional period where students often feel overwhelmed.
“They’re maybe away from home, they're trying to figure out their careers, and there's a lot going on, so it's really important that we try to remove those barriers for mental health care and help spread awareness that this is actually a thing that can happen,” Wylie said.
Thanks to the Give Miami Day fundraiser, Beyond Grey can offer over 180 free therapy sessions to students in need. Eligible students—ages 18 to 27 with no access to mental health care—can receive nine free one-on-one therapy sessions.
Natali explained that therapy helps people see things in a different light.
Beyond Grey’s ultimate goal?
“[It’s about] searching for color when everything feels gray,” she said.
For more information on how to sign up and access Beyond Grey’s resources, click here.
