SEWANEE'S HOME FOR STUDENT WELLBEING


The Wellness Commons is the home of Counseling and Psychological Services, University Health Services, and FitWell. Our holistic and intentional approach recognizes that physical fitness, outdoor activity, fun, basic needs, and spirituality are essential components of mental and physical wellbeing. We offer comprehensive health services, individual and group counseling, group exercise classes, and community health and outreach programs. 

What will I find at the Wellness Commons?

Counseling and Psychological Services

Students are welcome to visit CAPS for their mental health needs. 

University Health Services

Students are welcome to visit UHS for any medical concerns.

FitWell

The gym at FitWell is inclusive of all fitness levels, body types, and abilities. We offer strength and cardio rooms, as well as group exercise classes. 



 

Meet the Wellness Commons Leadership Team

Leigh Collins, MSW, LCSW

Executive Director, wellness commons/Director, Counseling & Psychological Services

With more than two decades of experience as a licensed social worker, Leigh is a skilled clinician, leader, facilitator, and writer. She is certified by the American Association of Suicidology as a College and University Suicide Prevention Specialist. She is also a certified yoga instructor and biofeedback practitioner, with a strong commitment to holistic health and wellbeing. Leigh received her MSW from Tulane University and has experience working with students in higher education, secondary schools, and outpatient clinical settings. She specializes in cognitive therapies, including CBT, CBT-e, ACT, and DBT, and she primarily works with anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder. She is the author of Parenting Through Illness: Help for Families when a Parent is Seriously Ill (2016, Hohm Press). She enjoys hiking, yoga, and playing with her two dogs.

Elise Tarhan, MSW, LCSW

Director of Operations, wellness commons/Associate Director, Counseling & Psychological Services

A Saint-Andrew's-Sewanee School and University of the South graduate, Elise returned to the Mountain in 2020 after completing a 2-year Post-Master's Clinical Fellowship at NC State University Counseling Center. Prior to her fellowship, Elise earned her master's degree in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration from the University of Chicago. Her areas of interest include anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, identity exploration (particularly with the LGBTQIA+ community), grief, and self-esteem. Drawing from mindfulness-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Elise cultivates a person-centered, eclectic therapeutic approach. She is committed to creating spaces that are strengths-based, inclusive, and trauma-informed. Elise has extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She has also completed EMDR Basic Training. In addition to her clinical practice as a therapist, she is passionate about suicide prevention and positive systemic change. In her spare time, Elise enjoys long walks on campus and spending time with her family and friends. 

Mindy Holloway, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC

Director, University Health Services

Mindy joined the Wellness staff in 2017 after practicing for 10 years in primary care. She obtained her ASN from Motlow State Community College, her BSN from Middle Tennessee State University, her MSN from The University of Alabama in Huntsville, and her Post-MSN certificate from Austin Peay State University. Mindy holds dual NP certifications through the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and a Family Nurse Practitioner. She enjoys many aspects of acute and primary care, especially performing in-office procedures. Mindy and her husband, Nick, have two children that keep them busy year round on the softball, baseball, soccer, and football fields.

Anna Palmer-Hosch

Wellness Commons Administrator

Anna is a University of the South graduate (C'17) with an immense love of the community here on the mountain. As a student at Sewanee, she was a Carey Fellow and a psychology major. As a Carey Fellow, Anna interned at Walrus, a boutique advertising agency in NYC, working on new business development. She previously served as the Sustainability Coordinator at Sewanee and as an Admission Counselor at St. Andrew's-Sewanee School. When Anna is not snuggled up with her two dogs reading a book, she can be found hiking the Sewanee trails or attempting to keep her many plants alive.


 

Donate Today

Interested in supporting student wellness at Sewanee? Contribute to the Wellness Commons general fund or be a part of a specific initiative like:

  • Outreach Programming
  • Substance Abuse Prevention
  • Faculty Education Around Student Mental Health
  • CPR Training for Students


 

Our Partners in the Wellness Commons

Sewanee Outing Program

The Sewanee Outing Program (SOP) gives students the chance to explore Sewanee’s 13,000-acre campus, the surrounding region, and wilderness areas across the United States. From weekly outings to extended trips, you'll have tons of opportunities to get out and adventure.

Lay Chaplain

All Saints' Chapel is the home of spiritual growth and community on campus. The Lay Chaplain walks alongside students on their spiritual journey and has an office in the Wellness Commons.

Bookstore Outpost

Need a blue book for an exam? Want a snack on-the-go? Drop by the mini bookstore at the Wellness Commons to stock up on some campus life essentials. Open Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

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