UWL's Brooke Axelson helps students navigate mental health resources

Posted 12:03 p.m. Thursday , July 16 , 2026

UWL's Brooke Axelson helps students navigate mental health resources

For Brooke Axelson, supporting student well-being goes beyond raising awareness - it's about helping fellow Eagles find resources that fit their needs.

A spring 2026 graduate, Axelson double-majored in psychology and race, gender and sexuality studies while earning a Spanish for the Health Professions certificate.

Looking for ways to put her classroom learning into practice, Axelson became a Peer Health Advocate, working alongside UW-La Crosse's Counseling and Testing Center (CTC) to connect students with campus mental health resources.

While Axelson knew little about those resources when she first joined the program, that quickly changed.

"I gained an in-depth understanding of what resources are actually available to students and how to help them utilize them," Axelson says. "It has been extremely meaningful to be able to concretely help students with mental health struggles through providing them with resources."

Through her work, Axelson has helped students discover the variety of mental health resources available through the CTC, from online support platforms like Togetherall and Mantra Health to assistance connecting with long-term, off-campus counseling. She says making students aware of these options helps normalize mental health care and encourages them to seek support before they reach a crisis point.

"When individuals think of mental health support, they often picture traditional one-on-one talk therapy, but it is important to know that mental health support encompasses so much more," she says. "I am a huge advocate of taking care of your mental health all the time, not just when you are struggling."

As Axelson prepares to pursue graduate school and a career as a psychologist, she says her experience working alongside the CTC has reinforced her passion for the field.

"It was extremely influential to talk and work with individuals who are actively working in the field I want to go into," Axelson says. "I want the individual to feel that they are in charge of their own care, and I am there to provide the tools to meet their goals."