A first-year PhD student at the University of Regina is hoping her newly launched online therapy course will help post-secondary students overcome their mental health concerns.

Vanessa Peynenburg says one of the findings the U of R’s online therapy unit has discovered is that students have much higher rates of mental illness than the general population.

Peynenburg says post-secondary instituions have stepped up over the last few years to raise awareness about mental health and create a comfortable environment.

But she feels this course will offer a convenient option for students if they live busy lives or if there aren’t any therapy options available.

“I do think that there is a gap that needs to be filled,” said Peynenburg.’I think that something like internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy can help to fill that gap.”

The free online therapy course is five weeks long with a weekly check-in from a therapist, and helps students develop skills to manage their symptoms.

More information can be found at www.onlinetherapyuser.ca