BERKELEY, Calif. — As Berkeley students have been informed over and over and over and over during freshman orientation, Berkeley’s Tang Center bravely combats the university’s embarrassingly large mental health crisis by offering a limited number of therapy sessions at no cost to those who ask. In light of the pandemic, Tang has moved a number of mental health services online, offering private consultations via zoom and telephone. However, after a litany of complaints about the quality of such services (both in-person and online), Tang has made a bold, yet strangely fitting decision: in lieu of the three-time free thirty minute sessions offered to students, Tang has attached a link to a twenty-two minute America’s Funniest Home Videos Compilation.
A Tang Center health representative issued a statement about the change yesterday, claiming: “We figure this decision is best for all parties here. We don’t have to pay therapists as much, and students are really getting the same effect! After all, have you seen this video? It’s fucking hilarious! Look at all those people falling off their ATVs and getting crushed by Christmas trees! Comedy fucking gold. If you aren’t feeling better after watching this video, I’m not sure the Tang center would be able to help you in the first place.”
Many students reached out to The Free Peach with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Sophomore Nina Ballow writes: “Umm…I did chuckle a little, which is more than what my first session of free zoom therapy did for me. This new feature is fine, I guess.” Senior Dalan Beckman claims, “Yeah, sure. It’s fine. I mean, there wasn’t a lot about the free therapy that was helpful to begin with, so this could be a step up if you want to see it that way.”
The Free Peach encourages all to seek help if they need it, and not just via an America’s Funniest Home Videos Compilation.