Ebooks MN Highlight: The College Student's Guide to Mental Health

As August brings the rush of registering for classes, meeting roommates, and moving into dorms, Mia Nosanow’s award-winning guide offers college students a compassionate, practical roadmap to mental wellness and resilience during this major life transition. Mia Nosanow, MA, LP, is a licensed psychologist and mental health therapist who has specialized in college student counseling for over 20 years at Macalester College in St. Paul. Holding a BA from Carleton College and an MA in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Nosanow has personally counseled thousands of students in both individual and group therapy. A finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in non-fiction, The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health is her first book and represents her effort to distill clinical expertise into accessible guidance for emerging adults.

Structured into six key sections—including Your Body, Your Identity, Your Thoughts, Your Emotions, Your Relationships, and Your Time—this book offers short, focused chapters that break down common college challenges and provide actionable strategies to address them. Topics range from sleep, nutrition, and movement to identity, imposter syndrome, emotional awareness, stress, grief, friendships, community building, and time management.

With more than twenty years of experience working with students from a wide range of backgrounds, Nosanow’s clear and approachable writing promotes self-awareness, coping skills, and creative habits such as noticing small daily joys or establishing calming bedtime routines that support student well-being on college campuses. For example, when managing imposter syndrome, she suggests writing down three accomplishments each day, no matter how small, to remind yourself of your strengths and progress.

Endorsements from educators and mental health professionals highlight the book’s relevance, inclusivity, and utility for creating campus-wide language around student well-being. This guide offers college students practical and compassionate tools to navigate the mental health challenges of campus life. By combining evidence-based strategies with relatable examples, the book empowers readers to build resilience, foster well-being, and thrive both academically and personally.