HMHI Expert Spotlight: Torrence Wimbish, PhD, CMHC
Meet Torrence Wimbish, PhD, CMHC, an East Coast transplant from Maryland who heeded the call of the Utah mountains nearly 25 years ago.
In 1999, Wimbish left Maryland for Utah, earning his doctorate degree in counseling psychology at the University of Utah in 2009. Fast forward to 2021, when Wimbish was promoted to supervisor for the newly created Mental Health First Responders program (MH1) on University of Utah’s campus.
MH1 is an after-hours crisis support program for students living on campus. Wimbish leads a team of licensed clinicians and crisis workers who are available seven days a week from 4:00 pm to 2:00 am. The after-hours program meets an important need for students on campus, one that Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) pledged to address more than a year before the program officially launched.
“The question was, how do we address the need that so many of our students have for after-hours crisis care and mental health support?” Wimbish says. “HMHI started talking to the University Counseling Center and the Housing and Residential Education teams to form a working group to come up with a solution.”
In early 2021, after more than a year of meetings and brainstorming sessions, MH1 officially launched with Wimbish at the helm. Two years later, Wimbish is still grateful and honored to be part of the team.
“In this role, I love that I get to support students who are in their most vulnerable state, really wanting and needing some support,” he says. “I love the opportunity to work with people in the midst of their journey.”
Beyond providing support for students when they need it the most, the program has another important goal.
“We want to help destigmatize mental health and normalize seeking help and support,” Wimbish says. “A big push for us right now is to educate students about MH1 so they know they have access to a safe, compassionate resource when they are dealing with a crisis or overwhelming mental health challenge.”
“Doing therapy is powerful. It takes bravery, it takes strength, it takes endurance.”
In addition to his role as supervisor for MH1, Wimbish sees clients for one-on-one therapy sessions. “I am humbled that my clients trust me to be with them on their journey,” Wimbish says.
He especially enjoys watching his clients grow and overcome challenges, something that he knows is not for the faint of heart.
“Doing therapy is powerful,” Wimbish says. “It takes bravery, it takes strength, it takes endurance. To push through the deepest, darkest part of your soul to get to the light, that is strength.”
Wimbish’s clinical interests include LGBTQIA+ concerns, identity development, trauma issues, social justice/diversity/multiculturalism, eating disorders/body image issues, and mindfulness-based practices. His mental health mantra is to go and make a difference in the world, words he does his best to live by each and every day.
When he’s not working, you might find Wimbish hiking the foothills, lifting weights at the gym, practicing yoga, listening to music, taking a walk, or spending time with family members.
You might also bump into Wimbish on TikTok, where, for the past several months, he has been sharing mental health advice and support in his “mental health minute” videos on HMHI’s page.
To learn more about MH1, visit https://mh1.utah.edu/.