LGBTQIA+ in Higher Education – Online Peer Support Sessions

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Schedule

  • Platform
    Zoom

  • The peer support sessions for spring 2026 have been held.
    More sessions will be held in autumn, and registration for them will open later.

  • There is room for a maximum of 10 participants in the group.

    There will be two peer support sessions, and you can register on one or both of them.
    The duration of each session is two hours and there will be a small break during each session.

Welcome to join our English-speaking online safer space peer support sessionst! LGBTQIA+ in Higher Education sessions are for international students in higher education and we wish to share the queer joy among every one of you. Peer support session is an ideal place to discuss about experiences of minority stress as an LGBTQIA+ student and share your heart and mind with others. Student life can be hard but let us all enjoy it with while it lasts – while spreading love and acceptance around us! 

Peer support sessions are free of charge and held via Zoom.

To Whom?

Online peer support sessions are for the international LGBTQIA+ students in higher education. These pop up sessions are especially created for you who want to share experiences, find support and talk to other like-minded students. 

The peer session is for all international LGBTQIA+ students from different cultures and backgrounds and will provide an opportunity to discuss their own experiences of LGBTQIA+ identity, cultural differences and minority stress as an LGBTQIA+ student.

What Do We Do on the Online Peer Support Sessions?

In the online peer support sessions we gather to share our thoughts and experiences in a safer online space.
The aim is to give and receive peer support from other international LGBTQIA+ students.
The topics of the online support sessions include minority stress, queer identity, cultural differences and queer joy.

The online peer support sessions are facilitated by QueerMieli -projects specialist Sanni and volunteering social worker Tiia.

The group can accommodate a maximum of 10 participants.

Discussions in the group are confidential.

The online peer support sessions follows the Nyyti’s principles of a safer space.

Familiarize yourself with Nyyti ry’s Safer Space Principles

Learn more about Nyyti ry’s Harassment Liaison activities
On the Harassment Liaison Activities page, you will find information on what constitutes inappropriate behavior, discrimination, and harassment, as well as instructions on how to act when you encounter or observe such behavior. The page also includes a harassment report form, which you can use to report any inappropriate behavior you have experienced or witnessed.

Learn about Nyyti ry’s data protection practices on the privacy Policy page.

Complementary Principles of QueerMieli peer support groups

  • Group meetings are strictly confidential. Do not talk about the issues discussed in the group or about other group participants outside the group.
  • Everyone has a right to decide for themselves what they are ready and willing to share about themselves. No one should be pressured to reveal anything about their background, identity, or other potentially private information.
  • Respect can be expressed through genuine curiosity. You can ask open-ended, non-judgemental questions to other participants if you need clarification and/or want to understand more about another person’s thoughts or experience.
  • Everyone’s experiences and views are invaluable.
  • Strive for accessibility in your use of language and in your ways of doing things.
  • If you need help or support, ask help or assistance from group’s leaders.
  • Everyone is responsible for creating our shared atmosphere in the group and for the group’s safety.

More Information

Sanni Laurila (they/she)
Specialist

tel. +358 50 360 1876
sanni.laurila@nyyti.fi