Practical first stepsStudent loansAbout $100,000
How Jaz Reframed Her Student Loan Stress With Therapy and Mindfulness
In 2018, Jaz Burgess logged into her student aid account and found a balance she puts at about $100,000, and years of stress followed. In this TEDx talk she explains how faith, therapy and mindfulness helped, with steps for people before, during and after school.
Video by TEDx TalksPublished April 13, 2022Breakdown updated September 15, 2026
Key moments
“A Mental Health Remix on Student Loan Debt Repayment | Jaz Burgess | TEDxTexasStateUniversity” by TEDx Talks. We didn't make this video; it loads from YouTube when you press play.
Where Jaz started
In 2018, Jaz Burgess logged into her student aid account and saw a balance she describes as roughly $100,000. She says the number shaped where she lived and who she spent time with, and that years of worry left her exhausted. Now a counseling student, she uses her story to talk about the emotional side of repayment.
What Jaz did
- 1
She saw her full student loan balance in 2018 and spent years avoiding money conversations and feeling overwhelmed.
- 2
After her body shut down from the stress, she turned to prayer and to a therapist.
- 3
In therapy she separated the fact of the debt from the anxiety and outside expectations she had attached to it.
- 4
She built strategies to stay present and a commitment plan so she could keep living her life while repaying.
- 5
She now suggests three sets of steps: pause and think before borrowing, learn the details of an aid package while in school, and redefine the relationship with money and debt once in repayment.
What you can learn from it
The debt is a fact, not a verdict
Jaz separates the balance she owes, which is real, from the anxiety and pressure to meet other people's standards, which she calls false. That split is the core of her talk.
Think before borrowing
For people still deciding on school, she suggests pausing to consider why they're going and how the price tag fits the life they want.
Federal payments can be based on income
Jaz doesn't discuss repayment plans. As of September 2026, studentaid.gov says income-driven plans base payments on income and family size, and for some people payments can be as low as $0 a month.
Servicer help costs nothing
Studentaid.gov says federal loan servicers help with repayment options at no cost, and it warns borrowers never to pay an outside company for help with federal student loans.
Mental health care is part of the plan
Her bonus advice is to work with a licensed mental health professional. FindTreatment.gov, a confidential resource from SAMHSA, helps people find mental health treatment in the U.S.
In their words
“my value is far greater than any amount of money that I could ever owe”
“this is a journey and everybody has their own journey”
Before you copy this path
Jaz's talk is about mindset and emotional health, not a repayment method, and she doesn't share her loan types, plan or progress. Federal repayment options have changed since 2022, so current plans are listed on studentaid.gov.
Common questions
Can student loan payments be based on income?
For eligible federal loans, yes. As of September 2026, studentaid.gov says income-driven repayment plans base the monthly payment on income and family size, and for some people payments can be as low as $0.
Source: studentaid.govDo you have to pay a company for help with federal student loans?
No. Studentaid.gov says loan servicers help with options like income-driven plans at no cost, and it warns borrowers never to pay an outside company for this help.
Source: studentaid.govWhere can someone find mental health support for debt stress?
FindTreatment.gov is a confidential and anonymous SAMHSA resource for people seeking treatment for mental health and substance use disorders in the United States.
Source: findtreatment.govSources
By DebtCheckUSAEditorial Team. This is our summary of a video we didn't make, and nobody paid us to include it. It's one person's experience, not financial, tax or legal advice. Advertiser disclosure
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