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Mental Health

Virtual Appointments

We're here to provide you with online information for stress management, mindfulness, and boosting your overall mental health. We provide online Resilience Lab appointments for students as well as weekly guided meditation sessions in the Spring and Fall semesters. We provide regular updates on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages as well as on VCU's TelegRAM.

Keep on Being Well

Check out this Google Doc with additional resources to help boost your mental health.

Schedule a one-on-one appointment in our Virtual Resilience Lab! 

We believe that creating a culture of care is also a great way to take care of our mental health. We provide students with tips and support to manage stress and time, get good sleep, build resilience, practice mindfulness, cultivate gratitude and self-compassion, and engage in proactive self-care.

MINDFULNESS TRAINING

This year has been one unlike any other, and for many of us, that has led to unexpected challenges. That’s why we’re partnering with Recreational Sports to offer a 4-week mindfulness training course for students to learn ways to build resilience using Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques. These 2-hour, interactive virtual classes will provide resources on topics such as mindfulness in the face of stress and uncertainty, how we can tune in to our thoughts and emotions through mindful practice, and how to live compassionately.
Priority scheduling is for VCU students. Registration closes Saturday, October 10.   
Looking for more ways to boost resilience through mind-body experiences? Check out ongoing programs from Recreational Sports including a variety of classes such as yoga and pilates. Learn more about virtual classes here and in-person classes here.

Practice mindfulness, build resilience.

Sometimes, the stressors we experience can be tough to manage. The Wellness Resource Center offers a Resilience Lab where students can learn to tune into their bodies using biofeedback and practice ways to calm the body’s response to stress. Students can make appointments to meet one-on-one with our staff, register for a self-guided session, or attend one of our mindfulness sessions.

Practice mindfulness on the go with these three steps:

  1. STOP
    Pause what you’re doing and give yourself a moment to pay attention to what’s happening around you and what’s happening inside you. Try not to judge your feelings or thoughts, just acknowledge them and let them go.
  2. BREATHE
    Focus on your breath. The breath is what brings you into the present moment. You cannot breathe into the past or the future, just the here and now. Observe it making its way in and out of the body. Repeat this process for as many times as you need.
  3. BE
    Arrive here, right now. Do not judge yourself for what you believe you should be doing, or dwell on what has already happened. Give yourself permission to be in the present moment and to let go of worries.

TALK WITH SOMEONE CONFIDENTIALLY

University Counseling Services

UCS is a free on-campus resource available for both undergraduate and graduate students wishing to speak to someone about mental health concerns. Visit one of their office locations to schedule an appointment.

Go to UCS site

ALL THE RESOURCES IN ONE PLACE

VCU JED

VCU is part of the JED Campus program in support of student well-being and mental health. Find resources and learn more about ways we promote mental health across VCU.

Go to JED Campus | VCU

ACCESS THE ON-CALL COUNSELOR

After-Hours Crisis Support

VCU students in need of after-hours support can call University Counseling Services main line at (804) 828-6200 and follow the prompts to speak with an after-hours crisis counselor.

Go to UCS site