Wellness at WPI
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WPI is committed to making sure our community has the resources and support it needs to thrive and succeed, both academically and personally. Discover wellness at WPI.
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- Registration Open: Intro to Mindfulness Meditation in D-Term for Employees and Grad StudentsMIEA Intro to Mindfulness is a four-week evidence-based mindfulness curriculum the Center for Well-Being is offering to WPI employees and graduate students at no cost. Registration is now open for the in-person program that runs Mondays, 4:45 to 6:00 PM, Mar 17 to Apr 14 (skip Mar 31, Wellness Day) in the Center for Well-Being. Register here.
- Registration is Open for Recognizing and Responding to Student Distress for Faculty and StaffStudent Development & Counseling Center, in collaboration with the Center for Well-Being, is offering Recognizing and Responding to Student Distress (RRSD) mental health awareness and response workshop on March 20th in the Center for Well-Being. This interactive 90-minute program provides student data on student mental health, reviews the most prevalent student mental health issues and engages participants in practical conversation about how to support students in the moment as well as how and when to refer students to campus resources. This session is open to faculty and staff ONLY. Register here.
- Registration is Open for Intro to Mindfulness Meditation in D-TermMIEA Intro to Mindfulness is a four-week evidence-based mindfulness curriculum the Center for Well-Being is offering to WPI employees and graduate students at no cost. Registration is now open for the in-person program that runs Mondays, 4:45 to 6:00pm, Mar 17 to Apr 14 (skip Mar 31, wellness day). Register here.
- Herd Highlights Issue #21, December 10, 2024Herd Highlights! A bi-weekly newsletter for all students—graduate and undergraduate. In Herd Highlights, you’ll find news you need to know and news the university (especially the offices you interact with most) needs you to know. Send your thoughts and feedback to: herdhighlights@wpi.edu. As always, you can find all the supportive resources you need here at student resources. Herd Highlights Issue # 21, Everything You Need to Know Before, During, and After Winter Break
- Okanagan Charter Adoption Spotlight - SDCC GroupsOn November 13, 2024, WPI adopted the Okanagan Charter recognizing essential interconnections between people, place, and planet in elevating community health and well-being for those occupying our campus and its environs, both now and into the future. The following is part of a series of spotlights written by the people behind the resources, spaces, programs, and groups at WPI that work to improve the well-being of all who call WPI home, both here and abroad. Typically, when most people think of mental health support or therapy, the image that comes to mind is of a single client working with a single counselor in talk therapy. But did you know that the Student Development and Counseling Center (SDCC) offers a range of therapeutic groups each term that can be just as effective, and sometimes more effective (or at least effective faster) than individual therapy? And that for some situations, a combination of both individual and group therapy is particularly potent? Because one of the biggest contributors to many individuals’ distress is a sense of disconnection or isolation, the potential benefits of participating in group therapy can be doubly powerful. The SDCC offers groups that can focus on anything from general support and processing (often in identity-specific groups) to skill-building, and one-off psychoeducational workshops. Some groups even sidestep the typical talk therapy model and instead focus on doing things like creating art or playing through a therapist-led tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) campaign. The SDCC determines which groups will run in a given term by the end of the previous term and puts that information out on our Instagram (@wpi_sdcc), our website, among other places. Some groups require that participants have an initial conversation with a counselor before joining, while others allow people to just drop in. There is no limit to the number of groups a student can participate in as long as their needs fit the purpose of the group (for example, the Depression Strategies group is intended for students who struggle with depression). An inquiry to sdcc@wpi.edu is a great place to start with questions about the groups being run. Our WPI community flourishes when we have a strong sense of connection and mutual support for one another. Group therapy is one way to foster that while simultaneously addressing other common mental health struggles people face.
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Learn more about wellness initiatives at WPI.