Counseling & Psychological Services

The Do’s of Social Media
How to cope with Election Anxiety
Election Stress: Tips to Manage Anxious Feelings About Politics
Election Anxiety: Navigating and Easing the Stress by Gabe Howard (Podcast episode)
Election Resources (blogs, podcasts, guided meditation, voting resources)
IMPACTS OF ELECTIONS ON BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC)
13 Practical Ways Black Women Can Protect Their Mental Health This Election Season
How to Support LGBTQ+ Young People Ahead of the 2024 Election 
The Four Legs of Allyship 
NAACP – Vote - Our Lives Depend on It Toolkit

Click HERE to enroll in the Counseling Center page on D2L. Under the “Content” tab, you’ll have access to self-paced Ram Plan courses. Students can get credit for the Ram Plan by completing the video module and quiz for each course.

Seeking Counseling: When? How? Who?

This Ram Plan course describes what counseling is and how you might determine if you’d want to try it out. Learn what you can expect from counseling and how to best use it, while challenging some of the common myths about counseling.

All About Anxiety Workshop

Anxiety is a very common presenting problem in college students. This workshop will allow you to learn about stress management, anxiety, and self-care strategies. You will also be able to recognize symptoms of anxiety disorders and will be provided information on how to seek services at the Counseling Center. This workshop is based on a group intervention offered by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at the Pennsylvania State University. The materials are used with permission from the psychologist, Dr. Shannan Smith-Janik, who designed the group intervention. 

• Addiction Resource
• Alcoholics Anonymous: Find a local meeting
• Alcoholics Anonymous: Online Meetings
• Coping With Stress Without Drugs and Alcohol
• Incorporating Mindfulness in Recovery
• Treatment Programs Locator
• Take a T-Break
• Check out WCU Wellness Promotion for more resources

• Ten Ways To Fight Hate: ACommunity Response Guide
• 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
• Anti-Racism Resources for White People
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test
• Talking About Race: Being Antiracist
• Detour-Spotting for White Antiracists
• Integrating Anti-Racism with Addiction Treatment
• RAIN Meditation for Distress

• Belly Breathing Youtube Video
• "Leaves on a stream" Meditation
• Now Matters Now Skill Videos: Mindfulness
• YouTube Video: “The Struggle Switch”
• YouTube Video: "Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Kids"
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script
• TedTalk: Mental Brakes to Avoid Mental Breaks
• Article: 9 Ways to Tame Anxiety
• Also check out Grounding & Distress Tolerance Resources below

• Therapy for Black Girls
• BIPOC Mental Health Resource Guide
• Therapy for Racial Justice Activists
• Family ­Care, Community­ Care and Self­ Care Tool Kit: Healing in the Face of Cultural Trauma
• Black Lives Matter: Toolkit
• Emotionally Restorative Self Care: People of Color
• Filling Our Cups: 4 Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing
• Grief is a Direct Impact of Racism: Eight Ways to Support Yourself
• Radical Self-Care in the Face of Mounting Racial Stress
• Racial Trauma is Real
• Connect with Dowdy Multicultural Center for more community support

• Bystander Intervention Training
• Bystander Intervention Toolkit
• Bystander Intervention Guide
• Bystander Intervention Tip Sheet

• 211 - to access free and confidential crisis and emergency counseling, disaster assistance, food, health care and insurance assistance, stable housing and utilities payment assistance, employment services, veteran services and childcare and family services.
• 101 Ways to Take Care of Yourself when the World Feels Overwhelming
• The Mighty Blogs: A safe, supportive community for people facing health challenges and the people who care for them
• TWLOHA Blog: Read inspiring posts like "Fear Won't Win" and "Hope Will Not be Cancelled"
• Actively Moving Forward (AMF): National network created in response to the needs of grieving young adults, ages 18-25
• National Institute of Mental Health
• JED Foundation Mental Health Resources
• Check out WCU Wellness Promotion for more resources

• Grief & Loss: Self-Care Handouts
• Building Your Social Network: My Support Network
• Building Your Social Network: Support System
• Coping with Grief and Loss
• How to be there for someone grieving
• https://grief.com/
• Letter Writing Prompts
• Check out the videos in the "Grief & Loss Videos" section below

• Grounding Skills Handout
• Article: "30 Grounding Techniques to Quiet Distressing Thoughts"
• DBT Crisis Survival Skills Youtube Playlist
• Check out the videos in the "Distress Tolerance" section below
• Now Matters Now Skill Videos: Distraction
• Now Matters Now Skill Videos: Using Cold Water
• Now Matters Now Skill Videos: Opposite Action
• YouTube Video: "Urge Surfing Meditation"

• Affordable Colleges Online: LQBTQ Friendly Colleges
• Trans Lifeline
• The Trevor Project
• Follow on Socials: @queersextherapy
• Connect with Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy and Center for Women and Gender Equity for more community support
• more to come!

• APA - Trauma
• RAIN Meditation for Distress
• more to come!

• Article: "Getting Started with Mindfulness"
• YouTube Video: "Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower: An Animation"
• YouTube Video: "How Mindfulness Empowers Us: An Animation Narrated by Sharon Salzberg"
• YouTube Video: "Meditation 101: A Beginner's Guide"
• "UCLA Mindful: Getting Started"
• Tara Brach Basic Meditations
• Center for Mindful Self Compassion Practices
• Now Matters Now Skill Videos: Mindfulness of Current Emotions
• App for Guided Practice: Insight Timer
• Check out the videos in the "Mindfulness Videos" section below

• On campus resource - DCAP
• Autism Grown Up
• Black Futures Month: Unmasking As A Black Neurodivergent Employee
• Getting an Autism Diagnosis as an Adult
• Navigating College Life with Confidence: A Resource for Autistic Students
• Navigating Neurodivergence: A Guide for the BIPOC Community

• YouTube Video: Dr Brené Brown, "The Power of Empathy"
• YouTube Video: "Where Does Compassion Really Come From?"
• Socials to Follow: @nedratawwab, @estherperelofficial, @drmarisagfranco, @gottmaninstitute
• Recommended Read: "The Set Boundaries Workbook" by Nedra Tawwab
• TedTalk: The secret to making new friends as an adult by Dr. Marisa G. Franco

• Recommended Read: The Mindful Self Compassion Workbook by Drs. Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer 
• Self Compassion Practices and Guided Meditations
• Center for Mindful Self Compassion
• Check out the self compassion practices and the "Negative Self Talk" video in the "Managing Emotions" section below

• How To Practice Stimulus Control (making sure your bed is associated with sleep!)
• Healthy Sleep Habits
• Sleep Diary
• TED-ed: Benefits of sleep on memory and learning 
• TED-ed: What would happen if we didn't sleep
• TED: How sleep affects emotions 
• TED: Sleep deprivation changes your appetite
• TED: Hacking your memory -- with sleep
• YouTube Video: What Happens To Your Body And Brain If You Don't Get Sleep
• YouTube Video: "Nighttime Meditation ft. Sharon Salzberg"
• YouTube Video: Dr. Blake Zakarin Discusses the Relationship Between Sleep, Mental Health, and Suicide

• For information about what to do if you are in crisis, please visit our "Crisis Resources" tab
• American Association of Suicidology
• American Foundation of Suicide Prevention
• Now Matters Now
• United Suicide Survivors International
• Speaking of Suicide
• Alliance of Hope
• Emotionally Naked
• Stop a Suicide Today
• The Trevor Project
• Understand Suicide
• JED Foundation
• Suicide Crisis Lifeline
• Trans Lifeline

• Set to Go: Your Guide from Transitioning from High School to College
• The Jed Foundation's Transitioning Health and Mental Health Care to College Resources
• Transition-of-Care Guide
  • If you are a potential WCU student or a family member, caregiver, or other individual of a potential WCU student, we welcome you to consider helping the student plan for the transition to managing their mental well-being in the college setting. This resource (PDF) is a Transition of Care guide that assists students in developing a plan for transitions their mental health care to the college environment.

more to come!

• Red Folder - How to recognize, respond to, and connect students in distress to resources
• Crisis Decision Tree
• Helping Students Cope after Tragedy
• JED Higher Education Faculty Guide to Supporting Student Mental Health

• Office for Parent and Family Relations
• Navigating Your Student's Transition to College
• 9 things college mental health counselors wish parents understood
• Transition-of-Care Guide
  • If you are a potential WCU student or a family member, caregiver, or other individual of a potential WCU student, we welcome you to consider helping the student plan for the transition to managing their mental well-being in the college setting. This resource (PDF) is a Transition of Care guide that assists students in developing a plan for transitions their mental health care to the college environment.

Talking to your student about alcohol and other drugs

• Talking to Your College Student about Alcohol (Illinois State University Handout)
• Talking to Your College Student about Alcohol (Stanford University Handout)
• Talking to Your College Student about Alcohol (SAMHSA Handout)
• Everfi: How to Talk to Your Student About Alcohol
• College Drinking Prevention: Fact Sheets and Tools for Parents