UCC WELLNESS WORKSHOPS & SUPPORT SPACES
The UCC is happy to offer a number of virtual and in-person Workshops and Support Spaces to support our students.
Please see below to learn more about current offerings and how to participate. You are welcome to join as many workshops and support spaces as you’d like throughout the academic year.
In-person Support Spaces
Support Spaces are drop-in in nature and open to any interested University of Pittsburgh student. No registration required!
The transition to college is a unique experience that can often come with many stressors. This drop-in workshop will provide students with the space to explore aspects of being a first-year student, and to develop solutions and skills on navigating this new time. Some examples of what we will focus on include developing study skills, making friends in college, managing schedules, navigating campus, self-care and more! No registration required.
- Location: Wellness Center - Room 204
- Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm
- Dates:
- January 18th
- February 1st
- February 15th
- March 1st
- March 15th
- March 29th - Cancelled
- April 12th
- April 26th
This is a supportive space for LGBTQIA+ students to come together and discuss aspects of their sexual, gender, and relationship orientations with peers who may have traveled similar paths. Staff members who are members of the community will be present to help facilitate conversation and to lead members in low-key group activities.
- Location: Wellness Center - Room 204
- Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm
- Dates:
- February 8th
- February 22nd - cancelled
- March 8th
- March 22nd
- April 5th
- April 19th
Self-care is an integral component of all social justice work and student activists aren’t afforded space to relax, vent, and heal. Come join us for this workshop to learn ways to engage in self-care practices while advocating for reproductive health. Another reason self-care is so crucial to social justice work is because student activists who are fighting for change are exposing themselves to trauma which can impact their mental health. No registration required!
- Location: Wellness Center, Room 204
- Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
- Dates:
- January 12th
- January 26th
- February 9th - cancelled
- February 23rd
- March 9th
- March 23rd
- April 6th
- April 20th
In-person Workshops
In-person are drop-in in nature and open to any interested University of Pittsburgh student. No registration required!
A collaboration between the Center for Creativity and University Counseling Center, Creative Healing invites Pitt makers to explore, create, and connect around topics of social justice and healing through creative expression and dialogue. Works created have the opportunity to be featured throughout campus.
Workshop dates coming soon!
Curious about exploring the meaning of your dreams? Join us at the UCC for an in person workshop on dreamwork! Elements of our dream world often represent parts of ourselves that we ignore, hide, or dismiss during our waking life. In this workshop participants will learn about dream work and the unconscious, while having an opportunity to engage in exploration of their own dream material through experiential exercises, journaling, and other creative expression. Participants are encouraged to bring dream material for guided self-exploration during this one hour workshop. Participants may attend for just one session or return for multiple sessions and deeper exploration of their dream material. This workshop is appropriate for most participants, but those with trauma histories may wish to consult with a therapist (or this facilitator) prior to engaging in workshop activities.
Workshop dates:
- February 16th at 4:00pm
- March 2nd at 4:00pm
- March 16th at 4:00pm
- March 30th at 4:00pm
- April 13th at 4:00pm
- April 27th at 4:00pm
Come down to the Center for Creativity Workshop and explore, create, and connect with others, including a University Counseling Center counselor and maker.
Grab your latest project (or start one for the first time!) and join us to cultivate your creative outlet. We’ll work on and share our projects, while discussing broader themes of self-expression, self-care, and wellness.
No reservation necessary!
- Mondays, 1:00pm - starting January 23rd
Performance psychologist Jay Deiters, Ph.D. and award-winning filmmaker, musician, and writer Julie Sokolow (who is also a clinician-in-training) provide tips for artists across disciplines on how to best prepare for a performance, understand and manage anxiety, develop an optimal mindset, let go of perfectionism, and build resiliency. Learn invaluable skills to enhance your creative practice, while also getting to network with other creatives, in this brand-new workshop.
Date/time: Tuesday, February 21st from 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: C4C: The Understory - Rehearsal Stage (Cathedral of Learning - basement)
No registration required!
Virtual Workshops
To attend Virtual Workshops, students must register using their Pitt email. UCC Virtual Workshops utilize Zoom Video Conferencing.
Academic performance is a common concern among college students. This informational workshop aims to teach students skills and strategies for enhancing their academic performance on a consistent basis. Topics of discussion include managing academic stressors, dealing with procrastination, performance/test anxiety.
Workshop Dates:
- February 2nd at 1:00pm
- February 16th at 1:00pm
- March 2nd at 1:00pm
- March 16th at 1:00pm
- March 30th at 1:00pm
- April 13th at 1:00pm
- April 27th at 1:00pm
Join this workshop on understanding and recognizing the impact of trauma on individuals and how to build resilience in the face of life's challenges. Through this workshop, individuals will be empowered to learn more about their how trauma can inform people's lives. Participants will learn about coping skills and resources that can assist them or others live their life with hope and resilience.
Workshop dates:
- January 23rd at 11:00am
- February 6th at 11:00am
- February 20th at 11:00am
- March 20th at 11:00am
- April 3rd at 11:00am
- April 17th at 11:00am
Our thoughts can directly impact our emotions and behaviors, so it can be helpful to learn how to identify, reframe and cope with unhelpful thoughts. This workshop is designed to help students learn the skills to do just that!
Workshop Dates:
- January 23rd at 11:00am
- February 6th at 11:00am
- February 20th at 11:00am
- March 20th at 11:00am
- April 3rd at 11:00am
- April 17th at 11:00am
College can be stressful at times. This workshop aims to help students cope with the demands of college and/or graduate school. Students will gain a basic understanding of how the body responds to stress and begin developing a coping toolbox.
Workshop dates:
- January 17th at 2:00pm
- January 31st at 2:00pm
- February 14th at 2:00pm
- February 28th at 2:00pm
- March 14th at 2:00pm
- March 28th at 2:00pm
- April 11th at 2:00pm
- April 25 at 2:00pm
This workshop will explore developing mindfulness skills which help us focus attention on the present moment, noticing both what is going on within ourselves and what is going on outside of ourselves and become and stay centered. Mindfulness as a practice has now become widespread, and teaches us how to observe and experience our reality as it is, to be less judgmental, and to live in the moment with effectiveness. It allows us to focus on experiencing our reality as it without trying to change it, and to help us form an intimate connection with our environments and those around us. Lastly, practicing mindfulness can help us develop a sense of freedom.
Workshop dates:
- January 27th at 12:00pm
- February 24th at 12:00pm
- March 31st at 12:00pm
This workshop will focus on developing distress tolerance which teaches us how to tolerate and survive situations without making things worse. These skills teach us how to accept and enter into a situation that maybe not be a situation we hoped for or wanted. In particularly, distress tolerance enables us to tolerate painful events, urges, and emotions when we cannot make things better right away. The skills permit us to accept a situation or an event when it is not one we like.
Workshop dates:
- January 20th at 12:00pm
- February 17th at 12:00pm
- March 24th at 12:00pm
- April 21st at 12:00pm
This workshop will explore emotional regulation skills that center around enhancing (not perfecting!) control of our emotions. By learning emotion regulation skills we can have more control, and perhaps learn to modulate, our emotions and emotional experiences. The goal of emotion regulation is to learn or increase our understanding of emotions in general and help us understand, identify and describe our own emotions. In addition, these skills help us to reduce the intensity of painful or unwanted emotions (e.g., anxiety, anger, sadness), and to change situations that prompt painful or unwanted emotions. Lastly, we can learn to reduce our vulnerability to becoming extremely or painfully emotional, and to increase motional resilience – all while learning to accept ongoing emotions, particularly when what we are feeling is extreme.
Workshop dates:
- February 10th at 12:00pm
- March 17th at 12:00pm
- April 14th at 12:00pm
This workshop will focus on developing interpersonal effectiveness which skills help us maintain and improve relationships both with people whom we are close and with strangers. Interpersonal effectiveness teaches us how to deal with conflict situations, to ask for what we want and need, and to say no to unwanted requests and demands – all in ways that maintains our own self-respect and others’ liking and respect for us.
Workshop dates:
- February 3rd at 12:00pm
- March 3rd at 12:00pm
- April 7th at 12:00pm
In this workshop, students will have the opportunity to explore their feelings about their body in a supportive and inclusive environment. We will spend time discussing various cultural, social, and familial factors contributing to body image concerns and explore these influences. Experiential exercises will also be used to help students examine and live according to their values.
Workshop dates:
- January 23rd at 2:00pm
- February 6th at 2:00pm
- February 20th at 2:00pm
- March 6th at 2:00pm
- March 20th at 2:00pm
- April 3rd at 2:00pm
- April 17th at 2:00pm
Relationships can impact our overall well-being in a number of ways. In this workshop, student will learn about qualities of healthy relationships and strategies for building them with friends, family members, classmates, and partners. Additionally, students will learn effective communication strategies to maintain and grow relationships.
Workshop dates:
- January 20th at 1:00pm
- February 3rd at 1:00pm
- February 17th at 1:00pm
- March 3rd at 1:00pm
- March 17th at 1:00pm
- March 31st at 1:00pm
- April 14th at 1:00pm
- April 18th at 1:00pm
Striving for perfectionism is an endless task that can be very distressing and impact your well-being. The goal is progress, not perfection! This workshop will focus on cultivating flexibility around expectations and developing a healthy pursuit of excellence.
Workshop dates:
- January 30th at 11:00am
- February 13th at 11:00am
- February 27th at 11:00am
- March 13th at 11:00am
- March 27th at 11:00am
- April 10th at 11:00am
- April 24th at 11:00am
Racial trauma (or race-based traumatic stress) is the result of racism and discrimination. It includes psychological, physical, and emotional harm that is caused by witnessing or experiencing racism and discrimination. This workshop will explore the connection between the mind, body and spirit and a holistic approach to wellness through the four bodies (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual). Promoting a sense of holistic wellness reminds us of our full humanity and helps us move from racial trauma to racial healing.
Workshop dates:
- January 19th at 4:00pm
- February 2nd at 4:00pm
- February 16th at 4:00pm
- March 2nd at 4:00pm
- March 16th at 4:00pm
- March 30th at 4:00pm
- April 13th at 4:00pm
- April 27th at 4:00pm
Taking care of yourself in meaningful ways is important to help you navigate the demands of college life. In this workshop, students will have the opportunity to explore ways to engage in self-nourishing activities that enhance their well-being.
Workshop dates:
- January 17th at 11:00am
- January 31st at 11:00am
- February 14th at 11:00am
- February 28th at 11:00am
- March 14th at 11:00am
- March 28th at 11:00am
- April 11th at 11:00am
- April 25th at 11:00am
Stress is an inevitable part of college life, but that doesn't mean you can’t thrive! In fact, some stress can be beneficial to us. Join us for this interactive workshop to learn ways to navigate and manage your stress and make stress work for you!
Workshop dates:
- January 13th at 10:30am
- January 27th at 10:30am
- February 10th at 10:30am
- February 24th at 10:30am
- March 24th at 10:30am
- April 7th at 10:30am
- April 21st at 10:30am
This workshop is designed to teach students about the function and common symptoms of anxiety. Additionally, students will learn strategies on how to manage their anxiety, including cognitive strategies, distraction techniques and self-care.
Workshop dates:
- January 18th at 2:00pm
- February 1st at 2:00pm
- February 15th at 2:00pm
- March 1st at 2:00pm
- March 15th at 2:00pm
- March 29th at 2:00pm
- April 12th at 2:00pm
- April 26th at 2:00pm
This is a workshop for students who are or have been members of the US Armed Forces to consider aspects of adjusting to the university setting. Relevant resources will also be included in this workshop.
Workshop Dates:
- March 7th at 3pm
- May 2nd at 3pm
- June 6th at 3pm
Peer-led Workshops
More information coming soon!
Self-Paced Workshop
More information coming soon!