2022-2023 Support Groups
Asian Graduate Student Academic Support Group
Day: Friday Afternoons, so please ensure that you have open times on Fridays between 1-4PM
Time: TBD
Facilitators: Tingyun Tseng, M.A. and Nicole Benedicto Elden, Psy.D.
This group will meet virtually on a weekly basis for the 2022-2023 academic year. Space is limited—please send in your request soon.
Being an Asian-identified graduate student can be unique experience for a variety of reasons. If you are an Asian international student, you may be grappling with a vastly different culture and academic setting and grapple with questions such as how do I interact with the faculty? How do I make friends and network? What does critical thinking even mean? Being an Asian-American, you may notice yourself ruminating about certain interactions, wondering if they were racially charged? You may be feeling physically exhausted or emotionally fatigued. For any Asian graduate student, at times you may feel isolated or alone, seeking community and support.
For many Asian graduate students, recent events have exacerbated existing challenges and posed entirely new obstacles within their graduate programs. For example, fear and anxiety may now be present for some due to the anti-Asian discrimination and assaults exacerbated by COVID-19. You may find yourself feeling isolated and questioning how you will be able to navigate this journey alone! This group is an academic support space designed to offer Asian-identified students the space to process thoughts and feelings, get feedback and support on individual and collective experiences, develop organizational skills and self-care strategies, all while building community.
Interpersonal Process Group
Wednesdays 3-4:30PM EST, via Zoom
Facilitators: Dr. Inez Strama, Supervising Clinical Psychologist for Student Counseling and Rozita Alaluf, M.A., Clinical Fellow
This group is for individuals looking to expand their awareness of themselves in relation to self and others. The focus is on themes such as trust, intimacy, and boundaries. If you struggle with interpersonal patterns such as not knowing how to communicate your needs/feelings, putting others’ needs ahead of your own, and/or shying away from getting close to people, then this group might be for you. It is a unique opportunity for honest (& sometimes challenging) exploration of personal and interpersonal process in an emotionally supportive environment. It is also an opportunity to practice new ways of being in connection with yourself and others.
Dissertation Support Group
Day/Time TBD for Fall 2022 Semester, via Zoom
Facilitators: Dr. Inez Strama, Supervising Clinical Psychologist for Student Counseling and Ryan Savino, LMSW Clinical FellowThis is a group for doctoral students working on their dissertations. Students from all programs, at all stages in the process, are welcome. You are not alone! This is a space for you to give and receive emotional peer support during a time in your academic journey that can often feel lonely and isolating. You may also benefit from accountability, learn practical strategies, and hear how others are navigating the process. This is NOT a peer writing and/or editing group.
If you are interested in joining any of these groups, please complete our Request for Services form (also attached) and email it to [email protected] or submit via our Virtual Drop-Off Service (please include a picture of your student I.D.) For students who wish to complete or drop-off our form in-person, currently we are open Tuesday-Thursday 9AM-3PM in room 6422.
Note: Individual screening with group facilitators is required. You must be a registered student of the Graduate Center or Craig Newmark School of Journalism to be eligible to join.
Navigating Imposter Syndrome as a Graduate Student
Date: May 10, 2023 (Wednesday)
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST via Zoom
Facilitators: Josiah Teng, MA, LMHC & Jiaqi Li, LMSW
“What if people find out I’m a fraud?” As a graduate student, you may secretly have thoughts like this from time to time. You are not alone – many high-achieving individuals experience imposter syndrome and have trouble internalizing their successes. In this workshop, we will discuss what imposter syndrome looks like, what contributes to it, and how to manage it as a graduate student. A mindfulness exercise and small group discussions will be part of the experience to help you approach your inner critic with compassion and effective strategies.
Click here to register in advance for this workshop. Please register with your GC or J-school student email address.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Greetings students! We hope your semester is off to a great start. The Wellness Center and Student Counseling Services would like to remind you that we are here to support you. We offer free confidential counseling, academic-oriented services, referrals, and more. We have a variety of workshops and programs that may be of interest to you.
We are also thrilled to announce that starting this semester, we are sponsoring a partnership with Care Solace, a confidential service that connects students and their family members with local licensed in-network/affordable mental health professionals. A dedicated Care Companion will help to research options, secure appointments and follow up to make sure the provider is a good fit. The Care Companion team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Support is available in 200+ languages. As an added bonus, Care Solace is extending this confidential service to staff members and their families as well: https://www.caresolace.com/site/graduatecentercuny.
Please visit our website and see below for some upcoming offerings.
The support groups below have space available:
Black Graduate Student Academic Support Group
Day/Time: Wednesdays 3:15-4:15pm EST via Zoom
Facilitators: Dr. Daam Barker, Community Supervisor for Student Counseling and Elisa-Cameron-Niang, LMHC, Clinical Fellow
Click here for a video introduction of the group.
Being a Black-Identified graduate student can be a unique experience. Sometimes you may feel a great sense of accomplishment while also feeling completely burnt out. You may feel a pressure to always be “on,” but long to find a way to reclaim your time and redirect your energy. Other times it might feel like you are struggling to maintain your academic workload but you are eager to learn new strategies to help you stay on track. You might also find that although you are satisfied in your relationships outside of school, you feel isolated within your program and often question your sense of belonging. You don’t have to navigate this journey or wrestle with these dilemmas alone.
The Black-Identified Graduate Student Academic Support Group is a restorative and empowering space designed for students to show up as their full selves. This group provides opportunities to build community and gain support by exploring challenges and celebrating successes. Through sharing and processing thoughts and feelings, giving and receiving feedback, and learning new tools and strategies for self-care and academic wellness, this group offers Black-identified graduate students a space to be seen, honored, held, and elevated.
First-Generation Graduate Student Group
Thursdays 12-1PM
Group Facilitator: Dr. Inez Strama, Supervising Clinical Psychologist for Student Counseling
Congratulations! You’re the first in your family to go to graduate school. And yet…
Navigating graduate school as a first-gen student can be complex. This group offers an affirming space for you to build community, support each other, and share your feelings about this unique experience. Themes may include: managing the impostor syndrome and self-doubt; learning and perhaps challenging the unwritten rules of academia; juggling financial stress and work-life balance; feeling misunderstood by family, professors, or peers; identifying strengths associated with being a first-gen student and translating them into action and empowerment. Space is limited and individual screening required to determine goodness of fit—please send in your request soon.
If you are interested in joining a group, please complete our Request for Services form and email it to [email protected] or submit via our Virtual Drop-Off Service (please include a jpg picture of your student I.D.) For students who wish to complete or drop-off our form in-person, we are open Tuesday-Thursday 9AM-3PM in room 6422.
Note: Individual screening with group facilitators is required. You must be a registered student of the Graduate Center or Craig Newmark School of Journalism to be eligible to join.
Creative Arts for Self-Exploration Workshop
Date: April 26, 2023 (Wednesday)
Time: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Facilitators: Sophie Schiff, MA & Rozita Alaluf, MA
In this workshop, we will discuss how to use creative arts tools to explore our emotions, strengths, and intentions. The workshop will include experiential exercises and group sharing. We will share tips and resources to help you create your own creative arts toolbox. All levels of experience are welcome.
Please have papers, colored pencils, and a black pen ready. If you have other art supplies, you are welcome to bring them.
Workshop will be conducted virtually, via Zoom.
Click here to register in advance for this workshop. Please register with your GC or J-school student email address.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Managing Procrastination in Graduate School
Tuesday, March 28th from 1:30 pm-3 pm EST via Zoom
Facilitators: Michelle Chu Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist, and Irena Curanovic, M.A., Clinical Fellow
This workshop aims to empower students to manage their levels of procrastination in graduate school. Students will develop a better understanding of the different types of procrastination and the factors that maintain these behaviors. Students will also learn useful techniques and strategies to overcome procrastinating activities.
Register here: https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIofu2oqDMoHtIVBrK3KTtp_PkAZTzhNNN4 (please register with your GC or J-school student email address).
After registering, you will receive an email with the Zoom link.
Body Love Yoga: The Body is not an Apology
Date & Time: Wednesday, 2/15/23 12:00-1:30pm (via Zoom)
Facilitators: Surrenca Albert, Psy.D., Elisa Cameron-Niang, LMHC, EdM, Adjoa Osei, Psy.D.
“Radical self-love is a return to the love of our whole being.” In “The Body is not an Apology,” Sonya Renee Taylor explores the impact of systems of oppression, such as racism, fatphobia, and ableism, on our bodies and highlights the healing power of radical self-love. Radical self-love encourages us to examine beauty standards, thoughts that we have internalized about our bodies, and to challenge voices of judgment rooted in bodily hierarchy and shame.
This workshop is an integrative healing space that focuses on movement, breathwork, meditation, and collaborative reflection. During this event, we will begin with an introduction, intention setting, and creating a safe space. We will then transition to a 45-minute yoga flow followed by a discussion examining the impact of systems of oppression on our bodies and ways of being. Participants can expect to develop a deeper understanding of yoga, the mind-body connection, systems of oppression, and radical self-love. Please join us with a yoga mat, towel, and journal or notebook.
Please note that this workshop will be centering the experiences of graduate students of color but is open to all GC registered students.
Register in advance for this workshop.
You will need to use your GC or School of Journalism student email address in order to get confirmation to join this workshop: Meeting Registration – Zoom
What is Mindfulness Really?
Date & Time: February 6, 2023 (Monday) @ 5PM-6:30PM (EST)
Facilitators: David Gumpel, MA & Rozita Alaluf, MA
In this workshop, we will explore what mindfulness is and how it might be helpful to you. The workshop will include experiential exercises and group sharing. We will share tips and resources to help you cultivate your own practice. All levels of experience are welcome. Workshop will be conducted virtually, via Zoom.
Register in advance for this workshop.
You will need to use your GC or School of Journalism student email address in order to get confirmation to join this workshop: Meeting Registration – Zoom
 | David Gumpel is an Integral Master Coach and a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through UMASS medical school. He completed his MA in Psychology at The New School for Social Research. David is the co-founder of Access Mindfulness and was a study coordinator for the MAPS sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder study in NYC. At Fluence, David provides guidance to Fluence trainers, leads experiential training and ensures the successful implementation of Fluence’s many offerings as the Director of training operations. As a coach, David teaches mindfulness to clients in private practice and to groups in corporate settings. Find him online at ebcpathways.com. |
 | Rozita Alaluf is a clinical psychology doctoral candidate at the City College of New York and a Clinical Fellow at The Wellness Center. She provides psychodynamically-oriented therapy to individuals across the lifespan. Rozita has also trained in yoga and mindfulness-based practices and incorporates these practices into her therapeutic approach. |
Empowering International Students in a Challenging Sociocultural Climate
Date & Time: November 17th, 2022 @ 6PM-7:30PM (EST)
Facilitators: Vivi Wei-Chun Hua, Psy.D and Tingyun Tseng, MA
This workshop aims to provide a space for international students to come together and reflect on their experiences in the U.S. both on and off campus. We will highlight recent global events as well as common interpersonal and cross-cultural situations where students tend to feel unheard or unseen. The workshop will provide students with tools as they seek to empower and advocate for themselves under these challenging circumstances.
Vivi Wei-Chun Hua, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and a success coach for international students. Tingyun Tseng, M.A. is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Adelphi University. Her therapeutic lens is a primarily psychodynamic framework with an emphasis on the relational approach.
Register in advance here for this workshop
You will need to use your GC or School of Journalism email address in order to get confirmation to join this workshop:
https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpf–pqTIiE9X01pbuwOfTJI2q3aRTq7mC
Strategies for Managing Stress in Graduate School
Date: October 24th, 2022 (Monday)
Time: 10:00am to 11:30am (1.5 Hours)
Facilitators: Elena Podell, LMSW and Ryan Savino, LMSW
This workshop will provide coping strategies with a focus on an introductory teaching of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Skills. DBT offers a range of useful tools and the course will emphasize those most relevant to navigating the stress of graduate school. This will include emotion regulation and mindfulness skills to strengthen abilities and confidence in navigating the semester ahead.
Elena Podell, LMSW is a psychotherapist specializing in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Her work incorporates mindfulness-based techniques to help individuals strengthen awareness within themselves and their environment.
Workshop will be conducted virtually, via Zoom.
Register in advance here for this workshop
You will need to use your GC or School of Journalism email address in order to get confirmation to join this workshop:
https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsdeyuqj0pG92ZfmILkJTlxgeHa1XrND_l
Workshop: Mindfulness Strategies as You Ease into the Semester
Date: September 7, 2022 (Wednesday)
Time: 12:00– 1:00 PM EST
Facilitator: Beej Christie Karpen, SEP, IFS-L1, MBSR-Q
Mindfulness is a practice of learning to attend to the present moment with more acceptance. It is a systematic way of slowing down, observing one’s reactions, and relating to experiences with greater ease and compassion. Mindfulness has been shown to enhance well-being by reducing the impact of stress and helping people cope with symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition, mindfulness can be applied to managing urges and cravings to use substances or other problematic behaviors such as self-injury and overeating.
Beej Christie Karpen is a Certified Coach, Somatic Therapist, Clinical Hypnotist, and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher specializing in anxiety, various types of trauma, the mind-body connection, and habits related to stress drinking and stress eating. www.insightoutnyc.com
Register in advance here for this workshop
You will need to use your GC or School of Journalism email address in order to get confirmation to join this workshop:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqc-Ghqz4sGtLatL-JkECfQzE1iUARSM1X
Ergonomics Webinar
May 16, 2022 – 12:00 noon
CUNY GC Wellness welcomes Dr. Robert Neda PT, DPT, PhD(c), MEd, CHES for its May Webinar. Dr. Neda is a physical therapist and a community health educator. He will lead the webinar entitled, Movement as Medicine. The webinar will explore how movement can be used to combat chronic conditions, and how certain lifestyle choices can potentially our longevity and quality of life. When: May 16, 2022 at noon EST via Zoom. Registerusing your GC or SOJ email *To learn more about the webinar and access the registration link:https://www.gc.cuny.edu/events/movement-medicine-webinar
HIV/AIDS Webinar with Ryan Health
Dec 8, 2021 at 12 pm (noon) via Zoom
Register using your GC or SOJ email.
Wellness Center 101: Who We Are and How We Can Help
Date: Tuesday, 8/3/21
Time: 12:30-1:30 PM EST via Zoom
You’ve received e-mails from us at the Wellness Center and know we offer various student services but perhaps you are still wondering, “what is it that they actually do?!” Join us for this workshop to learn about the services we offer, how we can help, and what that process looks like. We are looking forward to meeting you!
**You are welcome to leave your cameras off during this workshop**
Facilitator: Ariella Freedman, M.S.
Ariella is a fellow at the Wellness Center and a current psychology doctoral student at St. John’s University. In addition to seeing GC students for individual therapy, she is also a co-leader of the Wellness Center’s Dissertation Support Group.
Please note that this workshop is open to registered graduate students of The Graduate Center & Journalism School only. Please register in advance for this workshop (PLEASE USE YOUR GC OR SOJ EMAIL ADDRESS).
Once your registration is approved, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Wellness Center is pleased to offer consultations with Adraenne Bowe, our Health Education Consultant and registered Nurse Practitioner, over the phone during the COVID-19 situation.
If you have any questions related to health and wellness please email her at [email protected] to schedule your consultation, and you should receive response within 2 business days. (5-5-2020)
VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Mindfulness Meditation/Stress Reduction Class
DATE: Saturday, May 9, 2020
TIME: 11:00AM EST
PRESENTER: Beej Christie Karpen
Join Beej Christie Karpen of Insight Out Coaching in practicing meditation, and learn tools to reduce stress during this challenging time.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkduCpqD8pH9WmNCS_3P7YeWJyv5Q8feke [us02web.zoom.us]
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: SELF CARE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
DATE: Friday, May 1, 2020
TIME: 12PM-1:30PM EST
PRESENTER: EVA JO MEYERS
Is stress getting you down, making you irritable, anxious, affecting your sleep? In this workshop, participants will learn and share techniques for self-care, including strategies for alleviating stress and creating a work-life environment that is balanced and sustainable especially during these difficult times.
Students must sign up for the zoom meeting in advance with their GC or J-school email address.
2020 Wellness Festival
Thursday, April 23, 2020
10am-4pm
Concourse Level
Please join us on Thursday, April 23, 10am-4pm, on the GC Concourse Level for the Annual Wellness Festival.We will have various screening services and information regarding health and wellness free of cost to students, faculty, and staff- please save the date!
FACEBOOK EVENT HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550375425115394/
FREE Rapid HIV Testing:
Tuesday February 18, 2020
11:00am – 3:00pm
CUNY Graduate Center Rm 9205/9206
Stop by Room 9205/9206 on Feb 18th from 11am-3pm for a free, quick HIV test by the professionals at Ryan-NENA.
For more information email healthed@gcdisabilityservices
