Self-Help & Self-Care
Online Screening Program | Self-Care Strategies | Self-Help Lending Library
Journal Writing | Additional Resources
Online Screening Program
Have you ever wondered if your mood swings might be a sign of depression? Do you have issues with food that might be related to an eating disorder? Have you thought that a friend might have a drinking problem? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may benefit from participating in our online screening program. These anonymous mental health assessments cover the areas of Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Alcohol, Eating Disorders, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and they are available to all Geneseo students at no additional charge. Each screening takes only a few minutes to complete, and you will receive immediate feedback about your results.
To take one of the online mental health screening questionnaires, go here.
For more information on Anxiety & Stress, Depression & Suicide, Eating Disorders, Alcohol & Drugs, and other topics, visit our Common Mental Health Issues page. This page also includes tips on Helping a Friend.
If you have been referred for a mandated alcohol evaluation: If you have been referred to Counseling Services for a mandated evaluation by Judicial Affairs, the Dean of Students, or another College official, follow the instructions above to take the alcohol screening. Once you complete the screening, you MUST print out a copy of your results and bring this printout with you to your evaluation. Furthermore, when you call Counseling Services to schedule your evaluation (245-5716), you MUST inform our secretary that you are coming in for a mandated evaluation so that she can be sure to schedule you with our administrative evaluator, Dr. Alexandra Carlo; Dr. Carlo is the ONLY counselor who performs these assessments.
Self-Care Strategies
Whether you've already scheduled an appointment with our office OR you just want to try some things on your own to take better care of yourself, you might find this PDF handout on Self-Care Strategies to be helpful. The handout recommends taking care of several areas addressed under the Hot Topics! section of our web site, including Eating Well & Exercising and getting adequate Sleep.
For another self-care option, try yoga! Penny's Yoga offers a series of short (3-5 minutes) You Tube videos which provide easy yoga instruction for common issues such as sitting at a desk, sore backs, relief from standing, 4-minute morning yoga--even Yoga in Bed!
Finally, for help managing stress, try Stressbusters! Stressbusters is a new weekly workshop series; classes are offered every Friday afternoon, 3-4 p.m., with each class focusing on a different topic. For more information and a complete schedule, visit our Stressbusters page.
Self-Help Lending Library
Counseling Services maintains an extensive Self-Help Lending Library. We have books on many different topics such as stress, anxiety, depression, meditation/mindfulness, eating disorders, grief, relationships, sleep, and study skills, just to name a few. We've also added a few CD selections, such as a step-by-step meditation guide. It is not necessary to be a Counseling Services client to borrow a book; you can stop by our office at any time to browse through our library, which is located just off our waiting room area--just be sure to sign out any selections with our secretary. You are welcome to keep books as long as you'd like, though we do ask that you return them as soon as you are finished so that other students may make use of them (and to avoid any charges to your student account). For more information about what books are available, check out our annotated bibliography.
Journal Writing
Journal writing can be a valuable means of self-exploration. Unlike keeping a diary, writing in a journal may be sporadic; many people find it helpful to write only when they are upset. In addition, your writing can take the form of lists or just a series of thoughts jotted down rather than a more narrative format. Another useful journal technique is to write "never to be sent" letters to those who have made you feel angry or otherwise upset. If you are interested in giving journal writing a try, the following web sites may be helpful:
- http://www.writingthejourney.com—Offers an online journal writing workshop, a free monthly newsletter, and exercises to help get you started.
- http://www.journal-writing.com—Gives advice on how to select and set up a journal, provides tools for practice, and offers examples. Also contains a bookstore with journal-related resources.
- http://www.journalforyou.com—Provides a selection of articles on journal writing for wide range of topics.
- http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/assess/feelings.html--This list of "feeling words" may help you to express yourself in your journal writing endeavors.
Additional Resources
Helping a Friend
Are you looking for suggestions on how to help someone else rather than yourself? If so, visit the Helping a Friend section of our Common Mental Health issues page for basic helping strategies as well as links to other resources.
Other Materials
In addition to books and CDs, Counseling Services has many pamphlets, brochures, fliers, handouts, bookmarks, and other materials available for student use. Some of these materials are located in our waiting room and the adjacent the brochure rack, but if you don't find what you're looking for, just ask! You may also want to browse this online collection of virtual pamphlets.
YAWA!
If you still have questions after utilizing the above resources, you can submit an anonymous question to our professional staff using YAWA!, our online question and answer service. To submit your question or for more information, visit YAWA!
Seeking Treatment
If you want information about pursuing therapy on campus, please review Our Services. We also offer a page of Off-Campus Referral Resources.