If you could sum up all of the things that the Living Well studio does here at UVM, what would you say?
Educating and inspiring people to take care of all dimensions of wellness
What is your specific role?
As a health educator here in Living Well, I focus primarily on mental and emotional health. I’m passionate about reducing stigma associated with mental health and mental illness and providing pathways to resilience and healthy coping skills.
What are some of the things that students can seek helping at the Living Well Studio for?
We work to promote seven dimensions of wellness (Emotional, Intellectual, Social, Environmental, Physical, Spiritual, Social Justice/Diversity.) We have a relaxation room where students can use a massage chair and meditate for stress reductions, Build a Better Meal for nutritional advice, Drop in Yoga, Pilates, Meditation, 15 min visits with a Massage Therapist, sexual health barriers as well as once a semester Get Yourself Tested. We also hold our signature event DeStress Central each semester during finals to help support students through this often hectic time.
What do you and all of the staff hope to achieve through your work in the studio?
Our mission and vision says that we in Living Well create opportunity for accessing information, identifying resources, developing skills and making healthy choices. We do this through innovative programming, collaborating with, and supporting campus partners and advocating for individual and community health.
I believe that each one of us is dedicated and committed to helping students find ways of making choices that support their health and learning. We believe there are choices whether it be with food, exercise, interpersonal relationships, coping skills, addiction, the list goes on and on, and want to help students have access to making informed decisions that support their development.
What are some of the programs that are offered?
As I mentioned above we have Drop- In Mindfulness and Meditation, Yoga and Pilates. We host student group meetings for Free 2 Be and Active Minds. There are nutrition, body image, and sexual health workshops. We have a relaxation room and free massage. We have a Therapy Dog, Tucker and of course DeStress Central with PB&J’s, tarot card readings, gratitude card making and much more.
Are some free on occasion?
All our programs and services are free.
Which one would you say is the most popular?
I’d say it’s becoming a close tie between the free 15 min massages and visiting with our Therapy Dog, Tucker!