Is the combination of exams and the upcoming finals week stressing you out? Are the week eight blues getting you down?
The Mind Spa, a service provided by the Stress and Wellness Clinic, a division under Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), has recently undergone a redesign.
The Mind Spa, located on the second floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center, offers an array of relaxing resources for students to enjoy, free of charge.
Now available to students are two state-of-the-art human touch massage chairs, a biofeedback machine, guided relaxation and meditation videos and self-assessment computerized screenings for anxiety and mood difficulties.
“We are trying to accommodate for more services,” said Tatum Phan, staff therapist and psychology intern. “We now have two massage chairs. We’re continuing to work on the space and to revamp it. The space isn’t perfect yet, but we’re always trying to find ways to increase privacy and make it more welcoming, as well as to attend to accessibility issues.”
According to Phan, the installation of a second massage chair has accommodated the traffic flow. In addition, the Mind Spa’s new hours of operation, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., have made it more accessible to students. Pham looks forward to adding even more resources for students to enjoy in the future, including a craft corner.
“The original idea for the Mind Spa came from the recognition that UC students experience significant levels of stress and would benefit from having resources to manage that stress,” said CAPS psychologist and coordinator of the Stress and Wellness Clinic Dorje Jennette. “About 40 percent of UC students reported that stress interfered with their academic success. Students can develop some resiliency through the Mind Spa. Knowing how to relax and cope with stress goes a long way toward keeping on top of the challenges of life on campus.”
The Mind Spa is hosted by student Stress and Wellness Ambassadors, such as junior English major Christina Lee, who introduce and guide visitors to resources that are suitable.
According to Lee, her role as an ambassador is to teach students about what the Mind Spa offers and how to use the resources.
“The Mind Spa developed through student involvement,” Jennette said. “Students were involved in the selection of resources.”
According to Jennette, while CAPS receives student funding, the Mind Spa itself was made possible through funding from the Andrew D. Donnell Memorial Fund.
For more information about CAPS services, visit shcs.ucdavis.edu.
STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
