Dear Graduate Student Community, First, I want to say how encouraged and inspired I’ve been witnessing your resilience during all the uncertainties of this semester. I’m incredibly grateful for your patience, your ideas, and your participation as you’ve worked together to support each other, especially our students facing the greatest challenges. It’s been wonderful to see campus come alive again with your presence. With the holidays just around the corner and semester deadlines looming, this time of year can be especially stressful. And as we’re all still learning to navigate being back on campus, I want to underscore the importance of centering your mental health and wellness. Berkeley offers many graduate student support resources, yet finding and knowing which of these services is right for you can be hard. The Graduate Peer Support Providers (PSPs) is a new initiative to help you navigate our many resources dedicated to supporting your basic needs, mental health, and academic progress. Our PSPs are graduate students themselves, working under the supervision of School Psychology Program faculty. Because of that, our PSPs understand your unique needs and can provide you with culturally competent one-on-one guidance and support. Read more about how you can benefit from our new PSPs below. I also want to remind you of additional resources available to you that are meant to support your wellness and mental health. The Graduate Wellness Center is an excellent graduate-focused resource offering individual and group counseling as well as workshops and talks. And the Berkeley Recalibrate site provides online tools and content that will help you develop and implement your own unique system of wellness. On your own, I urge you to do whatever it takes to manage your stress and find joy each day — take breaks, meditate, exercise, and/or spend time with friends and loved ones. And as always, the staff of the Graduate Division are here to support you so that you may have an enriching experience during your time at Berkeley. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need additional guidance. Wishing you health and joy!
Dear Graduate Student Community, First, I want to say how encouraged and inspired I’ve been witnessing your resilience during all the uncertainties of this semester. I’m incredibly grateful for your patience, your ideas, and your participation as you’ve worked together to support each other, especially our students facing the greatest challenges. It’s been wonderful to see campus come alive again with your presence. With the holidays just around the corner and semester deadlines looming, this time of year can be especially stressful. And as we’re all still learning to navigate being back on campus, I want to underscore the importance of centering your mental health and wellness. Berkeley offers many graduate student support resources, yet finding and knowing which of these services is right for you can be hard. The Graduate Peer Support Providers (PSPs) is a new initiative to help you navigate our many resources dedicated to supporting your basic needs, mental health, and academic progress. Our PSPs are graduate students themselves, working under the supervision of School Psychology Program faculty. Because of that, our PSPs understand your unique needs and can provide you with culturally competent one-on-one guidance and support. Read more about how you can benefit from our new PSPs below. I also want to remind you of additional resources available to you that are meant to support your wellness and mental health. The Graduate Wellness Center is an excellent graduate-focused resource offering individual and group counseling as well as workshops and talks. And the Berkeley Recalibrate site provides online tools and content that will help you develop and implement your own unique system of wellness. On your own, I urge you to do whatever it takes to manage your stress and find joy each day — take breaks, meditate, exercise, and/or spend time with friends and loved ones. And as always, the staff of the Graduate Division are here to support you so that you may have an enriching experience during your time at Berkeley. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need additional guidance. Wishing you health and joy!