UCSB Mental Health Peer Program

Struggling with graduate level academic stress, loneliness, or relational concerns? Join an experiential space where you can explore these challenges and find healing, not just through individual reflection, but through the power of the group dynamic.

In this space, therapy happens by the group, for the group—everyone’s experiences, perspectives, and support contribute to the therapeutic process. You’ll engage in somatic and yoga-informed practices to manage stress and connect with your body, and you’ll build deeper relational awareness by learning from others in a safe, confidential space.

What to Expect:
🌀 Explore how stress and emotional challenges show up in your body and relationships.
🤝 Develop relational awareness and improve how you connect with yourself and others.
🌿 Experience and learn somatic & yoga informed practices to manage stress, regulate emotions, and increase resilience.
💬 Receive and offer support as part of a dynamic, healing group experience.

Do you notice more intense stress than usual at school, work, or in your relationships? Learn ways to understand your stress and reduce the intensity of your day-to-day discomfort. Practice physiological, visual, behavioral, emotional, and relational self care skills that you can use throughout college and in your life going forward.

This 7-week virtual group is for students who have lost a friend/loved one in a sudden and traumatic way and are experiencing both trauma and grief. The focus of this group is to connect with others on shared feelings of confusion, shock, sadness, and what it means to move forward with life. Information will be shared around the layers of complexity that comes with traumatic bereavement and to develop coping skills to address beliefs about the self and/or the world that can keep an individual stuck in their grief.

Looking for a space to slow down and recharge? This group invites students to step away from daily stressors and reconnect with their bodies and breath. When stress piles up, our nervous system can get stuck in “fight-or-flight” mode, sometimes even leading to a freeze response. Yoga offers simple, powerful tools to help restore balance, using breath as a calming and grounding anchor.

Each session typically includes:
Gentle yoga postures (asanas)
Breathing practices (pranayama)
Relaxation & meditative techniques (savasana)
Singing bowls sound bath and/or calming background music to create a soothing atmosphere
Aromatherapy to support relaxation and grounding (optional)

Each session will also explore a unique psychological theme that will guide our yoga and reflective practices. Themes may include self-compassion & love, emotional awareness, inner strength & peace, connection, attention and focus, rest, and navigating change.

How it works:
Once you register, you’ll receive weekly email reminders and updates. An RSVP is required for each session so the space can be prepared with care. RSVP links will be sent out Thursday afternoons, and participants must confirm by noon on Fridays to reserve their spot.

This 6-week workshop is designed for students with ADHD-related difficulties to learn strategies for academic and personal well-being. These workshops offer a supportive, collaborative environment where students are encouraged to share experiences and practice new skills. Topics include:

Week 3 - Understanding Strengths and Challenges of an ADHD Brain
Week 4 - Time Management and Daily Planning
Week 5 - Procrastination
Week 6 - Working with your Attention Span
Week 7 - Emotional Regulation and Daily Living
Week 8 - Accommodations and Self-Advocacy

This social space offers support for students adjusting to new academic, social, or cultural environments at UCSB. Together we explore experiences of transition, identity, and belonging in a new community, including for those arriving from different countries. The group is particularly beneficial for students transitioning from abroad, while welcoming any student navigating change, seeking peer support, or wishing to support others. The ultimate goal is to foster connection, build resilience, and create a supportive community at UCSB.

*Students are welcome to join at any point in the quarter and do not need to attend every week!

Welcome back Gauchos! Here are our general hours for Fall 2026! 🍂🍁🧸

Our massage chairs and egg chairs are available during all open hours, and peer to peer counseling sessions vary based on staff availability. All our services are free of charge for students! Drop by Building 434, Room 100 to check out the space!

Stop by Building 434, Room 100 for an NSS session! 🩵

Stop by Building 434, Room 100 for a peer-to-peer session, or to try our egg and massage chairs! 🧡

Look out for our upcoming events posted on our page and email us at [email protected]! 🩵