Workshops are more didactic in nature and allow participants to gain knowledge and skill sets related to a specific topic. Members will participate in activities and/or exercises to help them gain greater insight and/or practice new skills. Please see below for more information.

*All workshops will be offered based on request and VCCS availability throughout the year. For more information on how to request a workshop from VCCS staff please visit our Outreach and Training page.

Please Note:  All workshops will be offered in person or through telehealth on a secure video platform, and will be determined by VCCS Staff as appropriate.

Spring 2026 Drop-in Workshops:

ADHD: So I'm not just lazy and inconsiderate? February 2/26 3-4PM (Metcalf)

ADHD is simultaneously the most over- and under-diagnosed mental health condition in our modern era. Most diagnoses come when people enter college due to the shift in structure, certainty, and flexibility. Learn from a fellow ADHD-er about ADHD and how it can affect aspects of relationships, sleep, emotional regulation, motivation, and procrastination on (2/26) 3PM-4PM. I will discuss strategies to help change from a bootstrap, self-focused view of motivation to a view of creating systems to help support your stimulation-seeking brain, like writing down and setting an alarm right now to attend (2/26), 3PM-4PM. (Good job!)

Overcoming Perfectionism and Procrastination
February TBA (Metcalf)

Struggling to get started or finish because it’s never "good enough"? Perfectionism and procrastination often go hand-in-hand, creating a cycle of stress, avoidance, and self-doubt. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the roots of perfectionism, how it fuels procrastination, and practical strategies to break the cycle. We will explore ways to manage self-criticism and how to create more realistic standards.

Learn how to reframe your mindset, embrace progress over perfection, and develop tools to manage the fear of failure. Whether battling last-minute all-nighters or struggling to complete personal projects, this workshop will help you take actionable steps toward a more balanced and productive life.

Open to all students—come as you are, no perfection required!

Navigating a Health Condition as a Vassar Student Thursdays, March 26th, 3-4PM (Metcalf)

Do you struggle with health limitations that impact your academic and social life? Is it hard to find balance? Do you feel different than your healthy peers? Are you worried about the impact of your health on your future? You're not alone. In this workshop, you will find support, compassion, and guidance from your facilitator and fellow students facing similar challenges.

Therapeutic Doodling Tuesdays 2/2, 3/2, 4/13 3-4PM (Olmsted Greenhouse)

Discover the calming power of doodling in this hands-on workshop. Learn simple, effective techniques to ease stress and quiet your mind. Through guided exercises, you'll explore how creative expression can help regulate emotions and bring peace to your day. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting, these accessible methods will equip you with tools to calm your mind anytime, anywhere.

Forest Bathing Activities: Gratitude for Nature 
March 31st & May 7th, 4-5PM (Greenhouse)

This forest bathing experience invites you to slow down, tune into your senses, and spend time really noticing the nature around you. Through simple, mindful activities, facilitated by Ali Krause from the counseling service, you’ll explore how nature takes care of itself through balance, reuse, and connection.  Our practice will allow the natural world around us to teach us about sustainability. We’ll meet at the Preserve on March 31st from 4–6pm to be present, build respect for the environment, and connect with nature, eachother, and ourselves. 

This guided forest bathing session offers a chance to step away from the busy pace of campus and spend intentional time outdoors. Through simple, mindful activities, we’ll explore the traditions of forest bathing alongside natural and human traditions, noticing how repeated practices and rhythms can support a sense of grounding and belonging. Taking place at the Preserve on May 7th from 3:30–5:30pm during study week, and guided by Ali Krause, from the counseling service, this session offers a chance to pause, regulate, and reset during a typically stressful time.  

Both require sign up, as there is limited space.  Students can email Ali at akrause@vassar.edu

4-day Workshop Series:

Exploring Your Path: A Journey Through Self, Spirituality, and Mental Health
Mondays Feb 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd, 3-4PM (Jade Parlor)

Discover how spirituality intersects with mental health, well-being, and your unique place in the university. This four-week interfaith discussion group invites you to embrace the uncertainties of life and explore the more profound questions that guide your path. Together, we’ll attune our spiritual compasses to navigate the interplay of self and environment with curiosity, connection, and a sense of belonging. This is a community-building discussion group, not a therapy or treatment group. Sign Up link for 4-weeks Here: https://forms.gle/XqZPZkEdBErGKDY27

Climate Cafe - Anxiety Around Climate Change (Greenhouse) April 21st, Tuesday 2:30-4PM

Do you ever feel anxious, overwhelmed, or uncertain about climate change? You’re not alone. Climate Café is an open, inclusive, and supportive space where students can come together once a month to connect with others by sharing their emotional responses to a changing climate.

OCD Workshop: Coping with Intrusive and Obsessive Thoughts Tuesday 3/2 3-4PM

Are you a worrier? Do you experience obsessive and intrusive thoughts around academics, your personal life, or all of the above? This may be hard to believe, but almost everyone experiences intrusive thoughts from time to time. However, some of us are engaged in a battle  where we try to rid ourselves of intrusive thoughts. This often seems to increase their intensity. What can you do in this situation?

This workshop will help us understand how our minds react to intrusive thoughts, what maintains them, and ways to lessen their power. We will explore myths around intrusive thoughts as well as steps to handle them when they do come up.

Open to all students- let’s work to get “unstuck” together!

Bipolar Support Workshop February 26th, 4-5PM (Metcalf)

This workshop is open for students diagnosed with bipolar disorder who would like to connect with peers about their experiences with this diagnosis. The workshop will include some psychoeducation on bipolar disorder and managing symptoms across various domains in life and serve as a space for support and connection.

Dance Support Workshop TBA Feb, March, & May (Metcalf)

Russell Janzen and Robin Shutinya will offer a series of three workshops focused on the dancer experience at Vassar. Workshops will offer Vassar students a space to express their dance-related gratitude and frustrations, find support, and discuss themes including perfectionism, self-care, and hanging up their metaphoric and/or literal dance shoes. 

Coping with Injury 2/23 at 4PM (Metcalf)

TBA

Behind the Bottle: Exploring the Why Behind Drinking, 2/9 4-5PM (Metcalf)

This workshop is an opportunity to consider the psychology behind college student’s motivation to drink. Whether it is a desire to feel more comfortable in social settings, a need to cope with stress, or a desire to bond with friends, this workshop is an opportunity for self-reflection and a chance to gain insights. The goal is to empower individuals to explore motivations, understand alternative ways of coping, and to make decisions that are best for them.

Embracing Uncertainty: Expressive Writing Workshop 4/8 at 4PM (Dome Room)

Join us for a creative and therapeutic writing workshop, focused on ways to accept (and perhaps even embrace) "not-knowing."