988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

Collegiate Life Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CLASP)
CLASP is an active and supportive coalition of staff and students who promote effective suicide awareness and prevention efforts that will save lives at Florida Universities and Colleges.

NIMH’s Mental Health Information
Links to a library of mental health topics by the National Institute of Mental Health.


Emergency Numbers

If you are having a health emergency, please call 911. 
If you have a health-related crisis between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, please contact the Counseling and Wellness Center, 941-487-4254. 
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call (941) 487-4254 option 2.

Sexual Assault
If you are the victim of sexual assault and need immediate assistance, please call the Victim Advocate or Campus Police. 

Campus Police
(941) 487-4210

Victim Advocate
(941) 504-8599

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.
1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project (GLBTQIA+)  24/7/365
TrevorLifeline: 1-888-488-7386
Crisis Text Line: text START to 678-678

Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center
(941) 365-1976

Bayside Center for Behavioral Health
(941) 917-7760

Centerstone: Behavioral Health and Addiction Services
1-877-467-3123

HOPE Family Services
(941) 755-6805


 

Mental Health Mobile Applications

Disclaimer: The applications below are for self-help purposes only and are not intended to replace professional treatment. If you need further assistance, please visit or call our office at (941) 487-4254. The applications (Apps) are available for download for iOS and Android platforms and range from free, paid, and in-app purchases. Please visit the respective App stores to download. The inclusion of these Apps does not imply that the CWC and New College of Florida endorse the content or have affiliations with the developers.

Anxiety Reliever (iOS/Android)

Relax, overcome anxiety and stress and fall asleep faster with the help of Anxiety Reliever. Immerse yourself in a relaxing, supportive and soothing environment. Anxiety Reliever consists of a Collection of Calming Audio Recordings, Helpful Guides, Insightful Anxiety Tracker, Breathe and Supportive Messages.

AnxietyCoach (iOS)

Tracker: A very important part of overcoming anxiety is identifying your triggers, tracking your habitual thoughts and noticing improvements. It’s a necessary daily tool that helps to identify and evaluate your thinking patterns and anxiety triggers. Sessions: Calming audio sessions will help you to overcome anxiety, relax and fall asleep faster.  Each session will guide you through stress and anxiety to feeling better and calmer. Please put on your headphones when listening to binaural audio recordings to experience genuine 360° sound

Breathe2Relax (iOS/Android)

Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing.Breathing exercises have been documented to decrease the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ (stress) response, and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management. Breathe2Relax can be used as a stand-alone stress reduction tool, or can be used in tandem with clinical care directed by a healthcare worker. Breathe2Relax now uses HealthKit and your Apple Watch device to measure your heart rate throughout your breathing exercise to help provide an even more complete picture of the relaxation experienced.

iCBT App (iOS)

CBT helps you manage stress and anxiety whenever and wherever you need to. Manage stress and anxieties with iCBT, a personal-use tool for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that is always with you when you need it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a evidenced based psychological therapy for a range of problems including PTSD, panic attacks, generalized anxiety, OCD, and some eating disorders, and is among the most effective for depression and some personality disorders. CBT focuses on correcting distorted thinking patterns and altering behaviors to relieve self-defeating attitudes, reduce symptoms, and improve well-being.

Live OCD Free (iOS)

Live OCD Free is an interactive application designed to guide users through the only evidence-based treatment, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Available now for the iPhone, this app functions as your personal pocket therapist, available to coach you through your battle with OCD.

MindShift (iOS/Android)

Struggling with anxiety? Tired of missing out? There are things you can do to stop anxiety and fear from controlling your life. MindShift™ is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it.

Pacifica (iOS/Android)

Targeted to help those with anxiety and mood disorders and stress, this app teaches deep breathing, behavioral exercises, help identifying cognitive distortions (negative thinking patterns), and learning how to replace them with positive thinking patterns. Pacifica is a smartphone app for use with iOS 6.0 and above on Apple devices or version 4.0 and above on Android devices. The app provides tools for managing depressed mood, anxiety and stress that are built upon principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, relaxation and health.

 

Happify (iOS/Android)

Happify is a self-guided app that aims to increase positive emotions through exercises and games supported by positive psychology and mindfulness research. Whether you’re feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or you’re dealing with constant negative thoughts, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to take control of your emotional well-being. Our proven techniques are developed by leading scientists and experts who’ve been studying evidence-based interventions in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for decades. Get ready to reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts, and build greater resilience. 86% of people who use Happify regularly report feeling better about their lives in 2 months!

MY3 App (iOS/Android)

With MY3, you define your network and your plan to stay safe. With MY3 you can be prepared to help yourself and reach out to others when you are having thoughts of suicide. My3 Allows you to define a support network and reach out/stay connected when you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide.

iCBT App (iOS/Android)

iCBT helps you manage stress and anxiety whenever and wherever you need to. Manage stress and anxieties with iCBT, a personal-use tool for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that is always with you when you need it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a evidenced based psychological therapy for a range of problems including PTSD, panic attacks, generalized anxiety, OCD, and some eating disorders, and is among the most effective for depression and some personality disorders. CBT focuses on correcting distorted thinking patterns and altering behaviors to relieve self-defeating attitudes, reduce symptoms, and improve well-being.

MoodTools (iOS/Android)

MoodTools is designed to help you combat depression and alleviate your negative moods, aiding you on your road to recovery. MoodTools contains several different research-supported tools. They include: Thought Diary – Improve your mood by analyzing your thoughts and identifying negative / distorted thinking patterns based on principles from Cognitive Therapy, Activities – Regain your energy by performing energizing activities and tracking your mood before and after, based on Behavioral Activation Therapy, Safety Plan – Develop a suicide safety plan to keep you safe and utilize emergency resources during a suicidal crisis, Information – Read information, self-help guidelines, and find help with internet resources, Test – Take the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire and track your symptom severity over time, & Video – Discover helpful YouTube videos that can improve your mood and behavior, from guided meditations to enlightening TED talks

Pacifica (iOS/Android)

Targeted to help those with anxiety and mood disorders and stress, this app teaches deep breathing, behavioral exercises, identifying cognitive distortions (negative thinking patterns), and learning how to replace them with positive thinking patterns. Pacifica is a smartphone app for use with iOS 6.0 and above on Apple devices or version 4.0 and above on Android devices. The app provides tools for managing depressed mood, anxiety and stress that are built upon principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, relaxation and health.

Depression CBT Self-Help Guide (iOS/Android)

Cognitive-behavioral self-help for depression. The natural management of depression involves understanding depression and the factors that contribute to the symptoms. Learning to manage stress in your life and engage in self-care behaviors can improve your symptoms. This app contains a depression severity test with graph, audios, articles, a cognitive diary, and a motivational points system to help you learn and follow the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) methods.

Positive Thinking (iOS/Android)

Leverage the power of positive thinking to improve your overall mental health. This app offers positive quotes to help you keep your mind focused on positive thoughts. An in-app tool also lets you program the positive messages to appear on your phone any time of day — the perfect pick-me-up!

MoodKit (iOS/Android)

Whenever you’re in a bad mood, you can use MoodKit to try to get out of that funk. With more than 200 mood improvement activities, a journal and thought tracker, and help to modify distressing thoughts, this app is designed to help you feel better. It’s designed by mental health experts and regularly praised for being a useful app to benefit people with depression.

 

CPT Coach (iOS/Android)

CPT Coach is for Veterans, Service members, and others with PTSD who are participating in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) with a professional mental healthcare provider. This app contains support materials for a complete course of CPT to help patients manage their treatment, including between session assignments, readings, PTSD symptom monitoring, and mobile versions of CPT worksheets. CPT Coach is not intended to be used as self-help without the guidance of a professional mental healthcare provider.

PTSD Coach (iOS/Android)

PTSD Coach was designed for those who have, or may have, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This app provides you with education about PTSD, information about professional care, a self-assessment for PTSD, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help you manage the stresses of daily life with PTSD. Tools range from relaxation skills and positive self-talk to anger management and other common self-help strategies. You can customize tools based on your preferences and can integrate your own contacts, photos, and music. This app can be used by people who are in treatment as well as those who are not.

 

The Mindfulness App (iOS/Android)

Packed with features, this meditation app includes a five-day guided meditation practice, reminders for when it’s time to relax, and other offers based on individual meditation habits. It can also be integrated with other health apps if users enjoy using their devices to improve their health. If you want to be more mindful and incorporate regular meditation into the day, this app is the gold standard. Purchase more features with a premium subscription.

Headspace (iOS/Android)

Get out of your head or more into it with Headspace, a meditation app that’s ideal for people just starting a meditation routine. Its free trial includes 10 exercises geared toward beginners that can help you learn more about meditation as well as applying it to your life. Check out the personalized progress page, reward system for continued practice, and buddy system that lets users connect with others to stay on track. The vibrant animations add a cute, light-hearted touch to help you understand meditation. More features are available as part of a premium subscription.

Calm (iOS/Android)

Calm offers a wide range of guided meditations to assist people in adding more relaxation into their lives. The selections range from 3-minute to 25-minute sessions. It also includes a feature called Daily Calm, a 10-minute program you can practice before the beginning or end of your day — a great routine to get into. There are also breathing exercises, unguided meditations, sleep stories, and more than 25 soothing sounds to help you improve your sleep. For even more, there’s a premium subscription option.

Insight Timer (iOS/Android)

Check out more than 4,500 free guided meditations from over 1,000 meditation practitioners with this app. It also gives you access to 750 meditation music tracks. Customize your meditation using the background sounds and meditation tool intervals to create a unique experience that works best for you. To listen offline, you can also purchase a monthly subscription.

Stop, Breathe & Think (iOS/Android)

This meditation app boasts more than 55 options for guided meditation selections, so you’ll never get bored with your practice. It also segments exercises according to topics such as sleep, compassion, depression, and anxiety. You can tailor chimes and sounds to your preferences, and record your daily meditation practice to track progress throughout the year. Even more content is available with premium subscription.

10% Happier (iOS/Android)

Not sure if you should try meditation? This app is designed for skeptics who want to try meditation, but want to simplify the process with practical, easy-to-apply content. The exercises aim to help users with anxiety and sleep, and the app always adds new content each week. Apple Health App integration is also available. Users can also get the premium version for over 500 videos and additional content. This was created by the well-known news anchor Dan Harris to help others find more peace in life.

Breethe (iOS/Android)

More meditation tools these days are aimed at beginners because meditation isn’t as common in some areas of the world as others. Breethe has mindfulness and meditation techniques to get people meditating more regularly. The developers say it takes just 10 minutes a day to get into a meditation routine, and the app brings you content for mornings, sleep, and other tailored topics. You can use it for free, forever, or unlock all content with premium subscription.

Omvana (iOS/Android)

In a specific mood and want to find the perfect meditation for it? Or want to meditate based on your stress levels via HealthKit? Choose from a wide range of specialized meditations taught by a variety of instructors. Programs vary in length and you can tailor the background music to meet your preferences. Omvana also features programs to help you become more mindful. The clean interface with appealing graphics makes it easy to choose a track that suits your needs and your mood.

Wellness & Nutrition

Eating fruits and vegetables is an easy and delicious way to improve your health. To reduce your risk of cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends five or more servings of fruits and vegetables—along with other foods from plant sources, such as breads, cereals, grains, pasta, and rice—each day.

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to get the beneficial vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals in food that help prevent disease, give you energy, and help you feel great. Make your favorite fruits and vegetables more than a garnish—make them the center of a great meal!

Make sure to keep extra fruits and veggies in your room or apartment, you should eat at least five servings of these each day.Keep well hydrated by drinking at least four 16 oz. bottles of water each day, more if you are very physically active. Be conscious of serving sizes, typically a protein serving size is about the size of a deck of playing cards.

Most importantly, try and eat well balanced meals and snacks. Keep snacks in you room or apartment, such as: Yogurt, fruits, cut-up veggies, granola/breakfast bars, pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, juice, frozen juice bars, low fat milk, crackers and cheese, whole grain cereals.

Sleep Hygiene

Developing good sleep hygiene takes practice. Consider these ideas and expert resources.

• Create a bedtime schedule that you can keep routinely and consistently • Avoid naps, especially in the afternoons! If you need a nap, consider a power nap that is limited to 20-30 minutes. • Avoid alcohol and caffeine 4-6 hours before bed • Exercise regularly- particularly in the afternoon, but not within 2-4 hours of going to bed. • If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring in a dimly lit environment until you feel sleepy • If you have trouble falling asleep, consider practicing relaxation techniques. For a range of relaxation options (audio recordings of relaxation techniques), please refer to the Relaxation Technique Information section on the list of student resources.

 

• Make your bed comfortable • Lower the temperature in your room and block out distracting noise • Reserve your bed for sleep and sex only • Eliminate the use of tv, studying, movies, reading, etc. in bed.

• Practice relaxation techniques before bed • Establish a pre-sleep ritual/routine • Take a hot bath/shower 90 minutes before bed

Sleep Hygiene Suggestions from the American Sleep Association General Sleep Hygiene Guidelines Additional Sleep Hygiene Guidelines CDC- Sleep Hygiene Guidelines Definition and Symptoms of Insomnia- Mayo Clinic

Relaxation Exercises

Practicing relaxation techniques is an excellent way to reduce stress and the physiological tension that accompanies stress.

The Relaxation Response (8 Minutes) Relaxation on the Beach (6 Minutes)

 

Sensing Scan (3 Minutes) Sleep Technique (5 Minutes)