Free online workshops to help you thrive
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) is moving most workshops into online, self-paced formats so students can access support anytime, while still offering occasional live sessions in partnership with campus departments and units. This blended approach provides both flexibility and opportunities for real-time connection. Below you’ll find upcoming live workshops along with our library of self-guided options available anytime.
Workshops do not provide mental health treatment. If you would like to speak with a counselor, please call us (24/7) at 607-255-5155.
Live-session online workshops (Fall 2025)
Thesis Therapy
Wednesdays via Zoom: 10/8 and 11/19 at 3:30 pm
Register for the Thesis Therapy workshop on 10/8
Register for the Thesis Therapy workshop on 11/19
Facilitator: Lex Enrico Santí, MFA, LCSW
Thesis Therapy at Cornell is a workshop and support system offered by Cornell Health's CAPS program to help graduate students manage the emotional and psychological challenges of writing a thesis or dissertation, rather than a place to get academic advice or editing help. The program uses creative and therapeutic approaches to address common issues like procrastination, burnout, and feelings of isolation, providing a supportive space for students to work through the process emotions. There will be writing exercises and shared group discussions during the hour presentation. (Stay tuned for in person workshops.)
Unraveling Anxiety
Wednesdays via Zoom: 10/15 and 12/3 at 3:30 pm
Register for the Unraveling Anxiety workshop on 10/15
Register for the Unraveling Anxiety workshop on 12/3
Facilitator: Lex Enrico Santí, MFA, LCSW
Unraveling Anxiety is a workshop that helps you understand what anxiety really is—not just “stress.” Anxiety can show up in your thoughts, your body, your sleep, your relationships, and even your ability to be present. In this workshop, we’ll break it down with real talk, relatable examples, and open discussion, so you can see you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck.
Self-paced online workshops (available any time)
Effective Self-Coaching
- Enroll in Self-Coaching
- Canvas Course (CU NetID required)
- 1 video module (39 minutes)
Cornell student life includes a lot of heavy academic, social, and pre-professional “lifting,” often repeated over long stretches of time. Just like good physical form prevents injury and builds endurance, developing effective “emotional form” is key to working sustainably.
This self-paced workshop introduces the concept of self-coaching as a way to improve your emotional stance and resilience. Through stories, science, and practical exercises, you’ll explore why neglecting your emotions can undermine motivation and performance—and how cultivating an internal self-coach can guide you toward balance, persistence, and sustainable growth.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have tools to recognize your emotional patterns, practice more supportive self-talk, and strengthen the skills needed to keep moving forward with clarity and resilience.
Meditation 101: Beginning the Practice of Awareness
- Enroll in Meditation 101
- Canvas Course (CU NetID required)
- 9 short modules (video, written, and/or audio-based)
Meditation 101 is for anyone who has ever thought, “I tried meditating once ... and immediately ended up doing more homework.” This self-paced workshop is an honest, science-informed, story-forward introduction to meditation, designed for people who are brand new to the practice—or who have tried it before and thought, “I can’t do this. My brain’s too loud.”
By the end of the course, you’ll have not just a meditation routine, but an understanding of what awareness actually is—and how it becomes the foundation for calm, presence, and self-trust.
Thesis Therapy
- Enroll in Thesis Therapy
- Canvas course (CU NetID required)
- 8 video modules (videos are 3-5 minutes each) plus writing exercises and personal reflection prompts
Thesis Therapy is a creative and therapeutic online workshop designed to help you work through the emotional, psychological, and practical barriers that come up when writing a thesis or dissertation.
This is not a writing bootcamp. It's not about productivity hacks or pressure. It’s about reconnecting to your voice, working with the emotional weight of academic writing, and finding rhythms that support—not punish—you.
Whether you're stuck in procrastination, burnt out from perfectionism, grieving a version of yourself that no longer fits, or just feeling alone in the process—this space is for you.
Unraveling Anxiety
- Enroll in Unraveling Axiety
- Canvas course (CU NetID required)
- 10 video modules (videos are 3-5 minutes each)
Anxiety isn’t just “stress.” It can show up in your thoughts, your body, your sleep, your relationships—even your ability to be present. But you’re not alone, and you’re not stuck. This series breaks it down into real talk, relatable examples, and short modules you can work through at your own pace.