Welcome, dear reader, to our blog. This blog has been inspired by our years of working with students as they struggle with internal and external barriers, define their values, have their hearts broken, find inner strength, achieve important goals and ultimately grow and flourish. Many of us also can draw upon our own experiences of facing and overcoming major challenges that led us to a career in helping others. Much of our collective wisdom comes from working with students like you.

Here’s what you can expect.

We plan to post blog entries biweekly, typically on Monday or Tuesday. Some entries will be topical – like how to overcome sleep problems or cope with a breakup. Sometimes we will respond to events happening in our community where we feel that we can lend important perspective and insight. You will also find shorter posts that respond to questions we collect from students. We invite you to suggest a topic or question on our Ask a Question page. But keep in mind that we will not provide online counseling here or delve deeply into a particular student’s mental health issues. Rather, we will take up topics and questions that are likely to be widely relevant for UO students.

I hope that many of our posts will speak to you. I can recall several mentors, teachers and friends whose words continue to inspire and empower me. I also want to acknowledge that we all come to the UO with diverse backgrounds, life experiences and physical make ups. What’s effective for another person may not work for you, and vice versa. And since the seeds of healing and wisdom are found within each of us, I also trust that in the course of living your life you will discover answers and solutions that work best for you.

So for now, I wish you well — and remember to breathe as you face the challenges ahead.