Every spring, as the school year draws to a close and graduation looms on the horizon, I think about the theme of life transitions — times when one era of our lives is ending and another one is about to begin. I think of all the emotions that arise like excitement, anxiety and fear, and sadness, to name a few. I’m also aware of how perplexing and challenging it can be to be at a point in your life where you are experiencing many of these feelings simultaneously. Then, since I am a therapist, I switch into thinking about ways to ease the difficulty of transitions for others

The first step in easing the stress of transitions is to recognize that major transitions are tough, reminding yourself that it’s okay to feel the above mentioned and other emotions. There is no one “right way” to experience or feel about change. Similarly, it’s helpful to remind yourself that thousands of other students are graduating each spring and that you are not alone in this process. If the…

Let’s start with the facts: there are 24,125 students enrolled at UO as of Fall term 2015. Among those students, 2% have identified as Black or African America, 5.5% as Asian, 9.4% as Hispanic or Latino/a, 5.8% as Multi-ethnic, and less than 1% of students as American Indian/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The fact is that we are in a predominantly White institution (PWI), and if you are a person of color, you are likely reminded of this fact time and time again. Through our own experiences as people of color in a PWI, we are very familiar with the feeling of being the minority on campus, and we imagine that we are not the only ones to feel this way.

Over the past year, we wanted to explore the experiences of students of color at the UO through a series of focus groups. From these discussions we learned how common the feeling of being marginalized or alienated can be. We learned that these students are often made to feel like they don’t belong, either by…

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about bathrooms. On the surface, this certainly may seem like an odd start to a blog — or any conversation for that matter. But bathrooms matter. Not having access to bathrooms can be a significant barrier to transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, and agender individuals.

Several states recently have been debating and passing “bathroom bills,” which restrict access to appropriate bathrooms for trans individuals. This makes me think about how unconscious cisgender privilege drives the process and gets reinforced (that is, the privilege of having one biological sex match one’s gender identity).

As a cisgender woman, I have the privilege of not having to think twice about which bathroom I use. I don’t think about bathrooms when I’m shopping, out to eat, at work, or traveling. If I need to use the restroom, I push open the women’s restroom and enter. I’m never afraid. I never look around to see if someone is watching me…

As you may know, recreational marijuana use was legalized in Oregon this past year for those 21 or older. Though cannabis use is still not allowed on campus, this change in legal status provides a great time to reflect on the role it plays in your life — or the life of someone you care about. While many people use pot without any serious problems, others find that their use leads to unwelcome changes in their physical or mental health. Cannabis may have a reputation as being a “soft” drug, but dependency can develop just as with any other substance.

I’d like to use this blog post to guide you through some questions to help you better understand your use. Reflecting on your use of marijuana may provide an opportunity to heighten your awareness and give you a greater sense of control around why and when you choose to use or not to. For those whose use is problematic, this reflection may serve as an opportunity to take action and reduce potential harm.

Ask the question…