Student Care Resources for Holiday Breaks

Over the holiday break, there are resources for students at Cooper Union. While the Student Care team is on break as well, students have access to 24/7 care through Telus Health & First Stop Health. Students also have access to the counseling program through Cooper. Please note though, some therapists are not seeing students over the break / will have limited availability due to the holidays. We have also provided some other resources around family dynamics and returning home from school. We know that breaks may be challenging for some, so we wanted to try and provide resources that could be helpful. 

 

Student Care team: Cooper Union students have access to the Student Care team (Cassie, Mica, and Alex). Cassie & Mica are both licensed therapists and confidential resources. Alex works directly with Cassie & Mica to help and support students, connecting to academic programs (whether the Dean’s office, faculty, or other departments throughout Cooper). To reach the Student Care team, students should reach out via email - studentcare@cooper.edu.  NOTE: The Student Care team will also be offline during the holiday breaks. We will respond to your email as soon as possible.

 

Counseling through Cooper: More information about the counseling program at Cooper Union can be found by visiting www.cooper.edu/counseling.  NOTE: Some of our clinicians will be seeing students over the holiday breaks, but not all. Students can reach out directly to the clinicians by visiting the website above. The Student Care team will also be offline during the holiday breaks. We will respond to your email as soon as possible. 

 

Overall Resources/Other Resources: The Student Care team and Cooper Union offer a ton of resources to support each and every student. Student Care also wants to make sure that students are aware of resources outside of Cooper. Students should check out our list of resources on the website - www.cooper.edu/studentcare. 

 

Telus Health & First Stop Health: Students have 24/7/365 access to on-demand or scheduled counseling, as well as telehealth (just like going to an urgent care or your doctor's office) with staff via the Telus Health & First Stop Health. Students should visit www.cooper.edu/telushealth to learn more, instructions on how to create an account, and log in and access care. This is free of charge for all students. Insurance is not required to use Telus Health or First Stop Health but may be required if you are referred to a doctor, urgent care, or emergency room.  If for some reason you are not able to claim your account, please call their customer service center and let them know you are a Cooper Union student and trying to access your First Stop Health account but having issues. Their number is 1-888-691-7867. 

 

Managing Family Dynamics

Going home (or not going home), spending time with family, or navigating distance from family can all bring up strong emotions. Here are a few strategies that may help:

 

Micro-boundaries

  • “I’m not talking about this right now.”
  • Take a walk or step outside.
  • Use headphones or calming music.

Exit strategies

Create small breaks for yourself:

  • Bathroom pause
  • Fresh air
  • Checking in with a friend
  • Stepping away for a few minutes to reset

Changing Family Dynamics in College

https://jedfoundation.org/resource/changing-family-dynamics-in-college/

 

Coping Skills + Emotion Regulation

Practical strategies for calming your nervous system and navigating difficult emotions:

 

Emotion Regulation Tools in Our Self-Care Tool Chest

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/making-the-whole-beautiful/202409/emotion-regulation-tools-in-our-self-care-tool-chest/amp

 

Self-Care Suggestions

Self-care doesn’t need to be complicated. Small, intentional actions can make a meaningful difference.

Warmlines (Non-Crisis Peer Support)

If you want to talk to someone who can listen without judgment — not a crisis, just someone to talk to, check out these warmlines that might be helpful to you. 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.