Self-Help Library
Welcome to the SHCS Self-Help Library! Here you will find books, websites, and mobile/tablet applications that are focused on health and wellness. These resources are designed to support self-help, promote wellness, and serve as adjunctive tools for SHCS services. Each tab will provide information that will assist you and your well-being. Please note that these resources are no direct substitute for medical or mental health services.
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | UC SHIP Mobile App // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free If you have UC SHIP, you can now access your ID Card and benefits information on the go.The new StudentHealth app through Anthem Blue Cross gives you instant access to your UC SHIP benefits, ID card, and much more using your smartphone. From your smartphone go to The App Store℠ or Google Play™ and download the Student Health app. Tap Register Now and follow these easy steps:
|
 | Yoga-pedia // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free Yoga-pedia includes images and instructions for nearly 100 yoga poses and mudras. It also includes a "pose of the day" feature where each day, users can stream a short audio lesson for one of the poses included in the app. Images, instruction, and audio narration are all integrated with the Pose of the Day feature. |
 | Pocket Yoga // Cost: iTunes: $2.99; Android: $2.99 The practice of yoga becomes beneficial when done on a regular basis. With Pocket Yoga you can keep up with your practice at your own pace and schedule in the comforts of your own home. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | T2 Mood Tracker // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free This app comes with six pre-loaded issues: anxiety, depression, general well-being, head injury, post-traumatic stress, and stress. You can also add customized scales on any topic (e.g., a pain scale). You use simple sliders to rate yourself on these behavioral categories and the app automatically graphs your inputs. You can also make notes describing things that happened during the day that may have affected your moods. This provides you and your health care provider with a complete tool to help you uncover patterns in how you are feeling. It may also help you to evaluate the impact of daily events or the effects of treatment on your mood. |
 | iCBT // Cost: iTunes: $4.99 iCBT is a fast and easy way to use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help you transform obstructive thinking into a positive experience. And iCBT can help you even if you’re not familiar with CBT — anyone can use it, anytime, anywhere. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach // Cost: iTunes: $4.99; Similar Android App: $2.99 Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach is a comprehensive self-help tool for reducing a wide variety of fears and worries from extreme shyness to obsessions and compulsions. Anxiety Coach helps you make a list of feared activities and then guides you through mastering them one by one. |
 | Panic Attack Podcasts // Cost: iTunes: FREE Listen to these great podcasts on dealing with anxiety and managing Panic Attacks. |
 | Stop Panic & Anxiety // Cost: Android: Free The info in this app assumes that the user is suffering from panic attacks due to Panic Disorder. It may not be applicable to other forms of anxiety. It focuses on the fear of having a panic attack and the fear of the sensations when having a panic. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Take a Break - Guided Meditations // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free You can enjoy the deep relaxation, stress relief and benefits of meditation now with this app by Meditation Oasis. Featuring two popular meditations from the Meditation Oasis podcast, the app gives you the option to listen with or without music or nature sounds. You can also listen to the relaxing music and nature sounds alone. |
 | Mindfulness Meditation // Cost: iTunes: $1.99; Similar Android App: $.99 This is simply the best way to learn and enjoy mindfulness meditation - and it's always in your pocket for short breaks, trips, and outdoor practice! |
 | Free Guided Meditations // Cost: Free Our partners at UCLA host a great library for guided meditation exercises! |
 | Progressive Muscle & Guided Imagery // Cost: Free Guided muscle relaxation techniques from our partners at Dartmouth University. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Breathe2Relax // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free 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. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Stop Procrastinating // Cost: iTunes: $0.99 You have too much to do and you can't do it all at once. Sort each of your projects into ordered lists so that you can focus on what you're doing now and plan what to do next without interruption. Stop trying to remember everything in your head. Having to remember every task that comes up is stressful and overwhelming. As tasks come up, add them to your Inbox. |
 | iProcrastinate Podcast // Cost: iTunes: Free Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, associate professor of psychology and director of the Procrastination Research Group (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), provides a series of short talks, interviews and question/answer podcasts that explain why we procrastinate and what we can do about it. |
 | Do It (Tomorrow) // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free Daily planner with reminders. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Study Tips // Cost: iTunes: Free The 365 tips and quotes are based on decades of research in the fields of education and psychology and on field tests with a broad spectrum of students from middle school to post-graduate level, including many with attention and learning issues. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | ADHD Angel // Cost: iTunes: Free Imagine an angel, a guardian looking over your shoulder, helping you with some of things that you struggle with because of your ADHD. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Gratitude Journal // Cost: iTunes: $1.99 Of all the thoughts you experience and control, there is one that can profoundly transform your life on a daily basis: Gratitude. |
 | Gratitude & Happiness // Cost: iTunes: $0.99 Track four happiness items and see what makes you happy and healthy. |
 | Attitudes of Gratitude // Cost: Android: Free This simple app will help you to develop and maintain a daily attitude of gratitude. At the end of each day you can list the things you are grateful for. You will soon see that your list is much longer than you expected. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Cheers OAPE // Cost: iTunes: Free Cheers OAPE, the official app of Stanford's Office of Alcohol Policy and Education, provides you with tools to drink safely and responsibly. |
 | iQuit // Cost: Android: $0.99 Quit smoking cigarettes support and tracking. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Sleep Time // Cost: iTunes: $1.99; Android: FREE Smart alarm clock that analyze your sleep and wakes you up at the perfect moment of your lightest sleep phase. Wake up feeling refreshed. Uses your phone’s accelerometer. |
 | Sleep Pillow // Cost: iTunes: FREE; Sleep Pillow provides an advanced set of high quality ambient sounds, premixed for perfect sleep enhancement. |
| App/Link | Name/Description |
|---|---|
 | Life Armor // Cost: iTunes: Free LifeArmor is a comprehensive learning and self-management tool to assist with common mental health concerns. Browse information on 17 topics, including sleep, depression, relationship issues, and post-traumatic stress. Brief self-assessments help the user measure and track their symptoms, and tools are available to assist with managing specific problems. |
 | iTriage Health // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free Created by two ER docs, iTriage helps you answer the questions: “What medical condition could I have?” and “Where should I go for treatment?” Save, easily access, and share the healthcare information that's most important to you. |
 | PsychDrugs // Cost: iTunes: Free; Android: Free Learn about psychotropic medication. |
 | 120+ Mental Disorders // Cost: iTunes: Free Learn about mental illness. |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Women and ADD | Sari Solden, foreword by Edward M. Hallowell et al |
| Driven to Distraction | Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey |
| Procrastination | Jane Burka and Lenora Yuen |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy | Scott Swartzwelder and Cynthia Kuhn |
| Don’t Call It Love: Recovery From Sexual Addiction | Patrick Carnes |
| Drinking: A Love Story | Caroline Knapp |
| Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change the Way You Love | Pia Melody and Andrea Wells Miller |
| Freedom from Problem Gambling | Richard J. Rosenthal and Timothy Fong |
| In the Shadows of The Net: Breaking Free of Compulsive Online Sexual Behavior | Patrick Carnes |
| It Will Never Happen to Me | Claudia Black |
| We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction | Nic Sheff |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Brain Lock – Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior | Jeffrey Swartz |
| Mastery of Your Anxiety and Worry | Michelle Craske and David Barlow |
| Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook | Martha Davis, Elizabeth Eshelman and Matthew McKay |
| Stop Obsessing!: How to Overcome Your Obsessions and Compulsions | Edna Foa and Reid Wilson |
| Shyness | Philip Zimbardo |
| The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook | Edmund J. Bourne |
| The Worry Cure | Robert L. Leahy |
| Too Perfect | Allan Mallinger and Jeanette DeWyze |
| When Perfect Isn't Good Enough | Martin Antony and Richard Swinso |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Aquamarine Blue 5 | Dawn-Prince Hughes |
| Thinking In Pictures | Temple Grandin |
| Learned Optimism | Martin E.P. Seligman |
| Emergence: Labeled Autistic | Temple Grandin |
| The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships | Temple Grandin |
| Women From Another Planet? | Jean Kearns Miller |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Bodylove | Rita Freedman |
| Making Weight | Arnold Andersen |
| The Adonis Complex | Harrison Pope |
| The Body Image Workbook | Thomas Cash |
| The Beauty Myth | Naomi Wolf |
| The Good Body | Eve Ensler |
| Reviving Ophelia | Mary Piphe |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| An Unquiet Mind (bipolar illness) | Kay Jamison |
| Get Out Of Your Mind and Into Your Life | Steve Hayes |
| Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel Changing the Way You Think | Dennis Greenberger, Christine Padesky |
| The Feeling Good Handbook | David D. Burns |
| The Bipolar Disorder Survivor Guide | David Miklowitz |
| The Mindful Way Through Depression Thoughts and Feelings | Matthew McKay, Martha Davis and Patrick Fanning |
| 10 Days to Self-Esteem | David Burns |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Intuitive Eating | Evelyn Tribole |
| Mindful Eating 101 | Susan Albers |
| Overcoming Binge Eating | Christopher Fairbairn |
| Why Weight?: A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating | Geneen Rot |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| No More Sleepless Nights | Peter Hauri |
| No More Sleepless Nights Workbook | Peter Hauri |
| Say Goodnight to Insomnia | Gregg Jacobs and Herbert Benso |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Co-Dependent No More | Melody Beattie |
| Destructive Relationships | Jill Murray |
| Do I Have to Give Up Me To Be Loved You? | Jordan Paul and Margaret Paul |
| Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change the Way You Love | Pia Mellody, Andrea Wells Miller |
| Fighting for Your Marriage | Howard Markman, Scott Stanley and Susan Blumberg |
| Getting The Love You Want: A Guide for Couples | Harville Hendrix |
| In Love and In Danger | Barrie Levy |
| Keeping The Love You Find | Harville Hendrix |
| May I Kiss You? | Michael Domitrz |
| Rebuilding When Your Relationships End | Fisher, Bruce and Alberti, Robert |
| Reconcilable Differences | Andrew Christensen & Neil S. Jacobson |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Coming Out of Shame | Gershen Kaufmen and Lev Raphael |
| For Yourself: The Fulfillment of Female Sexuality | Lonnie Barbach |
| Free Your Mind | Ellen Bass |
| Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity in Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender Communities | Dawn Atkins (editor) |
| Man-To-Man: When Your Partner Says NO | Scott Allen Johnson |
| Men’s Lives compiled | Michael S. Kimmel |
| Real Boys | William Pollack |
| The Macho Paradox | Jackson Katz |
| The Therapist's Notebook for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients | Joy Whitman |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| Behind Happy Faces | Ross Szabo |
| College of the Overwhelmed | Richard Kadison and Theresa Digeronimo |
| First in Family: Advice About College from First-Generation Students | Kathleen Cushman |
| Full Catastrophe Living | Jon Kabat-Zinn |
| Happiness is a Serious Problem | Dennis Prager |
| Making A Good Brain Great | Daniel Amen |
| Man’s Search for Meaning | Viktor Frankl |
| Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success | Myron Dembo |
| Radical Acceptance | Tara Brach |
| The Emotional Toolkit | Darlene Mininni |
| The Gift of Fear | Gavin De Becker |
| The Healthy Mind/Healthy Body Handbook | David Sobel and Robert Ornstein |
| The How of Happiness | Sonia Lyubomirsky |
| The Wellness Book | Herbert Benson and Eileen Stuart |
| Wherever You Go, There You Are | Jon Kabat-Zinn |
| Who Moved My Cheese | Spencer Johnson |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| A Long Shadowed Grief | Harold Smith |
| Life After Trauma | Dena Rosenbloom and Mary Williams |
| Necessary Losses | Judith Viorst |
| Post-Trauma Stress | Frank Parkinson |
| Recovery: A Guide for Adult Children of Alcoholics | Herbert Gravitz |
| The Courage To Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse | Ellen Bass and Laura Davis |
| The Emotional Incest Syndrome: What to do When a Parent’s Love Rules Your Life | Patricia Love, Jo Robinson |
| The Year of Magical Thinking | Joan Didion |
| Trauma and Recovery | Judith Herman |
| Trust After Trauma | Aphrodite Matsaki |
| Book/Resource | Author |
|---|---|
| After Silence | Nancy Raine |
| Against Our Will | Susan Brownmiller |
| Breaking Free From Partner Abuse | Mary Marecek |
| Coping with Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape | Andrea Parrot |
| Date Rape | Mary E. Williams |
| Everything You Need to Know About Date Rape | Frances Shuker-Haines |
| Free At Last | Frances Shuker-Haines |
| How to Stop a Stalker | Mike Proctor |
| If He Is Raped | Alan McEvoy, Debbie Rollo, and Jeff Brookings |
| If She Is Raped | Alan McEvoy and Jeff Brookings |
| I Never Called It Rape | Mary Koss |
| It’s Not Okay Anymore | Greg Enns |
| Man-to-Man: When Your Partner Says No | Scott Allen |
| No Safe Haven | No Safe Haven |
| Recovering From Rape | Linda Ledray |
| Sexual Assault in Context | Christopher Kilmartin |
| Sex Without Consent edited | Merril D. Smith |
| Straight Talk About Date Rape | Susan Mufson |
| The Date Rape Prevention Book | Scott Lindquist |
| The Sexual Healing Journey | Wendy Maltz |
| The Survivor’s Guide to Sex | Staci Haines |
| When You Are the Partner of a Rape or Incest Survivor | Robert Levine |
| Video | Name/Description |
|---|---|
| WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? WITH DR. MIKE CONDRA Dr. Mike Condra describes what mental health is and what it means to become “mentally unwell”. Mental illness can affect anyone, causing changes in people’s thinking, mood, and behaviors. As a result, people may experience difficulty paying attention, concentrating, remembering information, and identifying effective ways to solve problems or overcome obstacles. | |
| KATHY PIKE - DON'T CALL ME CRAZY (TEDXTOKYO) Mental illness is more common than we think. It is estimated that 20% of the world population has a mental health disorder and, within this group, 2400 people die by suicide every day. In this video, Kathy Pike explains why the stigma attached to seeking mental help is the biggest obstacle to improving the lives of people with mental illness. | |
| AMANDA LIPP'S STORY Amanda Lipp, a UC Davis Student, shares her story. | |
| UC DAVIS STRESS MANAGEMENT PSA This video shares nine tips for managing stress: remove yourself from stressful environments when possible, arrive early, be physically active, meditate or do deep breathing exercises, set realistic and achievable goals, get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, have an outlet for your creativity, take some leisure time each day for yourself. For help learning to take these steps, or if these steps do not reduce your stress level, call (530) 752-2349 to schedule an appointment with UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS). | |
| UC DAVIS BREAK-UP CONFESSIONS PSA Breakups can be really difficult. UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) encourages all students to take a healthy route when dealing with post break-up emotions. For instance, it’s OK to cry for a while, but then make an effort to put your energy into something active. Exercising, for example, helps people feel their best physically and mentally. It can also be very helpful to try something new. For some idea, check out the student clubs on campus or student sports clubs. If you would like additional healthy tips for a break up or you feel you could benefit from the support and assistance of a counselor on campus, schedule an appointment with SHCS at (530) 752-2349. | |
| UC DAVIS RETURNING VETERAN PSA For many veterans, adjusting to campus life can be a challenge. If you are a veteran, the UC Davis Transfer Reentry Veterans Center offers resources to help you transition smoothly to life at UC Davis. If you want to discuss the challenges you are facing with a professional counselor, please contact the UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS). If you are looking for peers with a military background, check out the Davis Student Veteran Organization on Facebook. | |
| UC DAVIS DEALING WITH EATING DISORDERS PSA Suffering from an eating disorder can be isolating and make everyday life a struggle. This video describes the causes and consequences of these serious illnesses, explains why telling someone to “just eat” is not an effective strategy against eating disorders, and underscores the importance of early identification and treatment. For information about eating disorders, and treatments available on campus, visit the SHCS Health Topics page about Eating Disorders. | |
| UC DAVIS SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS PSA Everyone has a part to play in preventing suicide. UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) is here to help you recognize the signs, ask the tough questions, and find help. | |
| ANDREW STEWARD: BEATING MENTAL ILLNESS (TEDXDU) Andrew Steward recalls when, as an undergraduate, he started experiencing hallucinations and other symptoms of schizophrenia. He shares his experiences and reveals what helped him get better. "When someone breaks their arm, we write all over their cast, but when someone has a mental problem, we run the other way. Why is that?" Andrew bravely pulls mental illness out from under the rug so that we can erase the stigma and focus on helping people get better. | |
| ALICIA RAIMUNDO - MENTAL HEALTH SUPERHERO (TEDXWATERLOO) “Being suicidal kind of feels like you are the victim of a home invasion, and your personality has been locked in the basement. And that who you are in social situations has been taken over by this darkness, and you feel like there’s no hope, you feel like it’s your fault, and you feel like it’s not going to change.” Undergraduate Alicia Raimundo conveys how feelings can lead a person to believe that death is their best option. Alicia emphasizes the importance of each of us speaking openly about mental illness, and explains how doing so can change the lives of people suffering from it. | |
| SURVIVING ANXIETY: SOLOME TIBEBU (TEDXTC) Solome Tibebu shares her experiences as a teen suffering from panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Learning what caused the symptoms of her anxiety changed her life, because it allowed her to analyze, and ultimately change, both her thoughts and her behaviors. Through the mental health website she created (AnxietyinTeens.org ), she encourages youth to seek out information, inspiration, and support as means to get through the challenges they face. | |
| LAURA BAIN - LIVING WITH BIPOLAR TYPE II (TEDXTERRYTALKS) Laura Bain describes what bipolar disorder is, then illustrates living with it by sharing her own experiences and providing analogies for episodes of depression and mania. Laura explains that her mood shifts are like seasons, either warm with high energy and confidence or cold with low energy and insecurity. She explains that it can be incredibility uncomfortable to switch from warm to cold and high energy to low energy with no control. She states that without medication she has little control over quickly switching from one to the other. |
To view the complete program visit the Conquering Insomnia: A New Sleep Program page.
Downloadable Materials
| Title | PDF Version | Audio Version |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Listen.mp3 (8mb) | |
| Session 1: Basic facts about sleep; Conducting your own insomnia assessment | Open PDF | Listen.mp3 (6mb) |
| Session 2: Sleep scheduling and stimulus control techniques | Open PDF | Listen.mp3 (15mb) |
| Session 3: Cognitive restructuring techniques; Sleep medication tapering techniques | Open PDF | Listen.mp3 (8mb) |
| Session 4: Daytime relaxation techniques | Open PDF | Listen.mp3 (7mb) |
| Session 5: Bedtime relaxation techniques; Lifestyle habits that improve sleep | Open PDF | Listen.mp3 (7mb) |
| Guided Audio Relaxation - 20 minutes (optional) | Listen.mp3 (19mb) | |
| Sleep Diary (optional) | Open PDF |
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| 01. Basic Meditation | Basic Meditation will guide you in your breathing and connect you to both your senses and your internal body awareness cues. The focus is for both relaxation and to increase your awareness of your hunger and fullness sensations. |
| 02. Body Acceptance | Body Acceptance will guide a visualization exercise of walking while using your senses of touch, smell and sound, and then will lead you through a process of releasing negative thoughts about your body and bringing in a full body acceptance. |
| 03. Core Values | Core Values is a visualization activity that reminds you of your most important values in life, and centers your in your valued living experience. |
| 04. Wise Mind | Wise Mind will create a realization of your different states of mind - reasonable and emotional mind, and how you can create a connection between the two that will bring you closer to "wise mind" or your intuitive centered self. It helps with decision making and with calming strong emotional states. |
This mindfulness and relaxation podcast will introduce, educate, and expose you to some variations on how to purposefully relax or simply cope better. With practice, these exercises can be opportunities to gain some control over your response to stress and can help provide balance to the demands of life. You will find a variety of voices and techniques among the downloads, all of which promote the mind-body connection. We encourage you to practice what is useful to you and to feel free to edit and alter these practices in your own mind.
Relaxation can be accomplished through various means, including unhealthy avenues. Our hope is that you will attempt to incorporate healthier tools by slowly replacing any unhealthy ways of coping. It may take some practice. It may even feel uncomfortable to take some time to practice just being instead of doing something else. With more practice it can become easier and more familiar.
These exercises may be used in a preventative way, before the stress, worry, anger, or frustration begin to mount. Mindfulness exercises can help improve tolerance of difficult experiences. Relaxation practices can also be utilized in a restorative way to help decrease the cumulative effects of a stressful period of time, as well as to increase your sense of peacefulness, calmness, and perspective in your life.
We want to acknowledge that these downloads are a self-help tool. The self-help resources on this site are not intended to be a substitute for therapy or professional assistance. Some of this material may be contraindicated for people addressing trauma issues. UC Davis students needing more support or experiencing crisis can contact SHCS Counseling Services at (530) 752-2349 or Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services at (530) 756-5000.
Script created, adapted, and performed by Christy Hofsess and Karin Lawson; Music and soundtrack editing by Matthew Lawson.
| Podcast |
|---|
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| O*NET Resource Center | A web-based, self-assessment career exploration tool that can help people discover the type of work activities and occupations that are related to their interests. |
| Jung Personality Short Test | Provides a sense of a probable Meyers Briggs Type |
| Assessment | Description |
|---|---|
| A web-based, self-assessment tool that can help you determine if your illness symptoms are related to the flu. | |
| Wellness Questionnaire | A web-based, self-assessment tool that can help you determine your wellness level. Coming Soon! |
We'd like to thank UC San Diego CAPS for inspiration and initial app list development.
