In 2022, the University Counseling Center introduced WellSPACE – the acronym stands for Supporting and Promoting Artistic and Creative Expression – to the Saint Louis University community.
In alignment with a strategic priority set forth by the SLU Student Well-being Task Force, the WellSPACE provides students with a designated space for self-care while recognizing that the path to wellness may look different for each student.
The UCC received enthusiastic feedback and saw consistent utilization of the Wuller Hall WellSPACE, which led to a larger endeavor to expand access by opening multiple WellSPACE locations across campus. We encourage SLU students, faculty and staff to find comfort in spaces that actively promote and validate holistic well-being, which is often overlooked in academic settings.
Wuller Hall WellSPACE
Art is both a powerful form of creative expression and a useful tool in self-care. Engaging with crafting materials can be calming, inspiring, affect-regulating, interesting and entertaining, among other benefits. Similarly, sensory items are meant to engage the various senses of the body, and in doing so, provide comfort and grounding.
This is a safe, inclusive, affirming, supporting and respectful environment for all. Please be mindful of others. Consider volume level, personal space, sharing of supplies, etc. Please remember to clean up after you are finished using materials.
Wuller Gardens WellSPACE
This is a native pollinator garden on land historically inhabited by the Kaskaskia, Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Myaamia (Miami), Niuachi, Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) and Osage peoples. When the Jesuits arrived, there were oak-hickory forests, open woodland and prairie ecosystems of which these people were a part. Plants included here are species that did and still do grow wild in this region.
Each of us is a member of an ecosystem. Interacting with the environment through observation, agriculture, harvesting, or otherwise, has been an element of human existence across time and space. Reconnecting to the land can improve mood, instill hope, and teach appreciation and patience.
This is a safe, inclusive, affirming, supporting and respectful environment for all. Please be mindful of others. Consider volume level, personal space, sharing of supplies, etc. Please remember to clean up after you are finished using materials.
Library Music WellSPACE
This is a space to honor the impact of music on well-being. It offers creative and sensory materials and tools.
Music has been a critical part of the human story, cross-culturally. This space seeks to recognize the benefits associated with music while also magnifying the message of diversity and inclusion by amplifying the voices of marginalized individuals and communities. Music can boost mood and well-being, allowing for release, relaxation, and expression. It can motivate you to exercise, move your body, or engage in a task you’ve been putting off. Active music-playing can improve cognition and motor development and may help reduce pain.
This is a safe, inclusive, affirming, supporting and respectful environment for all. Please be mindful of others. Consider volume level, personal space, sharing of supplies, etc. Please remember to clean up after you are finished using materials.
Affinity Space (Underrepresented Students in Medicine)
This space was developed to serve several organizations within the Student National Medical Association, especially black, brown and LGBTQ+ communities, allowing them to gather for relaxation, decompression, safe conversation and cultural bonding.
This is a safe, inclusive, affirming, supporting and respectful environment for all. Please be mindful of others. Consider volume level, personal space, sharing of supplies, etc. Please remember to clean up after you are finished using materials.
Student Government Association WellSPACE
This is a safe, inclusive, affirming, supporting and respectful environment for all. Please be mindful of others. Consider volume level, personal space, sharing of supplies, etc. Please remember to clean up after you are finished using materials.