The Student Counseling Service at Texas A&M University is partnering with Pacifica on a mobile application designed to help students, faculty, and staff learn techniques to manage stress and improve emotional well-being.
Pacifica is based on cognitive behavioral therapy combined with relaxation and wellness techniques that provide daily tools aimed at breaking the cycle of negative thoughts and emotions that stress, anxiety and depression can cause.
The company’s mental health mobile app for both iOS and Android gives the Texas A&M community an array of tools such as mindfulness and relaxation activities, health tracking, journaling, and goal setting to assist with mental wellbeing when they need it.
After a trial relationship last spring with San Francisco-based Pacifica, the Student Counseling Service received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students about the ways in which the app helped them manage the stress and anxiety of college life. A formalized partnership with Texas A&M now allows students, faculty, and staff to sign up for a free premium subscription to the Pacifica mobile app by following three simple steps:
- Download “Pacifica” from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Use a valid tamu.edu email address to sign up.
- Follow the link in the confirmation email.
With more than 2.3 million users Pacifica is one of the most highly rated apps for stress, anxiety and depression in iTunes and Google Play. The company has also partnered with Augsburg University, Frostburg State University, Syracuse University, and a number of providers in the healthcare space.
“In keeping with our mission we hope to equip Aggies with a wellness tool that has great potential to assist them in their academic success, provide information on emergency resources, and make mental health and wellness an active part of everyday life,” said Mary Ann Covey, director of Texas A&M’s Student Counseling Service. “Most important, it is HIPAA compliant and all user data is encrypted everywhere, whether on Pacifica servers or on a mobile device.”
The majority of college students may never require or seek student counseling services, but Pacifica provides tools for these students to develop meditation and mindfulness practices, build emotional awareness, and cultivate skills to manage day-to-day stress, depression, and anxiety.
“We designed Pacifica around a user experience that is enjoyable, fits into busy lives, and still provides a variety of features that were developed through evidence-based research,” said Dale Beermann, Pacifica co-founder and CEO. “We also give you the opportunity to customize your use of the app and really make it your own. And, of course, we’ve tailored it to reflect the emergency resources available at Texas A&M University and in the Bryan-College Station area.”
As of mid-September, 1,642 Texas A&M students, faculty, and staff have downloaded the app.
Learn more about Pacifica and watch a video on the Student Counseling Service website, visit thinkpacifica.com, or call the Texas A&M Student Counseling Service at 979-845-4427.
Media contact: Sondra White, 979-458-3296, sondra@tamu.edu.
