Thrive at NSU

College life can be amazing, but it can also throw some curveballs your way. No matter what you're facing, Nova Southeastern University is here to support your well-being. This page provides a central hub for all your needs, from academic success to mental health resources. Whether you're experiencing a personal crisis or just looking for ways to thrive, you'll find essential phone numbers, links to on-campus support services, and helpful off-campus resources.

Free Counseling Sessions for Students

Female student with red cell phone

NSU offers all full and part-time students 10 free individual counseling sessions per year. A licensed mental health professional will work with you to:

  • Clarify problems: Talking through your challenges can help you gain a clearer understanding of what's bothering you.
  • Set goals: Together, you'll develop goals for managing your concerns and improving your well-being.
  • Take steps towards a better you: Your counselor will guide you in developing strategies to achieve those goals.

All sessions are confidential and available in person or via telehealth. Screening appointments for new students are available daily.

Learn More About How it Works

Online Resources

Calm: A meditation, sleep, and relaxation app that offers a variety of content to help users feel better. The app is designed for all levels, from beginners to experts, and is available on iOS, Android, and desktop.

Headspace: An evidence-based app that offers guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to help users reduce stress, improve their mental health, and sleep better. Available for iOS, Android, and desktop.

Moodfit: A free mental health app that uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help users improve their mood and mental health. Available on iOS and Android.

Talkspace: An online platform that offers text and video chat therapy with licensed therapists who can help with a wide range of mental health concerns. 

Stay Quit Coach 2.0: A free app by the National Center for PTSD at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help people quit or reduce their use of tobacco products. Available for iOS and Android.

Happier with Gretchen Rubin: Gretchen Rubin, author of happiness bestsellers, teams up with her sister Elizabeth for this podcast on happiness and habits. Expect practical tips, interviews, and bite-sized happiness boosters in every episode.

Meditation MinisThis award-winning meditation podcast by Hypnotherapist Chel Hamilton offers short guided meditations (10 minutes or less!) to help you manage anxiety, negativity, and boost confidence.

TED Radio Hour: This podcast and radio show dives deep into thought-provoking ideas with TED Talks, interviews, and soundscapes. Hosted by Manoush Zomorodi, each episode tackles a big theme like happiness, sparking curiosity about the world and ourselves. 

Being Your Most Healthy Self: The speaker introduces the concept of wellness as a multi-dimensional process of making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. The seven aspects of wellness are spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, and financial. Each dimension is crucial to maintain a healthy and fulfilling life. The session also provides resources for students who may need help with their wellness. 

Mindful Choosing (Addiction Awareness): This presentation explains how disconnection can lead to addiction. The speaker discusses drugs and their effects, highlighting how the pandemic worsened substance use. Mindful Choosing is introduced as a technique to help people be more aware of their feelings and make better choices, especially regarding substances. It concludes with a mindfulness activity to reduce stress and promote positive choices. 

Mindfulness: The speakers discuss what mindfulness is and how it can be used to reduce stress. They also lead the participants through several mindfulness exercises, including belly breathing, mindful eating, mindful movement, and a five-sense exercise. Finally, they discuss some additional mindfulness tools, such as glitter jars and breathing balls.

More Than Mud Masks: Developing Effective Self Care Strategies: This is a presentation on self-care. The speaker debunks some myths about self-care and explains its benefits. They also provide tips for identifying when you need self-care and how to practice it. 

Resiliency, Adaptation and Flexibility: The speaker defines resilience as a process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. This presentation covers the four key areas of resiliency: social connections, self-care, cognitive style, and life skills. The speaker also provides tips on how to build resilience, such as learning coping skills, adjusting your thought process, focusing on physical wellness, and building connections.

Self-Care Routines for your Mental Health: This presentation explores self-care, dismantling common misconceptions and highlighting its advantages. It offers guidance on recognizing when self-care is necessary and suggests practical methods for incorporating it into your life.

Self-Empowerment: Recognize Your Strengths: This presentation focuses on self-empowerment and how to achieve it by understanding your strengths and weaknesses. 

Solving Conflicts, Exploring Resolutions: The speaker focuses on how to shift your perspective from blaming people to focusing on solving the problem. 

Victory of Anxiety: This presentation tackles managing anxiety, explaining its differences from fear and offering methods like CBT. It explores anxiety's symptoms and unhelpful thinking, teaching techniques to challenge them. Mindfulness and relaxation are also covered as helpful tools.

Regional Campus Resources

Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc.
24-Hour Hotline: (239) 939-3112
act@actabuse.com

Fort Myers Police Department
2210 Widman Way,
Fort Myers, FL 33901
(239) 321-7700

Fort Myers Vet Center
2891 Center Pointe Drive, Suite 100
Fort Myers, FL 33916
(239) 652-1861

Fort Myers Victim's Advocate
14750 Six Mile Cypress
Fort Myers, FL 33912
(239) 477-1000 | (239) 477-1678 (Spanish)
victimadvocates@sheriffleefl.org

National Alliance on Mental Illness
1-844-395-4432

City of Jacksonville - Victim Services Center
West 10th Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
(904) 225-3388
charnettad@coj.net

Hubbard House - Domestic Violence Center
6629 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32216
24-Hour Hotline: (904) 354-3114
24-Hour Textline: (904) 210-3698

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Patrol Zone 3
Liberty Ridge Drive, Suite 110
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 828-5463 ext. 8875

Women's Center of Jacksonville
5644 Colcord Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32211
24-Hour Rape Crisis Hotline: (904) 721-7273
(904) 722-3000
info@thewcj.org

Miami-Dade Police Department - West District (Hammocks) Station
10000 SW 142 Avenue
Miami, FL 33186
(305) 383-6800

Miami-Dade County - Victim Advocate Services
Rape Hotline: (305) 585-7273
Sexual Crimes Investigations Unit: (305) 715-3300
Domestic Crimes Investigations Unit: (305) 715-7200 

Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center
1611 NW 12th Avenue
1st floor, room 116A
Miami, FL 33136
24-Hours: (305) 585-7273

Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA)
P.O. Box 6161
Delray Beach, FL 33482-6161
(561) 265-3797
24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-355-8547

Palm Beach County Public Safety Department - Victim Services Division
205 North Dixie Hwy., Suite 5.1100
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 355-2418
24-Hour Hotline: (561) 833-7273

Palm Beach Gardens Police Department
10500 N Military Trail
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561) 799-4100

Crisis Center of Tampa Bay
One Crisis Center Plaza
Tampa, FL 33613
(813) 964-1964
24-Hour Crisis Support: Call 211
Trauma Counseling: (813) 264-9955

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office 
10750 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33778
(727) 582-6200
Victim Advocates: (727) 582-6465

The Spring of Tampa Bay
P.O. Box 5147
Tampa, FL 33675
Outreach: 813) 749-8764
24-Hour Hotline: (813) 247-SAFE (7233)

Apoyo y Servicios a Victimas del Crimen
Calle Colomer Sanchez #30
Utuado, 00641, Puerto Rico
(787) 894-9442

Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos
Apartado 362433 San Juan, PR 00936-2433
24-Hour Hotline: (787) 548-5290
info@casajulia.org

Cuartel de la Policia de Puerto Rico
Calle Francisco Sein
San Juan, 00926, Puerto Rico
(787) 793-1234