Thriving in Graduate School

Addresses the mental health challenges of graduate school and how students can succeed and thrive.

With rates of depression and anxiety six times higher among graduate students than the general population, maintaining emotional wellbeing in graduate school is vital! Students must be prepared with skills that will not only help them perform well but also help them feel well.

Thriving in Graduate School: The Expert's Guide to Success and Wellness is the first book on graduate student mental health written by mental health professionals. It promotes psychologically healthy approaches to navigating the graduate school experience and teaches students that they are not alone in their mental health struggles. The authors introduce students to unique perspectives that are key to positive mental health. Additionally, this is the only book of its type to explore issues routinely faced by historically marginalized graduate students. Special sections at the end of each chapter written for faculty, administrators, and mental health professionals augment the book by suggesting ways that each of these groups can help guide and support graduate students through their journey.
Featuring vignettes and experiences from actual graduate students, Thriving in Graduate School sheds light on common―but hidden―truths to help students manage the many challenges they will face and even thrive during their graduate school years. Written with compassion and humor, this is a must read for prospective students and those who seek to support them.

Arielle F. Shanok, PhD, is the deputy director at The CUNY Graduate Center’s student counseling services where she has helped graduate students to thrive for over a decade. Shanok worked previously as adjunct assistant professor at Barnard College, Columbia University. She has published book chapters and articles in peer reviewed journals on a range of topics from psychotherapy effectiveness to gender and money in therapy to pregnant and parenting teen students. She has a small private practice in mid-town Manhattan.
Nicole Benedicto Elden, PsyD,is the assistant director of student counseling services at The CUNY Graduate Center. She has worked in various settings including college counseling centers, city, state and research hospitals, government agencies and community centers and nursing homes. She is a first-generation Filipina-American, the first in her family to obtain a doctoral degree and is proud to have the opportunity to help and mentor graduate students through their journey.