TAO: What it is and how to use it
TAO — Therapy Assistance Online — includes more than 150 brief, effective, educational sessions.
The sessions cover more than 50 common topics and skills related to mental health, wellness, and substance use issues.
TAO offers interactive sessions, mindfulness exercises and practice tools. If you have any questions about TAO, contact Bill Iavarone, director of Student Counseling Services.
Augustana College self-care
To access self-care through TAO:
Sign up at the TAO page and use your @augustana.edu email in the sign-up section.
Once you are registered, you can enroll in some of the groups below or use the TAO assistant to have content recommended to you. All activities are anonymous through the self-care portal.
Anonymous self-help
TAO uses an assistant to suggest content for your needs. To use the assistant, just answer the questions on the right-hand side of the screen. If you are having trouble, you can type “help” or “suggest activity.”
Mindfulness Library
Tao offers a robust mindfulness and meditation library to help practice your skills. Mindfulness is not a one-size-fit-all practice, so it is important to try a variety of different exercises and practice the ones that work for you.
Augustana topic groups
Augustana Student Counseling has created specific groups for a variety of concerns surrounding emotional, social and mental well-being.
To enroll in these groups, click on the links based on your interests. Please note that these are confidential within the Counseling office, but the groups are not anonymous.
Please note that you may not identify with all the information in each group; however, the skills will help you manage your pain.
Anxiety Management during COVID-19
This group provides concrete skills to help manage the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on your mental well-being.
Please note that TAO modules were not design specifically for COVID-19, so you may not identify with some of the symptoms or diagnoses discussed during the group; however, the information and skills will provide you with relief from the anxiety and fear experienced while living through the current pandemic.
We recommend the "Taking a Vacation in Your Mind," "Finding Your Happy Place," and "Meditation for Restful Sleep" exercises in the Mindfulness Library.
This group introduces you to acceptance and commitment therapy techniques to improve your emotional well-being. The topics cover mindfulness, thinking patterns, and our value system.
We recommend the "Loving Kindness Meditation," "Letting Go," and "Notice Yourself" exercises in the Mindfulness Library.
Improving Social Relationships
This group explores different ways to improve and understand your relationships with others. The topics cover communication styles and problem-solving models.
We recommend the "Light as a Feather," "Observing Thoughts," and "Positive In, Negative Out" exercises in the Mindfulness Library.
This group uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you improve your mood. The topics cover depression, CBT and relaxation techniques.
We recommend the "Meditation for Intrusive Thoughts," "Meditation on Body Acceptance," and "Mindful Awareness Exercises" exercises in the Mindfulness Library.
This group uses behavior activation techniques to help you improve your mood.
We recommend the "Mindful Breathing #1," "Mindful Breathing #2," “Deep Breathing,” “Mindful Examination of a Leaf,” and "Mindful Eating" exercises in the Mindfulness Library.
This group explores pain management. The topics cover acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive strategies for managing pain.
We recommend the "Meditation for Pain #1," "Meditation for Pain #2," and “Meditation for Pain #3” exercises in the Mindfulness Library.
This group will help you understand and cope with cravings and different forms of addiction. This group will also provide you with different techniques to manage your substance use.
We recommend the "Breathe in Peace and Energy," "Light as a Feather," and “Finding Your Happy Place” exercises in the Mindfulness Library.