Meghan Jablonski

Building a Professional Identity is an experience-based, Embedded Education course offered to sophomores and above (including graduate students) completing experience-based work (an internship, volunteer placement, or job) during the spring semester. Students must have experience-based work in place and complete the required preregistration form prior to registering for this course. Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more information including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd courses, info session dates/recordings, FAQ for students, and resources for finding experience-based work. Students are advised to begin looking for experience-based work opportunities three-six months before the spring semester, when possible.

Over the semester, students in this course explore the process of building a professional identity through reading assignments, class discussions, experience-based observations, small-group work, workshops, events, panels, and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics include imposter phenomenon; diversity, equity, and inclusion; workplace communication; online branding; professional networking; mentorship and mentoring; work-life balance; and strategies to support well-being. Students are encouraged to engage in observation journals, experiential activities, and collaborative group work. Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni series recording, and a final portfolio. The goal is for students to integrate class material with experience-based observations, engage with campus resources, and develop a community of peer and alumni support—which students may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC EmbeddEd courses are graded pass/fail and meet remotely via Zoom on Wednesday evenings. Students have the option to enroll for three or five credits. Students have the option to enroll in each course a second time, as a returning student, with an emphasis on early career leadership and mentorship. SLC EmbeddEd courses feature collaborations with campus partners, including Career Services; Community Partnerships and Engagement; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; pre-professional advisors, Alumni Relations, Health + Wellness, the Dean of Well-Being, and the Learning Commons.

Building a Professional Identity is an experience-based, Embedded Education course offered to sophomores and above (including graduate students) completing experience-based work (an internship, volunteer placement, or job) during the spring semester. Students must have experience-based work in place and complete the required preregistration form prior to registering for this course. Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more information, including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd courses, info session dates/recordings, FAQ for students, and resources for finding experience-based work. Students are advised to begin looking for experience-based work opportunities three-six months before the spring semester, when possible.

Over the semester, students in this course explore the process of building a professional identity through reading assignments, class discussions, experience-based observations, small-group work, workshops, events, panels, and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics include imposter phenomenon; diversity, equity, and inclusion; workplace communication; online branding; professional networking; mentorship and mentoring; work-life balance; and strategies to support well-being. Students are encouraged to engage in observation journals, experiential activities, and collaborative group work. Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni series recording, and a final portfolio. The goal is for students to integrate class material with experience-based observations, engage with campus resources, and develop a community of peer and alumni support—which students may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC EmbeddEd courses are graded pass/fail and meet remotely via Zoom on Wednesday evenings. Students have the option to enroll for three or five credits (see note below). Students have the option to enroll in each course a second time, as a returning student, with an emphasis on early career leadership and mentorship. SLC EmbeddEd courses feature collaborations with campus partners, including Career Services; Community Partnerships and Engagement; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; preprofessional advisors, Alumni Relations, Health + Wellness, the Dean of Well-Being, and the Learning Commons.

This course is an SLC EmbeddEd practicum-credit course offered to sophomores and above (including graduate students) completing experience-based work (an internship, volunteer placement, or job) during the fall semester. NOTE: Students must have experience-based work in place and complete the required preregistration form prior to registering for this course. Experience-based work should begin by the end of the first week of class. Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more information, including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd courses, info session dates/recordings, FAQ for students, and resources for finding experience-based work. Students are advised to begin looking for experience-based work opportunities 3-6 months before the fall semester, when possible.

Over the semester, students explore shifting and inclusive definitions of work, workplace culture, and strategies to support well-being through reading assignments, class discussions, experience-based observations, small group work, workshops, events, panels and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics will include workplace communication, diversity equity and inclusion, professional networking, stress management, work-life balance, sleep health, and restorative practices. Students are encouraged to engage in observation journals, experiential activities, and collaborative group work. Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni series recording and a final portfolio. The goal is for students to integrate class material with experience-based observations, engage with campus resources and develop a community of peer and alumni support that students may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC EmbeddEd courses are graded pass/fail and meet remotely via Zoom on Monday evenings. SLC EmbeddEd courses are offered in collaboration with campus partners, including Career Services; Community Partnerships and Engagement; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; pre-professional advisors; Alumni Relations; Health + Wellness; the Dean of Well-Being; and the Learning Commons.

This course is an SLC EmbeddEd practicum-credit course offered to sophomores and above (including graduate students) completing experience-based work (an internship, volunteer placement, or job) during the fall semester. NOTE: Students must have experience-based work in place and complete the required preregistration form prior to registering for this course. Experience-based work should begin by the end of the first week of class. Please see SLC EmbeddEd on MySLC for more information, including how to register for SLC EmbeddEd courses, info session dates/recordings, FAQ for students, and resources for finding experience-based work. Students are advised to begin looking for experience-based work opportunities 3-6 months before the fall semester, when possible.

Over the semester, students explore shifting and inclusive definitions of work, workplace culture, and strategies to support well-being through reading assignments, class discussions, experience-based observations, small group work, workshops, events, panels and engagement with peers and alumni. Topics will include workplace communication, diversity equity and inclusion, professional networking, stress management, work-life balance, sleep health, and restorative practices. Students are encouraged to engage in observation journals, experiential activities, and collaborative group work. Assignments include weekly homework, an alumni series recording and a final portfolio. The goal is for students to integrate class material with experience-based observations, engage with campus resources and develop a community of peer and alumni support that students may utilize this semester and beyond. SLC EmbeddEd courses are graded pass/fail and meet remotely via Zoom on Monday evenings. SLC EmbeddEd courses are offered in collaboration with campus partners, including Career Services; Community Partnerships and Engagement; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; pre-professional advisors; Alumni Relations; Health + Wellness; the Dean of Well-Being; and the Learning Commons.

In this elective seminar, students will explore cognitive, emotional, cultural and socio-economic factors that may impact an individual's engagement in genetic counselling, as well as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness-based approaches to building an empathic and productive working alliance. Relevant history, theory, and evidence-based research will be examined and explored through relevant case studies. Students will have the opportunity to formulate case summaries considering contextual factors and working alliance.

Throughout life, people may experience a varied and complex range of attraction, intimacy, and loss. From intense desire to profound grief, the relationships that people find themselves in—and out of—can consume much of their attention. What is it about connecting to certain others that can hold such power? Why are people drawn to certain relationships and not to others? Do these important relationships affect a person’s development? Pioneered by John Bowlby, attachment theory emphasizes the impact of infant and early childhood attachment on social, emotional, and cognitive development. Attachment theory has become a widely accepted cornerstone of early human development. Current research in human bonding has grown to include key relationships throughout the lifespan. Beginning with attachments established in infancy and early childhood, this course will examine the impact of important relationships through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood. We will consider how the fulfillment or deprivation of important relationships may impact development and wellbeing. Landmark discoveries and emerging studies in attachment theory and human bonding will be covered, including relevant aspects of neuropsychological development, autism, adoption, queer families, resilience, spiritual identification, social affiliation, and parenting. Readings will include classical attachment literature, contemporary human-bonding research, developmental psychopathology, feminist critique, identity theory, social psychology, neuropsychology, object relations, and psychoanalytic literature. Film, case studies, and examples from popular media will be included for reflection and class discussion. A one-time observation in the Early Childhood Center (ECC) is required; weekly fieldwork in the ECC is encouraged. Conference work may include observations from the ECC (child or parent-child interactions observed during fieldwork) or observations from other settings such as youth/adolescent programs or older adult community centers.

Attachment theory has become a widely accepted foundation of understanding early human development. Pioneered by John Bowlby, attachment theory emphasizes the role of infant and early childhood bonds with caregivers, usually parents, on social and emotional development. As study of attachment theory has advanced, interest in human bonding throughout adolescence and adulthood has increased. No longer confined to attachments established during infancy and early childhood, understanding how important relationships shape us during adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood are growing areas of interest. Emerging studies of attachment in neuropsychological development, adoption, queer families, spiritual identification, social affiliation, and parenting give us new insights into how the fulfillment or deprivation of important relationships throughout life impact development and well-being. This course explores the historical and cross-theoretical roots of attachment theory, follows advances and refinements in attachment theory and research, and looks at attachment beyond childhood through adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood. Readings include classical attachment theory, as well as contemporary attachment research, developmental psychopathology, feminist critique, identity theory, social psychology, neuropsychology, object relations, and psychoanalytic literature. Film and relevant case studies will be included for reflection and class discussion. Students will be required to complete weekly fieldwork placements in the Early Childhood Center (ECC). Students will work closely with classroom teachers one hour per week and will become part of the class (as advised and supervised by classroom teachers) while maintaining weekly observation logs relevant to seminar objectives and conference work. Conference will include observations from the ECC (child or child-parent observations). Conference work may also include observations from other settings where the students may be completing fieldwork, such as youth/adolescent programs or the Wartburg Center for Senior Living.

In this elective seminar, students will explore cognitive, emotional, cultural and socio-economic factors that may impact an individual's engagement in genetic counselling, as well as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness-based approaches to building an empathic and productive working alliance. Relevant history, theory, and evidence-based research will be examined and explored through relevant case studies. Students will have the opportunity to formulate case summaries considering contextual factors and working alliance.

In even brief and time limited work, establishing a mutually respectful and empathic working alliance can be key to the effective delivery of counselling. In practice, each individual carries the context of their larger experience into the consulting room, which may present barriers to their engagement in counselling. Through considering factors that may impact an individual’s engagement - such as their relational experiences; spiritual beliefs; experiences with medical care; family and personal values; trauma histories; experiences with racial, socio-economic and/or gender discrimination, etc. - students will consider ways of building a mutually constructed working alliance through which each client is best able to engage in the content of genetic counselling.

In this elective seminar, students will explore cognitive, emotional, cultural and socio-economic factors that may impact an individual's engagement in genetic counselling, as well as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness based approaches to building an empathic and productive working alliance. Relevant history, theory, and evidence-based research will be examined and explored through relevant case studies. Students will have the opportunity to formulate case summaries considering contextual factors and working alliance.

This practicum-based course is offered to second-, third-, and fourth-year students who will be completing an internship placement during the spring 2023 semester. The aim of this course is to help support students in making the transition from college life to work experience in their chosen field. This course is offered in collaboration with Sarah Lawrence College Career Services and will include mid-semester workshops on communication and networking, plus an end-of-semester alumni panel based on students’ interests. Over the semester, students will explore the process of building a professional identity during a time of remote work and uncertainty. Weekly reading will include topics in psychology and related fields. Topics will include building a professional identity, early supervisory skills, diversity equity and inclusion, workplace communication, imposter syndrome, professional networking, stress management, work-life balance, and ways of supporting well-being. Classes will include discussions based on assigned reading and internship observations and on experiential activities related to class topics (e.g., communication, networking, meditation). Students will be invited to integrate their internship experiences through class discussion, experiential activities, collaborative group work, and observation journals. The goal is for students to gain an academic and experiential understanding of key concepts, which students may apply this semester and beyond. Students who have already completed Building a Professional Identity (for three or five credits) and are completing a new internship may enroll in this course for a second time (for three or five credits), with an emphasis on further developing leadership and mentorship skills. Returning students will attend the same class meetings as first-time students; however, reading and class assignments will focus on early career supervision, mentorship, and leadership roles. Internships may be in any field and must be approved by SLC Career Services prior to registering for this course. An offer letter for your internship must be secured prior to registering for this course, and your placement should begin no later than the end of the add/drop period. This class meets once weekly in the evening and may include periodic conference meetings and/or Career Services consultations. Students are expected to attend weekly class meetings in addition to regularly attending their internship placements.

Second-, third-, and fourth-year students who will be completing an internship placement in fall 2021 are eligible to take this practicum-based course, offered in collaboration with SLC Career Services. The aim of the course is to help support students in making the transition from college life to work experience in their chosen field—bridging the space between academic learning and engagement in a work setting. Over the semester, students will develop an academic understanding of relevant concepts based in industrial-organizational and positive psychology. Students will be invited to integrate their internship experiences through class discussion, experiential activities, collaborative group work, and observation journals. The goal is for students to gain an academic and experiential understanding of key concepts, which students may apply to help promote a successful work-life balance this semester and beyond. Topics that are generally applicable to workplace culture and work-life balance will be addressed. Class reading assignments will include academic literature in industrial-organizational psychology, positive psychology, and related fields, as well as relevant popular media. Topics will include workplace communication, diversity and inclusion, professional networking, job crafting, stress management, work-life balance, and ways of supporting well-being. Classes will include discussions based on assigned reading and internship observations, experiential activities related to class topics (e.g., communication, networking, meditation), Career Service workshops, and a recent alumni panel. Students who have already completed Foundations in Workplace Culture and Well-being (for 3 or 5 credits) and are completing a new internship may enroll in this course for a second time (for 3 or 5 credits), with an emphasis on further developing leadership and mentorship skills. Returning students will attend the same class meetings as first time students; however, reading and class assignments will focus on early career supervision, mentorship, and leadership roles. An offer letter for your placement must be secured and submitted to Career Services prior to registering for this course; your placement should begin no later than the end of the add/drop period. Internships may be in any field and must be approved by SLC Career Services prior to registering for this course. This class meets once weekly in the evening and may include periodic conference meetings and/or Career Service consultations. Students are expected to attend weekly class meetings in addition to regularly attending their internship placements.

A key and often overlooked aspect of recharging is also one of the most obvious: getting enough sleep. There is nothing that negatively affects my productivity and efficiency more than lack of sleep. After years of burning the candle on both ends, my eyes have been opened to the value of getting some serious shuteye. —Arianna Huffington, Sarah Lawrence College Commencement Address, 2012

Sleep is an incredibly powerful piece of the human experience—one that everyone does or does not do enough—that is often marginalized in contemporary culture. This class examines historical, developmental, physiological, and cultural perspectives on the construct of sleep and explores the role of sleep in psychopathology, relevant medical conditions, and wellness. How sleep impacts, and is impacted by, clinical conditions will be examined, along with Eastern and Western approaches to understanding the mysterious world of sleep. We will consider nonclinical phenomena such as innate sleep cycles and dreaming, as well as gender differences in sleep behavior. The course will conclude with a look at the powerful benefits of sleeping well, including evidence from electroencephalogram (EEG) and neuroimaging data and from the examination of cultures with exceptionally high levels of wellbeing. Weekly reading assignments will include literature in sleep science, developmental psychology, physiology, and clinical research, as well as relevant case studies, essays, and memoirs. Additionally, class members will follow the topic of sleep in popular media—including WNYC’s recent sleep project, Clock Your Sleep!—and will have the opportunity to monitor their own sleep patterns using popular sleep apps. Select film and documentary material will be included for class discussion. Conference work may include projects on clinical, developmental, physiological, and/or cultural aspects of sleep. Projects may also be focused on topics related to sleep such as dreaming, memory/other cognitive functions, and/or mindfulness meditation. Students interested in developmental aspects of sleep in children may complete a weekly fieldwork placement at the Early Childhood Center.

A key, and often-overlooked aspect of recharging is also one of the most obvious: getting enough sleep. There is nothing that negatively affects my productivity and efficiency more than lack of sleep. After years of burning the candle on both ends, my eyes have been opened to the value of getting some serious shuteye. —Arianna Huffington, Sarah Lawrence College Commencement Address, 2012

Though it is often marginalized in parts of contemporary culture, sleep makes much of waking life possible. While we might think of sleep as “down time,” our sleeping mind is hard at work—consolidating new memories, processing emotions, making creative connections, and even preparing for the future. Our physical body is restored, and our immune system is strengthened. Sleep deprivation and disordered sleep can have a catastrophic impact on health and well-being. Supporting sleep health can have profound impact on productivity, cognitive functioning, mood, and creative process. This mini-lecture will provide a basic overview of current sleep science, including: the two-process model of sleep-wake regulation; functions of the sleep phase; developmental sleep patterns; dreams and dreaming (including lucid dreaming); primary sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy); and the impact of anxiety, depression, and substance use (including caffeine and alcohol) on sleep. We will further explore topics such as sleep routine; sleep environment; racial, socioeconomic, and gender inequities in sleep access; sleep in the digital age (such as the impact of blue-light on circadian rhythms and the influence of video games on dreaming); and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep. Historical, developmental, neuropsychological, physiological, and cross-cultural perspectives on sleep and well-being will be considered. This class will meet for one lecture section and one smaller seminar/conference section per week. Conference work will be group-based and will include the opportunity to develop sleep strategies based on your group’s literature review and observations of your own sleep patterns.

From John Bowlby’s landmark attachment theory to contemporary theories of human bonding, theorists, researchers, philosophers, and writers have sought to understand the drives that serve us, as humans, in seeking and maintaining important relationships. Neuroimaging data and evolutionary psychology provide strong evidence that we typically possess highly specialized and evolved mechanisms that underlie our desires and efforts to relate and connect to others, to know and be known, to love and be loved. This seminar seeks to examine the ways in which we have evolved, in order to relate to each other and be related to, and how our innate relational patterns fit (or do not fit) within the rapidly-evolving digital world. We will also consider ways in which digital life might be changing how we relate and ways in which this might be beneficial for some and challenging for others. Classes will be discussion-based and begin with an overview of developmental and historical perspectives on attachment theory, human bonding, and self-expression. We will move on to consider how various realms of the digital world (e.g., social media, messaging, dating apps, video chats, virtual reality) impact our relational patterns. We will consider how these might impact our experience maintaining friendships, falling in love, and maintaining romantic bonds. We will also consider how themes such as revenge, bullying, and being rude are expressed in the digital world. Readings will include relevant academic and lay literature. Conference projects may include, but are not limited to, examination of specific social media platforms and/or comparisons of specific digital and analog relational patterns.

Over the past several years, digital spaces—such as social media, messaging apps, dating apps, and online communities—have transformed the ways in which we experience ourselves and each other. As the COVID-19 pandemic sent much of daily life online, this process was accelerated and amplified—providing the benefits of connection for some, challenges for others, and highlighting disparities in access for many. This semester, we will discuss this impact and process the path forward through emerging research and relevant observations. This seminar will consider how various digital platforms (e.g., social media, gaming communities, dating apps, messaging and video chats, virtual reality) impact the ways in which people navigate identity, build and maintain important relationships, form communities, and create a shared reality. Classes will be both discussion-based and experiential, with opportunities for observation and in-class activities related to weekly topics. Class reading will include psychological perspectives on social media and video games; gender, sexuality, and race in the digital age; developmental, neuropsychological, and clinical psychology and related fields. Reading assignments will include both academic literature and relevant popular media. Supplemental material will include films, TedTalks, and podcasts. Conference projects may include a range of topics and may be completed in the form of an extended, APA-style literature review or as an APA-style literature review along with a related podcast, fieldwork observations, and/or another original creative piece. Students who are interested in completing a semester-long, weekly fieldwork placement in the SLC Early Childhood Center (ECC) as part of their conference work (e.g. observing children in a screen-free environment over time) may have the opportunity to do so. NOTE: ECC fieldwork positions are limited due to COVID-19 precautions. If you are interested in a potential ECC placement, you will need to contact the ECC Director, Lorayne Carbon, as soon as you are registered for this class and prior to classes beginning. If you are able to secure an ECC fieldwork placement, please note that this will be a semester-long commitment. You will be expected to attend your scheduled ECC placement for four hours each week, work closely with your classroom teacher, and actively engage in your role as a classroom assistant.