Do you have a question? A concern related to your studies or your personal life? Feel free to reach out to us. The Wellbeing & Support Team offers you a secure and friendly space where you can share any of your worries, in total respect of your values.
This service is free of charge for students of the Geneva Graduate Institute. Up to 5 sessions are offered with our in-house psychologists. Students may book unlimited sessions with our counselors, Eliane and Michal.
Confidentiality is guaranteed (unless your own or someone else's safety is concerned).
Feel free to contact us by email wellbeing-support@graduateinstitute.ch or phone (+41 22 908 43 84 or Tel: 022 908 57 45) if you have a question or if you would like to meet with a member of our team for an individual session.
Bookings : Once you have booked your session with our counselor or in-house psychologist via their respective YouCanBookMe calendar, you will receive a notification.
Cancellation : If you need to cancel an appointment, please notify us at least 24 hours before the scheduled time. The session can be cancelled via the notification received upon scheduling the appointment.
Head of Student Wellbeing & Support | Deputy Head, Student Services
International Programmes, office n°304, Petal 1, ground floor
wellbeing-support@graduateinstitute.ch
Tel: 022 908 43 84
Eliane has been at the Graduate Institute since 2002, working for the Executive Education and International Programmes. Her great interest in human relations has motivated her to become a certified practitioner of the NLP method. This method focuses on communication skills, enabling participants to improve their ability to listen and accompany persons under stress or who have personal concerns.
What matters to Eliane is: that students can make the most of their stay at the Graduate Institute and that they leave with the feeling that they have achieved more than their academic objectives.
Languages: French, English, German
Head, Admissions Office | Deputy Head Student Services
Admissions Office n°313, Petal 1, ground floor
wellbeing-support@graduateinstitute.ch
Tel: 022 908 57 45
Michal has been working in international education for 20 years, at the Graduate Institute since 2015. Having grown up, studied and lived in seven cities on three continents, she is a veteran expat. She has experienced, first-hand, the joys and sorrows of culture shock, study abroad, cross-cultural relations and venturing outside of one's comfort zone, while managing the rigorous demands of work and studies.
What's important to Michal: as a student of Non-Violent Communications, Michal believes that the key to a satisfying, mindful life is to be attuned to our underlying needs and those of others. We all need to be seen and heard, we need human connection, security and self-realisation. We also need to manage our budgets, our schedules and our reading lists! Michal hopes to raise awareness for mental health and to contribute to our students' well-being through her roles in the Student Services and Student Welfare teams.
Languages: English, French, Hebrew
Psychologist
psychologue@graduateinstitute.ch
Maïté has been working at the Graduate Institute as a psychologist (orientation sessions) since 2018. She grew up in Geneva, travelled a lot and experienced many different cultural differences. She specialized into emergency psychology and believes human relations are a key to mental health.
What matters to Maïté is: to be able to give great attention to what needs to be expressed and to create an atmosphere of trust and openness to help people to feel a little bit better sometimes.
Languages : French, English
Psychologist
psychologue@graduateinstitute.ch
Felicia has been working as a psychologist at the Graduate Institute since 2018. She grew up in a bicultural family, studied in Geneva and is very interested in helping students feel more comfortable in their new environment and figure out how to build their own resources or who to reach out to to take care of themselves and improve their quality of life. As a member of the AGPsy-Police psychological unit which provides support to critical incident victims and witnesses, she is particularly committed to adjusting to the specific needs of each individual, providing stress management techniques and encouraging the mobilization of personal and social resources.
What’s important to Felicia is : helping students take care of their psychological wellbeing and cope with the different challenges that student life implies. She believes offering students a dedicated, secure and confidential space where they can share their concerns, learn coping skills and practice emotional self-care is beneficial to many and can also help prevent possible future struggles.
Languages : French, English, Spanish
Academic Advisor, Office of the Director of Studies
Office No P1 662.
laurent.neury@graduateinstitute.ch
Tel: 022 908 62 61
A Franco-Swiss national, Laurent completed an MA and a PhD at the Institute where he has been working for 17 years. He meets students on a daily basis and guides them through their academic journey from admission to graduation. In particular, he is in charge of granting students in difficulty curriculum adjustments enabling them to study under the best conditions. Laurent is also a member of the Gender and Diversity Committee and the Antenne H.
What matters to Laurent is: Acting with compassion and kindness, within a hectic life, by developing your knowledge of the world, your critical thinking and your emotional intelligence.
Languages: English, French
Department Manager – International Relations/Political Science
Office n°640, Petal 1, 6th floor
wellbeing-support@graduateinstitute.ch
Tel: 022 908 59 58
Margaux has been working for the Institute since 2013 as Department Manager for the IRPS Department. With a multicultural background, she tries to use her skills to help her fellows as much as she can. Working closely with faculty members helps her to understand their needs and allows her to guide students through the inner workings of administration and academia.
What matters to Margaux is: to help our students feel comfortable with all the particularities of the Institute (academically and administratively) knowing that studying abroad can sometimes be difficult. She is available to listen to student concerns and works to try to find a solution together with them.
Languages: French, English
Financial Aid Advisor and Student Support
Office n° 415, Petal 1, 4th floor
scholarships@graduateinstitute.ch
Tel: 022 908 43 44
Being a student abroad can be a frightening and challenging experience. It can also be exciting and very rewarding in all aspects of your life. With a background in social studies (MA in Sociology and DAS in Project Management) and extensive international exposure, Kasia has been there and would now like to help you settle into your new life in Geneva. After completing her studies, Kasia worked for the University of Geneva for five years and fully joined the Institute in 2012. She has held various positions within the Executive Direction but her main focus has always been students' well-being: "In order to enjoy your experience and get the most out of it, students need to step out of their comfort-zone and appreciate crossing cultures."
What matters to Kasia is: that students will know how to plan their finances wisely and, if needed, where to reach out for help.
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and Polish
Assistant to the Director of Administration
Office n° 415, Petal 1, 4th floor
vanessa.valerio@graduateinstitute.ch
Tel: 022 908 43 54
Vanessa arrived at the Institute in 2015 working for the Executive Direction. As her time passed at the Institute, she became more and more involved with matters relating to students. Today, in addition to her primary duties, she also works with GISA, ADA, Environmental Committee, Welfare Committee and is part of the Financial Aid office.
She has lived abroad on two different occasions and therefore understands the difficulties surrounding living in a new country. Vanessa is always happy to provide a listening ear, as sometimes all we need is a friend to get us through a challenge. She is a strong believer that there is always a solution to every problem, so don't be surprised if you hear her say it to you.
What matters to Vanessa is: the well-being of all our students and watching them develop and succeed. Nothing brings more joy than to see our students smile at graduation after knowing some of the difficulties that they had previously experienced and overcome.
Languages: English, French (basic)
Senior Career Services Adviser
P1 - Career Services
aline.dimitriou@graduateinstitute.ch
D + 41 22 908 57 06
Aline joined the Institute in September 2019. She has 10 years of experience in career development and International Education in Geneva and is a certified Personal and Professional Coach.
What matters to Aline is: that students feel empowered to enter the job market with confidence and that they are aware that we will always be here for them along their journey with us.
Languages: French, English, Spanish, Portuguese