The Life Design Psy-Lab has been active for over twenty years at Bicocca University and is a counseling and psychological support service. It is offered to students to help them to address academic choices and programs with greater confidence, to cope with the uncertainty of the present and to plan for the future. Through individual and group Career Counselling (Savickas, 2005), the Service supports individuals in identifying, constructing and pursuing their educational and professional future plans with greater awareness, respecting the uniqueness of each individual, recognising the stereotypical views of social roles and promoting equal opportunities between genders.
The Service is intended for:
- High school students;
- First-year students in all degree programs at the University of Milano-Bicocca;
- Students following Bachelor, Master and single-cycle programs at different stages of their academic career at Milano-Bicocca;
- PhD students;
- Students enrolled at and/or coming from other Universities;
Adult working students, mature students, and students with families and/or caregiving responsibilities.
The activities are offered free of charge and carried out in compliance with the confidentiality regulations established by the Privacy Policy and the Code of Ethics of the Psychology Profession. They are provided both face-to-face and online and can be accessed at different stages of the educational career, with no predetermined limit on the number of sessions. Some specific activities (both one-to-one counselling sessions and workshop) are conducted in English. To register, it is necessary to complete the form at the following link (inserire link). The Service operates in collaboration with the other services of the University to offer comprehensive and targeted support, suggesting referrals when appropriate.
- Individual counseling and psychological support sessions
- Are you uncertain about your choice of university program or your professional future?
- Are you unsure which direction to take and overwhelmed by doubts?
- Would you like to better understand your strengths in order to make choices that truly reflect who you are?
The Service offers one-to-one (or small-group) psychological counseling sessions to support you in designing your educational and career path. Through Life Design tools (e.g., the Career Construction Interview, narratability, mapping of personal resources, and analysis of personal and professional transitions) and a dedicated space for reflection, you will be able to enhance your experiences, strengthen internal resources such as confidence and courage, and make more informed choices about your future.
You can schedule your consultation here
- Thematic sessions on educational and career planning
- How is your university experience going? Have you encountered difficulties, obstacles, or new challenges that are testing you?
- Would you like support in developing your study plan and planning your future projects?
The Service offers thematic group sessions during key stages of the academic journey (e.g., the start of courses, exam periods, moments of choice and decision-making, etc.), aimed at helping you find tools, strategies, and resources to manage your experiences effectively.
The sessions also foster a space for reflection that is attentive to gender equality and the recognition of individual uniqueness, so that everyone can identify and develop their own way of learning, planning, and facing university challenges.
- Psychological career guidance programs
- Are you feeling unsure about the University or career choice you’ve made?
- Do you need to reevaluate your decisions?
- Would you like to clarify your priorities and decide the next steps in your career?
The Service offers psychological guidance and re-orientation pathways to help you face and manage educational and professional challenges, as well as present uncertainties, with greater awareness.
During these programs, you will use reflection worksheets, skills-mapping exercises, and planning tools to explore your experiences, shape your personal and professional project, and develop planning skills and autonomy in building your future.
- Group workshops for developing Smart Skills
- Would you like to have the “courage” to step up, manage your fears, and face challenges effectively?
- Which skills would you like to develop over time to achieve your goals?
The Service offers actions and group workshops based on a Life Design approach (Camussi et al., 2023) to develop smart skills (e.g., courage, resilience, communication, career adaptability, problem-solving, etc.). These actions are also available -with tailored formats- for secondary school classes.
- Career Construction series of meetings
- If you could design your future 5–10 years from now, what would you wish for? What concrete steps could you take now to move closer to your goals?
- How can your motivations and strengths serve as resources to plan your future with courage?
The Service offers a series of meetings to help you build both present and future educational and professional projects.
The “Life Design Portfolio” (Camussi et al., 2026) is used as a tool to organize past and current experiences, reflect on strengths, motivations, and aspirations, and plan concrete actions to make informed educational and professional choices.
- Support pathways for specific groups
- Are you looking for ways to balance study, work, and caregiving responsibilities?
- Are you moving from an international environment and want to adapt to life at Milano-Bicocca?
- Do you want to connect and share experience with others in situations similar to yours?
The Service offers special support pathways for specific groups (e.g., mature students, international students, people with work and caregiving responsibilities, etc.) to promote well-being and full participation in the academic environment. The sessions help participants reflect on balancing life, study, and work, while providing a space attentive to gender equality and supporting each person in building life trajectories aligned with their personal goals.
- Thematic workshops on Equal Opportunities
- Would you like to help build a fairer world that ensures equal opportunities and treatment for women and men?
- Would you like to participate in workshops on Equal Opportunities and gender discrimination in today’s world?
- Do you want to prevent and challenge stereotypes, biases, and discrimination?
The Service offers programs designed to explore how stereotypes, biases, and inequalities influence daily life, relationships, and opportunities. Through one-to-one sessions and group workshops, you can reflect on your experiences, gain new insights, and acquire practical tools to promote inclusion and the appreciation of “differences,” while strengthening self-confidence and actively contributing to fairer and more open environments.
- One-to-one counseling sessions and series of meetings (open to all)
You can schedule your consultation here
- Thematic sessions, workshops, and group support pathways (open to all)
Scientific Coordinator: Prof.ssa Elisabetta Camussi, Associate Professor of Social Psychology – Department of Psychology. Psychologist and Coordinator of the Equal Opportunities and Gender Observatory – Order of Psychologists of Lombardy. Vice President of the SIO (Italian Society of Career Guidance). Homepage: https://www.unimib.it/elisabetta-camussi
Service Psychologists – registered with the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy and the SIO (Italian Society of Career Guidance), experts in Career Counselling: Dott.ssa Daria Meneghetti, Dott.ssa Silvia Scaringi, Dott.ssa Maria Luisa Sbarra, Dott.ssa. Francesca Barillà.
To book one-to-one or group activities, it is necessary to fill out the FORM (see “Activity Calendar”) and wait to be contacted by the Service.
For information: [email protected]