Stay connected with students virtually through the Peer Support Program

As you continue to be physically distant from your peers, you have less opportunities to meet other students, form supportive relationships, and build social connections. Laurier’s Peer Support Program has gone virtual in order to help you continue to create these connections, even from a distance.

A joint venture between the Student Wellness Centre, the Graduate Students’ Association, and the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Peer Support program aims to create a safe, inviting space where you can discuss student-life concerns.

Peer support sessions are led by undergraduate and graduate student volunteers, who have been trained by the Canadian Mental Health Association to listen, validate, and refer.

“I volunteered as a Graduate Peer Support facilitator as a way of being an outlet for my peers,” said Holly Nelson, a Masters student studying Developmental Psychology. “With everything going on in the world right now, I recognized that being available to listen to the issues students are facing is powerful. I wanted to offer my lived experiences as a student to help other students feel confident to tackle these issues, but also feel comfortable to talk about them. Being a peer supporter has helped me become an active listener, but has also given me the confidence to share my story.”

While this program is not a clinical support program, the goals of the program include helping students to feel less isolated, share strategies and skills related to common experiences, and increase their mood and confidence.

Access the Virtual Support Space

You are welcome to drop-in to the Peer Support’s Virtual Support Space while signed into your Microsoft Teams account.

• Undergraduate Peer Support: Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 29 to Dec. 1.
• Graduate Peer Support: Mondays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 28 to Nov. 30.