Workshops and Groups

Professional staff in the Student Wellness Centre offer psychoeducational workshops and groups to provide additional support to student.  Workshops and skills groups offer unique benefits and provide practical tips to increase resilience, manage stress and develop stronger coping skills.  For more information, or to give us feedback, email wellness@wlu.ca.

For more information about the benefits of skills groups and workshops, read our article The Benefits of Skills Groups and Workshops.

Jump to:

• Ride the Wave
• Anxiety Modules
• A Hawk's Guide to Thriving

Ride the Wave

About Ride the Wave

Ride the Waves of student life with the Student Wellness Centre’s skill-building workshops designed to offer useful tips to increase resilience, manage stress, and develop skills to cope with the turbulence of life.  Workshops are delivered by clinical staff from the Student Wellness Centre. For questions, or to give us feedback, email wellness@wlu.ca.

Fall 2020 workshops are being delivered remotely using Zoom on Tuesdays at 2:30.  No password is required.  For information or help with using Zoom, read Getting Started with Zoom.

Tuesday September 15, 2020:  Starting Strong: The Power of Connections
This workshop stresses the importance of building systems of support , especially when transitioning to university life.  It will also discuss how to identify and refer a friend in distress.

Tuesday September 22, 2020:  Roommate Communication and Conflict Resolution
In this workshop, we will address the common disputes and communication issues that can arise between roommates, especially when access to other social contact and activities outside the house are limited. This workshop will pay particular attention to the fact that at this unusual time, our roommates may be our parents, siblings, or other immediate family members whom we did not expect to be living with under such challenging circumstances.

Tuesday September 29, 2020:  Happiness 101
Join us to discuss Positive Psychology and the secrets to increasing positive emotions, decreasing negativity, and creating life satisfaction.

Tuesday October 6, 2020:  Social Media and Mental Health
This workshop will address how social media affects mental health.  It will give particular attention to the impact of social media and the news during the stress and isolation of the coronavirus pandemic, and it will discuss strategies for managing stress and setting healthy boundaries. 

Tuesday October 20, 2020:  Coping with Difficulty
Everyone experiences times when challenges build up and overwhelm. In this session, we will offer simple but effective strategies to help you develop tolerance skills in order to cope with times get tough.

Tuesday October 27, 2020:  Consent and Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships are essential for well-being. In this workshop, we will talk about respectful relationships, how to maintain one's wellness within them, and coping if they end.  It will address the development of positive conversations about consent and the importance of personal boundaries.

Tuesday November 3, 2020:  Food and Your Mood
The food we eats impacts our physical health and our mental wellness. Join Carrie in this session as she provides tips for eating well, managing emotional eating, and preventing yourself from becoming "hangry."

Tuesday November 10, 2020:  Self-Compassion
Check back soon for a description of this workshop.

Tuesday November 24, 2020:  Grounding and Mindfulness
Join Chris, as she shares strategies to increase your self-awareness and focus on the present moment. This workshop teaches skills that are great for daily practice and to help you cope when feeling stressed.

Tuesday December 1 2020:  Exam and Performance Anxiety
Learn ways to handle performance anxiety, improve your mental game, and find inner calm during midterms and exams.  This workshop will also address additional stresses caused by remote exam writing.

A Hawk's Guide to Thriving

"Drop-In" on MS Teams to our new workshop series that focuses on coping strategies that will support your mental health and wellness during the school year!  Workshops will run remotely on MS Teams on Mondays from 2:30 to 4 p.m.  We will rotate five workshops weekly.  Drop in to all or some of them in any order you want!

Self-Care and Resilience
September 14 and October 26, 2020
Do you find that you “crash” or “shut down” when you feel overwhelmed? This workshop will provide you with strategies to manage stress and improve your self-care habits. You will also learn relaxation techniques and strategies to improve your sleep.
 
Managing Emotions
September 21 and November 2, 2020
Negative emotions are a biological human reaction, but sometimes they can feel scary or unbearable. In this workshop, you will learn about the purpose of emotions, as well as emotion regulation with the use of distress tolerance skills and opposite action.
 
Mindfulness and Meditation
September 28 and November November 9, 2020
Ever wanted to try mindfulness and/or meditation, but unsure where to start? Or, perhaps you have experience but would like to gain additional skills? This workshop is open to all levels!
 
Get Up and Go
October 5 and November 23, 2020
Are you struggling to get out of bed? Do you struggle with procrastination? In this workshop, you will discover strategies to improve motivation and overcome unhealthy habits.  
 
Managing Exam and Performance Anxiety
October 19 and November 30, 2020
Quizzes, midterms, finals, oh my! In this workshop, you will discover strategies to overcome exam and performance anxiety and find tips on moving forward from mistakes.

Skills Groups for Anxiety

Skills groups addressing anxiety are offered on both the Brantford and Waterloo campus.  Normally, students attend programming on their home campus, but in the 2020/21 academic year, all groups are online, and everyone is welcome to join any online group or workshop.  Make sure you click the Waterloo and Brantford tabs to see everything that is offered.