Meet Glenda van der Leeuw (MSW, RSW) who is a part of both the SWC and the Black Student Success Centre. Glenda is an Afro-Surinamese born registered social worker & Mac alumni. She utilizes a trauma informed and anti-oppressive approach with critical attention to intersectionality to honor the full expression of each student. Glenda offers a space for Black students to reclaim their mental health to achieve psychological fortitude and emotional freedom through exploring and expanding meaningful Blackness.

Glenda recommends reading ‘Be The First’ by Caroline Flanagan.

About the Book:
Imposter Syndrome is different for people of colour.
You don’t just feel like an imposter, you are one. For your white peers and colleagues, Imposter syndrome is an internal battle against self doubt. But for you, Imposter syndrome is also an external battle against systemic bias.

The Imposter Speech®
After years of unsuccessfully battling Imposter Syndrome, I discovered how to make it my strength and I’m here to share that with you. I devised a powerful tool that gives you instant courage, lasting confidence and shines a spotlight on your value. That tool is the Imposter Speech™.

A step by step guide to creating your Imposter Speech®
Be The First provides a step by step guide on how to create your own Imposter Speech™ so that you can truly succeed. Not only will you rise to challenges differently, your whole relationship with yourself will change. You’ll stop waiting for an unjust system to change. You’ll no longer be the only one in the room. This book will empower you to be the first.

Meet Morgan Lucas (M.Ed., RP) who is a part of the SWC Counselling team.

Morgan recommends reading ‘ The Gifts of Imperfection’ by Brene Brown and watching Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk ‘ The danger of a single story’.

About the Book:

This book is an invitation to join a wholehearted revolution. A small, quiet grassroots movement that starts with each of saying, “My story matters because I matter.” A movement where we can take to the streets with our messy, heartbreaking, grace-filled, and joyful lives. A movement fueled by freedom that comes when we stop pretending everything is OK when it isn’t. A call that rises up from our bellies when we find the courage to celebrate those intensely joyful moments even though we’ve convinced ourselves that savoring happiness is inviting disaster. Revolution might sound a little dramatic, but in this world, choosing authenticity and worthiness is an absolute act of resistance.

About the TED Talk: 

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

Meet Debbie Nifakis the Associate Director of Counselling here at the SWC.

Debbie recommends reading ‘ Atomic Habits’ by James Clear.

About the book:

If you”re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn”t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don”t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you”ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Learn how to:
• make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
• overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
• design your environment to make success easier;
• get back on track when you fall off course;
…and much more.

Meet Kerri Ann Fitzgerald (M.S.W., R.S.W.) a dedicated member of our SWC Counselling team.

Kerri Ann recommends trying out ‘The Stop Practice’ in moments of anxiety or distress.

The Stop Practice helps you to create a space to observe and tame your feelings, and to access the deeper resources within you. It helps you develop the emotional intelligence and psychological flexibility required for greater mastery over the challenging moments!

How to do it:

1) Stop what you are doing
2) Take 3 deep breaths
3) Observe what you are feeling in your body, emotions, and thoughts
4) Proceed with what you are doing