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Student Wellness Centre

Programs

The Student Wellness Centre has a wide variety of programs designed to cater to the wellness needs of the student population. Please note that while some programs are drop-in, others do require registration.

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Words of Wellness - Letters to Incoming Students

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COVID-19 brought with it a host of unique challenges for university students. Beyond the barriers to an engaging and holistic education that online schooling brought, there were also barriers to having a normal university experience. Grieving our lost chance(s) to have an in-person year of university, as well as all the exciting and fun experiences…

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GradChats: Drop-in for Graduate Students

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Tuesdays, April 20th - June 29th.
1.30pm - 2.20pm

Location: Online

GradChats is a weekly drop-in group created by and for graduate students, brought you by the Student Wellness Centre. This weekly drop-in is a space for graduate students specifically – from any program, faculty, or stage in degree - to come together and talk about topics related to the grad experience. Come to one session,…

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International Students: Meet Your Neighbours

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Wednesdays
12pm-1pm

Location: Online

Meeting new people can be difficult as an International student (even without a pandemic!).This weekly virtual drop-in group will help you connect with other International students at McMaster. Bring your lunch if you'd like, or just come and chat about what's on your mind! This group is facilitated by Zeinab Khawaja, a Health Promoter at…

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ACT on Anxiety

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January 21, 2021 - February 11, 2021
Thursdays 2:00 PM-3:30 PM EST

Location: Online

Participants will learn Acceptance & Commitment Therapy strategies to decrease the impact of anxious thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories on living a valued life. For more information or to register, email Carla Glanville (MA) at glanvic@mcmaster.ca or Kerri-Ann Fitzgerald (MSW, RSW) at fitzka@mcmaster.ca.

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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

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Spring
Tuesdays 1:30 PM-3:30 PM EST

Location: Online

In supportive small-group environment, participants will learn helpful ways to cope with periods of intense emotional distress. The group will focus on understanding painful emotional experiences and developing concrete strategies to prevent, decrease or manage painful life experiences. There are 3 modules that rotate through the year which include emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interperson…

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Managing Your Worry and Anxiety

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May 7 to June 4 2021
Fridays 10:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Online

Participants learn about the connection between worrying and generalized anxiety through an exploration of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) concepts/strategies. Weekly experiential exercises will be used to challenge thoughts, manage worries, and provide a greater sense of calm to mind and body. For more information or to register, email Sheila Ortlieb (MA, RP) at ortliebs@mcmaster.ca.

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Managing Your Emotions

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May 5 to June 9 2021
Wednesdays 5:30 PM-7:30 PM EST

Location: Online

A basic introduction to Cognitive Therapy. Participants will practice specific ways to handle feelings more effectively. For more information or to register, email Nathan Cooper (Psy. D., C. Psych.) at ncooper@mcmaster.ca.

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Mend Your Mood

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May 7 to June 25 2021
Fridays 12:30 PM-2:30 PM EST

Location: Online

This group will focus on developing a better understanding of depression, and learning evidence-based skills to change patterns that trigger depression symptoms. This group will be appropriate for those with mild to moderate symptoms of depression. Pre-group meeting required. For more information or to register, email Michelle Charles (MSW, RSW) at charles2@mcmaster.ca.

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ADHD - Drop-in

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Summer term
Fridays 11:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Online

This group provides a space for students to develop new skills and approaches to help minimize the effects of ADHD on daily life.  The group will offer opportunities to share with others.  Come to one session or come to all. Offered through Webex.  Students must be registered with the SWC and have completed a confidentiality…

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The Food for Thought Scoop

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Fall and Winter Term (Various dates)
Various Times

Location: Online

The Food For Thought Scoop Food and cooking inspiration, right to your email inbox! Join our mailing list for some recipes, cooking tips and tricks, and other food related info relevant to student life. In the weekly newsletter, the Food Literacy team will be including information related to budget-friendly meals, cooking skills, meal planning, nutrition,…

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Caring Communities Network

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Winter term (Various dates)
Self-paced

Location: Online

Promote wellness within your community (MSU Club or other student group) through the designation of a Wellness Liaison. A Wellness Liaison is someone in your community that can share experiences, resources, and opportunities surrounding health promotion and how to care for your community. They’ll be connected with the Student Wellness Centre as we share learning…

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OCD is Affecting Me!

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Thursdays, June 3 to August 19
2:30 PM-4:00 PM EST

Location: Online

A 10-week virtual therapy group for individuals having difficulties managing obsessive-compulsive disorder. The sessions will provide an overview of OCD, discuss symptoms and review helpful strategies to manage OCD. Please note that this is a therapy group and will require work to be done outside of group sessions. It is highly advisable to attend all…

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Wellness Challenge

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April 15 - 30, 2021

Over the next two weeks of April 15th-30th, the Student Wellness Centre invites you to join our various wellness challenges. Offering three different challenges this exam season, join either our Mental Health, Spiritual Wellbeing, or Active Living Challenges.  Whether it is fostering connection with your loved ones, learning how to be mindful of yourself and…

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BIPOC Resilience and Peer Support

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Spring/Summer Term
Wednesdays 10:30 AM-11:30 AM EST

Location: Online

A virtual safe community where Black, Indigenous and People of Colour can share their voices and uplift one another. This group is intended to create opportunities to discuss personal, social, political and academic challenges and pressures faced uniquely by this population at McMaster University. Sessions will include discussions on mental health, self-care, wellbeing, self-empowerment, self-esteem,…

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Did You Know? HPV

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Ongoing

Location: Online

The Did You Know? HPV webinar is designed to give students knowledge about what HPV is and how the vaccine can prevent at least six types of cancers from forming. While HPV and other sexually transmitted infections can be tough to comprehend, this webinar makes HPV easy to understand, provide key Canadian statistics, and a…

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Perfectionism Power Hour

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Tuesdays, June 1 to August 10
1:30 PM-2:30 PM EST

Location: Online

Are you having difficulties with procrastination? Are you constantly striving to meet excessively high academic standards? Are you constantly dissatisfied with grades, even when others commented how well you did? If so, this is the group for you. A 10-week virtual therapy group for individuals having difficulties with perfectionism. Please note that this is a…

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LivingWorks Start

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Fall Term (Various dates)

LivingWorks Start teaches valuable skills to everyone 13 and older and requires no formal training or prior experience in suicide prevention. When you sign up for LivingWorks Start training, you'll learn a powerful four-step model to keep someone safe from suicide, and you'll have a chance to practice it with impactful simulations. Safety resources and…

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McMaster Pen Pals

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Fall and Winter Term (Various dates)

Location: Online

The McMaster Pen Pals program is a new initiative to help connect McMaster students who would like to meet new friends while we're away from campus. After filling out this 9-question-form, the Health Promotion team will match you with someone else who also filled this form and introduce you to one another via your McMaster…

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Fostering Self-Compassion and Mindfulness

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May 5, 2021 - June 2, 2021
Wednesdays 10:00 AM-11:30 AM EST

Location: Online

A 5-week online psycho-educational group which explores self-compassion, self-love, and mindfulness. The sessions will focus on defining self-compassion, techniques to challenge the 'inner critic', and strategies to foster self-compassion and mindfulness. To register, contact Simone Gomes (gomessf@mcmaster.ca).

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"Is That a Thought or a Feeling?!" - Communication Skills Building Group

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May 6, 2021 - June 17, 2021
Thursdays 1:30-3:00 PM EST

Location: Online

This is a 7-week Communication Skill Building Group to develop effective techniques and avoid common traps when having difficult conversations. This group is based on principles and strategies of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s International work on Nonviolent Communication. Students will explore patterns of alienating communication in their personal lives and practice skills that promote accurate verbal…

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Wellness Worms Book Club

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Various

Welcome to Wellness Worms! Welcome to Student Wellness Centre's very own book club! The goal of this program is to inspire reflection within a community setting. With this in mind, the book selections will be wellness-themed. Through reading and guided discussion we hope that you and your peers will be able help each other in…

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Exploring the Procrastinating Mind

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Tuesdays, June 15 to July 13 2021
10:30AM - 12:00PM

Location: Virtual

Did you know that procrastination has neurobiological roots? This 5-week group is structured to review skills and strategies to increase efficiency and focus when completing tasks. Additionally, this group will explore how to create and maintain new habits. This group will run on Tuesdays from 10:30AM - 12:00PM during the weeks of June 22 2021…

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Love Better - A Healthy Relationships Group

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Wednesdays, May 5 to June 2
10:00AM to 12:00PM

Location: Virtual

In this 5-week group participants will learn to identify the differences between healthy and unhealthy romantic relationships. Group topics will cover the following: the qualities of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, red flags to watch for in dating relationships, attributes to look for when choosing a partner, how to make relationships last, and the importance of…

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1887 Challenge - Wellness Edition

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March 1 to March 14

Location: Virtual

Struggling to stay active while stuck at home? The Student Wellness Centre and McMaster Alumni Association challenge you to the 1887 Challenge - Wellness Edition! The 1887 Challenge - Wellness Edition is an active living challenge where you'll be tasked with completing one of two 7-minute workouts informed by McMaster researchers! Complete one of these…

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Self Care Group

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May 26 to June 16
Wednesdays 2:30PM - 3:25PM EST

Location: Online

This drop-in group provides a space for students to develop new skills and approaches to help promote self-care and enhance wellness.  The group will offer opportunities to share with others. Come to one session, or come to them all!  Offered through Webex.  Students must be registered with the Student Wellness Centre and have completed a confidentiality…

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