Riding the Wave: Strategies for Coping with Stress and Anxiety

Presented by: Jackie Huberman, in partnership with Queen's Hillel It’s that time of year when stress and anxiety run high – but what IS “anxiety”? Is it all bad? How do you manage stress and anxiety so that you stay productive and take care of yourself? In this interactive workshop, we will review some common forms of anxiety and will provide a range of effective techniques for coping with stress and anxiety. We hope you’ll leave armed with some new tools to help manage the ups and downs of the academic year and beyond! Feel free to bring any specific questions you have about how to study/prepare for exams or assignments, manage your time, or cope with tough emotions.

Holy Cross C.S.S. Mental Health Workshop Series

Presented by: numerous clinical psychology students, in partnership with Dr. Su Buchanan (Maple Family Health) and Lisa Lollar (Kingston Public Health). We collaborated with Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School to deliver monthly lunchtime workshops for their students throughout the school year. These workshops are fairly short and focused (30-45 mins), designed to provide opportunity to learn and practice specific hands-on coping tools. Topics include: - Speak Up, Listen In: Communication Skills - Keep Calm & Carry On: Relaxation Skills - How to Ace Your Test While Still Getting Rest!: Time management & Study Skills - Decatastrophizing! : When Your Mind Gets Ahead of itself - Mindful or Mindfull?!? : Learn How to Focus On the Now - Catching enough ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs? Tips for Making the Most of Your Sleep. - Who’s Taking Care of You?: Practising Self Care - Catch, Challenge & Change: Thought Records – Challenge that Voice in Your Head!

Improving Your Sleep

Presented by: Alexandra Tighe and Larah Maunder, in partnership with the Mental Health Awareness Committee Are you always tired? Do you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep? Are you stressed about running yourself to the ground in exam season? In this workshop, we will discuss the important role of sleep in mental health and wellbeing. We will also review evidence-based tools to help improve the quality of your sleep, and provide tips about general self-care.

How to Help Your Anxious Child: Tips and Tricks for Parents

Presented by: Irene Hong and Larah Maunder, in partnership with St. Francis of Assisi School We’ve all heard of “anxiety”, but what is it? How do you manage it or support your child when they are feeling anxious? In this workshop, we will review common types of anxiety. We’ll provide effective techniques for coping with anxiety and you’ll have the chance to practice some of them. We’ll also discuss ways that you can help support your anxious child, including what to say and what not to say.

Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute Mental Wellness Series

Presented by: Larah Maunder and Joyce Li, in partnership with KCVI We led a series of five discussion-based sessions on various topics relevant to high school girls, including depression, anxiety, healthy relationships, and substance use.

LaSalle Secondary School Mental Wellness Week

Presented by: Jackie Huberman, Dan Tassone, and Kayla Mooney We delivered five sessions of the same workshop in one day, focused on communicating about mental health and skills for checking in with one another.

Let's Talk About Sex!: Common sexual problems and how to talk about them

Presented By: Robyn Jackowich and Stéphanie Gauvin, with Dr. Caroline Pukall ​ It can be hard to talk about sexual problems with other people, including friends and/or partners. In this interactive workshop, we will discuss why it’s important to talk about sex, what sexual problems are, and the impact that sexual problems can have on our wellbeing. Importantly, we will review communication tips and discuss how to be a good listener and supportive friend and/or partner. We’ll also be sure to talk about support and resources that are available to you at Queen’s University and in Kingston.

How to Support a Friend with Anxiety

Presented By: Irene Hong and Jackie Huberman, with Dr. Meredith Chivers ​ We’ve all heard of “anxiety”, but what is it? How do you manage it or support an anxious friend? In this interactive workshop, we will review common types of anxiety. We’ll provide effective techniques for coping with anxiety and you’ll have the chance to practice some of them. We’ll also discuss ways that you can help support an anxious friend, including what to say and what not to say.

How to Support a Friend with an Eating Disorder

Presented By: Amanda Shamblaw, with Dr. Susan Buchanan & AuthenticallyU ​ In a culture that promotes healthy eating and dieting, how do you know when things have gone too far? In this interactive and educational workshop, we will review different types of eating disorders. We’ll discuss signs of disordered eating, its effects on the body and mind, and strategies for supporting a friend with an eating disorder, including how to open dialogues. We will also provide an overview of available treatments and resources, which you can use or provide to a friend in need.

How to Help a Friend (and Yourself) Cope with Big Emotions

Presented By: Kalee DeFrance and Vanessa Schell, with Dr. Tom Hollenstein ​ Emotions are ubiquitous. We are always experiencing some level of emotion yet, due to social demands, we also try to regulate our emotions. Many of us struggle with emotion regulation, however, which can have negative mental health outcomes. In this interactive workshop, we will present techniques that have been found to effectively help people become more aware of their emotional experiences and develop successful regulatory practices. We’ll discuss the upsides and downsides of emotions and will review ways to build resources to help yourself or a friend through tough emotional times.

How to Support a Friend Who's Feeling Down and Depressed

Presented By: Melissa Milanovic, Tanya Tran, and Chloe Hudson, with Dr. Chuck Vetere In this workshop, we will talk about the experience of feeling down and depressed. Importantly, we will provide an overview of what it might look like when someone is feeling depressed, how it affects people day-to-day, and discuss some helpful coping strategies for low mood or depression. Through this interactive workshop, you will also learn strategies for supporting a friend who may be experiencing symptoms of depression – including helpful things to say or do, and the resources that are available to them at Queen’s University and in Kingston.

Tips on What To Do When You Can't Sleep

Presented By: Louisa Man and Nelly Matorina, with Dr. Hans Dringenberg ​ Are you always tired? Do you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep? In this workshop, we will examine prevalent sleep myths like “I catch up on sleep over the weekend” or ”Having a glass of wine before bed makes me sleep better”. Importantly, we will discuss facts about sleep and its impact on wellbeing. We will also review strategies to improve sleep hygiene, and go over evidence-based tools to help you learn about your own sleep patterns.

Mental Health, Relationships, and You

Presented by: Joyce Li, Vanessa Schell, & Jackie Huberman, with the Mental Health Awareness Committee It can be tough to navigate mental health issues in our relationships. In this talk, we will share research, practical tips, and real-life experiences related to issues of mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, grief, stress, etc.) in the context of platonic and romantic relationships. Together, we’ll contemplate the following scenarios, and more: “My best friend is going through some serious mental health struggles right now. How do I best support her, without burning out?” “I am struggling but don’t know how to communicate to my partner and my family what I need from them. How do I have these conversations?” “I want to date, but my mental health issues can make it tough and complicate things. How can I navigate this?” “I’m glad to be my girlfriend’s rock but it’s exhausting me, and I find myself pushing away sometimes. Does that make me a terrible person?” “My housemate’s mental health issues make it hard to do everyday things, like going to class. How much should I push him to get moving?” We’ll be joined by a couple of undergraduates who will share their experiences navigating challenging mental health issues in their own relationships. ​

Living with Anxiety

Presented by: Dr. Brad Mac Neil and Breanna McCreary The talk will aim to address the following quesitons:
(1) What is anxiety?
(2) How do you recognize the signs of anxiety in yourself and family members?
(3) What are the evidence-based treatments for anxiety for adults and children?
(4) What is it like to live with an anxiety disorder?

What To Do If You Can't Sleep?

Presented by Samantha Dawson, MSc & Jackie Huberman, MSc

This interactive and educational workshop will provide an introduction to insomnia and other common sleep problems. We will review the biological process of sleep and will discuss how managing sleep difficulties can lead to positive effects on mood. Importantly, we’ll review strategies that have been shown to effectively improve sleep fairly quickly, so that you can start sleeping better soon!

How to Support a Friend with Anxiety

Presented by Irene Hong and Chloe Hudson, with Dr. Tess Clifford We’ve all heard of “anxiety”, but what is it? How do you manage it or support an anxious friend? In this interactive workshop, we will review common types of anxiety. We’ll provide effective techniques for coping with anxiety and you’ll have the chance to practice some of them. We’ll also discuss ways that you can help support an anxious friend, including what to say and what not to say.

How to Help a Friend Cope with Sexual Assault

Presented by Robyn Jackowich and Stéphanie Gauvin, with Dr. Caroline Pukall Unwanted sexual experiences are unfortunately all too common. In this workshop, we will review common myths about sexual assault and will present important facts, including what consent is, how to get it, and how to give it. We’ll discuss the impact sexual assault can sometimes have on mental, physical, and emotional well being, including the wide range of responses different people may have. Importantly, we’ll review ways to support a friend who discloses they’ve been sexually assaulted – what to say, what not to say, how to check in, and how to recognize your limits. We’ll be sure you leave the workshop with immediate and long-term resources, so that you and/or your friend are not alone.

Coping with Big Emotions: How to Help a Friend Deal with Tough Emotional Experiences

Presented by: Nicole Bardikoff, Kalee DeFrance, & Vanessa Schell, with Dr. Tom Hollenstein Emotions are ubiquitous. We are always experiencing some level of emotion yet, due to social demands, we also try to regulate our emotions. Many of us struggle with emotion regulation, however, which can have negative mental health outcomes. In this interactive workshop, we will present techniques that have been found to effectively help people become more aware of their emotional experiences and develop successful regulatory practices. We’ll discuss the upsides and downsides of emotions and will review ways to build resources to help yourself or a friend through tough emotional times.

Depression: Myths, Facts, & Strategies for You or a Friend

Presented by Katherine Holshausen, Melissa Milanovic, and Tanya Tran, with Dr. Su Buchanan In this workshop, we will debunk common myths about depression. We’ll review various manifestations of depressive symptoms and research findings about the prevalence of depression and effective treatments. Importantly, we will provide an overview of some helpful coping strategies for depression and we will practice some of these together. Through this interactive workshop, you will also learn strategies for supporting a friend with depression, including what to say, what not to say, and what resources are available to them.

How to Support a Friend with an Eating Disorder

Presented by Amanda Shamblaw and AuthenticallyU, with Dr. Su Buchanan In a culture that promotes healthy eating and dieting, how do you know when things have gone too far? In this interactive and educational workshop, we will review different types of eating disorders. We’ll discuss signs of disordered eating, its effects on the body and mind, and strategies for supporting a friend with an eating disorder, including how to open dialogues. We will also provide an overview of available treatments and resources, which you can use or provide to a friend in need.

On Living with Depression

The Science and Experience of Being and Caring for Someone with Depression Presented by: Dr. Kate Harkness and Mateya Dimnik Depression is a common experience for Canadians. It can be debilitating. It can be isolating. It is often misunderstood. In this talk, we’ll explore the science and experience of depression. We’ll answer common questions, as well as some you may not have even thought to ask: What exactly is depression? What does it look like, feel like? How can it be treated? What’s the latest research? And what can you do to support someone living with depression? Join us for an illuminating and thought-provoking presentation and discussion!