Is your mind full, or are you mindful? TRU Counsellors Shyann Vosper and Susan Butland present a weekly workshop series every Tuesday until March 26 called “Mental Health Matters” in OM 2742 from 4:30-6 p.m. Registration is not required; students are welcome to drop into any of the remaining seven sessions.
“We see people one-to-one all the time in counselling, and we see them for mental health things like stress and stuff,” Butland said. “So what we’ve done is we’ve put together a real package of information that we can provide to people, and it doesn’t take up their one-to-one time.”
The workshops scheduled for “Mental Health Matters” include:
- “Befriending your Nervous System” on Feb. 6,
- “Tackling Overthinking” on Feb. 13,
- “Exploring Emotions” on Feb. 27,
- “Releasing Control” on March 5,
- “Values” on March 12,
- “Practicing Self-Compassion” on March 19 and
- “Creating a Wellness Mandala” on March 26.
According to organizers, the weekly series aims to help students pause and focus on their mental wellness in a confidential environment, connecting them with others experiencing similar struggles. Each workshop allows students to learn and practice various mindfulness strategies to improve their well-being.
“Oftentimes, we’ll be meeting one-to-one with students, and they think they’re the only ones navigating whatever struggle they might be navigating,” Vosper said. “Then if you have a group together, there’s just an opening up of ‘I’m not alone,’ ‘it’s not just me,’ and then there’s peer-to-peer learning that is really helpful.”
Butland agreed with Vosper, noting that the value of the workshops lies in their ability to help so many individuals at once while it may be difficult to find time for one-on-one sessions.
“We get little bits of time. So we have a chance to give people some really good, solid information,” Butland said. “[We hear] loneliness is a real problem out there. So, [the workshops are] a way for students to come and learn and talk to each other and realize that they’re not alone in this.”
Butland and Vosper said they strive to provide a safe space for students to cultivate mindfulness and foster connections with peers enduring similar struggles. Both counsellors recognize that students often neglect their mental health due to the demands of their hectic schedules.
“From my perspective, students are really busy, and this is kind of a gift they can give themselves to come and just take a moment to pause and see what they can do to help themselves bring more calm or ease of being to their worlds,” Vosper said.
This is a corrected story. The previous headline for this article read, “Discuss ‘Mental Health Matters’ at the Wellness Centre.” The Omega has been informed that this headline was incorrect and misleading, as the workshops do not and have not taken place in the Wellness Centre. The Omega apologizes for this error.