We believe that when it comes to mental health, a tailored approach works best. Traditional face-to-face therapy is relatively inflexible and increasingly students like you, are seeking customized services to fit their busy lives.
Our stepped care model offers many options and you are encouraged to "step on" and "step off" at the right time, and in the right place for you. Check out our stepped care model to see where you fit.
Feelings of stress are a normal part of life and motivate us to move forward however, when stress is too intense or too prolonged it can negatively impact our lives. Many post-secondary students report feelings of stress before big events like exams, class presentations, or times of financial or family worries.
Self-care plays a significant role in keeping oneself physically and mentally healthy. Self-care is different for each person, however, some basic self-care includes things like: eating regularly and nutritiously, having a good sleep routine, positive self-talk/reassurance, exercise, making time for yourself a priority, reward theory (having something to look forward to), meditation/mindfulness practices, relaxation techniques (breathing, muscle tensing/relaxing), yoga, or having support persons easily accessible.
| Self-Care Resources |
Student Health and Wellness
Wellness on Demand The following list of resources may also be helpful to you in developing your own self-care strategies or for using self-help resources to address a specific issue:
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If you're struggling with difficult feelings and need to talk to someone quickly, including if you're not ready or able to access other types of support, helplines can help by letting you talk through your feelings and experiences without judgement. Some services are staffed by professional counsellors, some by trained listeners and some by peers with lived experience.
| Support available to you |
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The counselling process occurs when a client and counsellor set aside time to explore difficulties which may include the stressful or emotional feelings of the client. This can enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or behaviour, with a goal of facilitating positive change. Counselling can be both short-term and long-term, depending on the issue(s) presented and the plan agreed upon between the counsellor and the client. Often times, people find that one session is extremely beneficial in beginning to make changes and work toward goals.
When there is a need for follow up, counsellors work with their client in order to determine the best course of action -- this may include recommending that you continue with using same-day appointments as needed (“one-at-a-time therapy”), developing a treatment plan to work on through on-going therapy or referral to specialized services.
| Thunder Bay |
Student Health and Wellness Student Health and Wellness (SHW) offers same-day appointments from Monday to Friday. We encourage students to make use of our same-day counselling as an immediate entrance to service. Student Health and Wellness also offers short-term and longer-term counselling. You can book an appointment by calling 807-343-8361 or emailing health@lakeheadu.ca It is important to recognize that SHW is not an immediate crisis centre. It is possible that mental health concerns students have may be out of the SHW counsellors’ scope of practice. Such issues include but are not limited to:
If this is the case, SHW counsellors will refer the student to a mental health provider in the community in order to ensure that students have a wide range of access to services that will better suit their long-term needs. In addition to service through SHW, there are various community options that students can use:
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| Orillia |
It is important to recognize that Student Health and Wellness (SHW) is not an immediate crisis centre. It is possible that mental health concerns students have may be out of the SHW counsellors’ scope of practice. Such issues include but are not limited to:
If this is the case, SHW counsellors will refer the student to a mental health provider in the community in order to ensure that students have a wide range of access to services that will better suit their long-term needs. You can request an appointment through mySuccess. In addition to service through SHW, there are various community options that students can use:
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Are you feeling desperate and hopeless, worried you might hurt yourself or someone else, or having suicidal thoughts and alone with no one to talk to? Please get help immediately! Please do one of the following:
Call 9-1-1.
| Hotlines |
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| Thunder Bay |
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| Orillia |
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