Upcoming Wellness Events:
Beyond the Blues
Beyond the Blues is a student-hosted tabling event focused on promoting mental health awareness and education for students by providing resources and supports for mental well-being. This event is held in collaboration with Counselling Services, Douglas Students' Union and Canadian Mental Health Association. Students will be able to take part in dog therapy and online self-screening tests, as well as participate in trivia to win prizes.
October 24, 10am–2pm, New Westminster Campus concourse
October 26, 10am–2pm, Coquitlam Campus atrium
Wellness Resources: Prioritize Your Health & Wellness
Wellness and academic success are interconnected concepts, meaning that the ways that you care for yourself and the choices you make when it comes to your healthcan have a directimpact on your academic journey and student success.
Having tools, information, and resources to supportyour wellness throughout your student life at б俪 is very important inhelping you tosucceed in your studies.
"Mental health and mental illness are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
"Mental health” is a concept similar to “physical health”: it refers to a state of well-being. Mental health includes our emotions, feelings of connection to others, our thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows.
The presence or absence of a mental illness is not a predictor of mental health; someonewithouta mental illness could have poor mental health, just as a personwitha mental illness could have excellent mental health."
Source:
How Douglas supports mental wellness:
- Counselling Services
- Contact to book an appointment
- Groups & workshops
- After hours emergency
- International Student Counselling
- Wellness events (,, Chill Out days, Health Fair, therapy dogs, wellness challenges and more)
- Indigenous Student Services
- Social connectedness through clubs and leadership groups
Additional Mental Health Resources
- connects students with mental health support when they need it. Access free, confidential counselling and community referral services, 24/7 via app, phone and web.
- Anxiety:has Anxiety resources, self-help exercises and printable handouts on common anxiety concerns.
- Depression:has information on depression. It covers What it is? Could I have it? Where to go from here? and everything in between.
- Suicide Prevention: Thehas information on how to help yourself or someone you are concerned about who may be considering suicide. Their FAQ page is a great place to start.
- The Indian Residential School Survivors Society has a24 Hour Crisis Linefor anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential School experience.
- offers a directory of BIPOC therapists who are committed to values supporting BIPOC in all intersections. And theraises and distributes funds to connect Black community members with accredited local Black counsellors and therapists.
Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to prioritize and take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.
Good self-care is key to improved moodand reduced anxiety, as a well as agood relationship with oneself and others.
Self-care is not only about considering our needs; it is about knowing what we need to do in order to take care of ourselves so that we are able to take care of others as well.
How Douglas supports self-care:
- Self-care is a combination of many of the above topics. Here are some other initiatives in self-care that Douglas supports:
- Safe Walk program
- Fitness Centre
- Counselling Services
- Indigenous Student Services
- Social events for students hosted by Student Life and the
- Mindfulness & Self-Care Virtual Workshops
- Long Night Against Procrastination events hosted by the & Learning Centre
- Yoga classes for exercise, meditation, breathing, and mindfulness
Sleep Hygiene Resources
- Printable & templates
Local Resources
Online Nutrition Resources:
Easy & Healthy Recipesfor College Students:
Eating Disorders & Body Image Resources:
"Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity.
Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence[...]"
Source:
What is Sexual Health?
How Douglas supports sexual health:
- Free condoms available at the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) and at Student Wellness Awareness Network & Consentevents
- Annual Health Fair at both campuses with sexual health information
Sexual Health Resources:
- - Find clinics and resources or contact the anonymous phone line to talk about sexual health.
- - Learn more about sex and sexual health.
- - Learn about STIs, testing options, find clinics, or chat with a nurse online.
- - HIM has five health centres throughout the Lower Mainlandand is a non-profit society that supports the health and well-being of gay men and other gender diverse folks.
- - The Youth Clinic, for youth aged 21 and under, is located at 38 Begbie Street, New Westminster, and has nurses on-site to provide services including:birth control education&provision,pregnancy testing +decision making,STI information,examinations +treatment;andHIV education +testing. No appointments necessary.
- - A local, independent, drop-in, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) clinic affirmingly serving the LGBTQ2SAI+ community. Note: Bute Street Clinic is currently closed until further notice.
- - The BCCDC diagnoses, treats and provides information about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at its clinic in Vancouver. The clinic provides testing and treatment for STIs, including HIV, counselling services, and Gardasil(HPV)and Hepatitis A and B vaccines for people who meet eligibility criteria. Theclinicis free and confidential, and MSP is not required.
"Substances can have some short-term positive effects like lifting your mood, relaxing you, or even giving you more energy. But, they can also have negative effects such as increasing anxiety or depression, overdose, or damage to your health.
It is not unusual for young people to experiment with alcohol or other substances. Many people may only try substances once or use them rarely. Most young people who drink or use substances do not go on to develop substance use problems. But, it can become aproblem for some."
Source:
How Douglas promotes the reduction or elimination of substance use:
- Counselling Services
- Awareness events and campaigns
Online Substance Use Resources:
Financial wellness refers to “effectively managing your economic life. [Which involves] keeping spending within one’s means, being financially prepared for emergencies, having access to the information and tools necessary to make good financial decisions, and having a plan for the future.”
How Douglas supports student financial wellness:
- Financial Aid office
- Free tax return filing assistance through the
- - Interactive tools to help save, plan and pay for post-secondary education after high school
- Free printable weekly
- StudentAid BC - Calculate how much you will need to attend school.
- - Offers ways to save money and how to make smart financial choices
There is a variety of wellness resources available to support the well-being of individuals who identify as LGBTQ2S+ in the Metro Vancouver area including:
- .
- -BC's Queer Resource Centre, responds to the needs of BC’s queer communities and helps them thrive.
- Trans Alliance Society- Offers transgender support, education, outreach and advocacy.
- - information and support for parents, families, friends, co-workers and others
- - non-profit supporting the health and well-being of gay men and other gender diverse people in BC
- - Queer Muslim Community
- -non-profit society for LGBTQ+ South Asians and their friends, families and allies in Metro-Vancouver, BC