Wellbeing Learning Hub
Peer Support
Student life brings with it the demands of academics, relationships, work, and all other facets of your life which may impact your wellbeing. Whether you're just starting university and want to learn how to promote your mental wellbeing throughout your student experience, or you're a current student and have been experiencing challenging feelings, it's important to have a space to share, feel understood, and learn skills for life which will prepare you to navigate difficult times.
Student Integrated Health and Wellbeing offers both group and individual peer support to all TMU students. You can expect supportive and caring environments to discuss your concerns in our groups, ran in partnership with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, as well as in individual appointments with our Peer Supporters.
Peer Support is described as emotional and practical support between two or more people who share a common lived experience. This can be the experience of a mental illness, mental health concern(s), or any other life event which has an impact on our overall wellbeing.
Click below to learn more about our peer support services:
What will my appointment be like?
Students attending either individual or group peer support can expect a safe, empathetic environment where space is created for them to share stories, discuss emotions, and reflect on their lived experiences alongside a trained Peer Supporter. Individual peer support appointments are taken in the Centre for Student Development and Counselling or online through a secure Google Meets appointment. Appointments are scheduled for 45 minutes but can be adjusted to fit the student’s needs.
What is a Peer Supporter?
Peer Supporters use their lived experience navigating academic and mental health concerns to empower and assist others. This is often achieved through the use of interpersonal skills to help foster confidence, connection, and self-esteem. Peer Supporters receive training in areas such as building connection, facilitating discussion, and empowering others through empathy and advocacy.
What’s the difference between peer support and counselling?
Peer support services, both individual and group, are not meant to be clinical treatment for mental illness or mental health concerns more broadly. The work we do together is supportive and validating in nature, however, is not psychotherapy, counselling, or meant to replace psychotherapy or counselling.
If looking for clinical support or treatment for mental health concerns, Peer Supporters can connect you to appropriate services at TMU or in the broader community.
How can I book an appointment?
You can book an appointment with one of the Peer Supporters by visiting the link below.
If unable to find a time slot, send Connor an e-mail at blakebcn@torontomu.ca or Anna-Louise an e-mail at annalouise.kidd@torontomu.ca to arrange a time.
In these groups, students will share, discuss, and learn about peer-informed mental health topics in a semi-structured and safe environment led by TMU's Peer Support Specialist, Connor Blakeborough, and Ontario Shores' Peer Support Specialist, Sarah Reid (learn more about the facilitators below). Read more about the group topics and how to register below.
This initiative aims to educate about mental health and wellbeing, discover or re-discover passions, promote hope, foster personal growth and empowerment, and build connections.
Self Discovery
Date/time: October 20th to November 17th, Fridays 12:30PM - 1:30PM
Modality: Hybrid
Where: POD 50-B
Topics:
Week 1: Turning Inward to Self Discovery (Journalling)
Week 2: The Art of Visualizing (creating Vision Boards)
Week 3: Building Community with Each Other (Friend Speed Dating)
Week 4: Games and Crafts
Week 5: Guest Speaker
What will we do?
Navigating adulthood and university is filled with many life changes, transitions and intimidating decisions. There is a lot to navigate in this chapter that can make us feel a little lost. If you are looking to connect with others, dive into self discovery and get to know yourself a bit more, this course is for you. In a semi structured format we will explore what self discovery is and means, create a vision board and spend time connecting with others through discussion, activities and student-centered content. This course has been designed based on feedback from your peers as to what is relevant to the current student experience. We welcome those who have taken this course before and newcomers alike!
What will we learn?
- How to balance and prioritize the various areas of our lives including relationships, confidence building and finding support(s).
- To build skills that are relevant and useful to you in your specific circumstances, whether you’re an undergraduate or graduate student.
- How to work through times of uncertainty within your university experience
Building Helpful Habits
Date/Time: October 10th to November 14, Tuesdays 11:00AM - 12:00PM
Modality: Hybrid
Where: POD 50-B or virtual link (to be sent out)
Topics:
- Week 1: Habit Building
- Week 2: Burnout
- Week 3: Stress Management
- Week 4: Setting Boundaries
- Week 5: Guest Speaker
- Week 6: Changing Habits
What will we do?
As school and life stressors pile up, it’s understandable that our schedule and habits begin to break down. Building helpful habits is one of many ways we can promote our own physical and mental wellbeing. In this group, we’ll dive into activities and discussions related to habit building, recognizing burnout, behaviour change and boundary setting.
This course has been designed based on feedback from your peers as to what is relevant to the current student experience. We welcome those who have taken this course before and newcomers alike!
What will we learn?
- How we can build habits, maintain them and hold ourselves accountable to them
- To identify burnout and how to prevent it, where do habits fit within this
- How group content can be used to deal with feelings of burnout, stress, and overwhelm
- How to and the benefits of setting boundaries with ourselves and others
Sadness Peer Support Group
Date/time: October 3 to October 24, 2023
Tuesdays from 1:00PM - 2:00PM
Open group
Modality: Hybrid
Where: POD 50-B or virtual link (to be sent out)
What will we do?
In this group, students will have a chance to share their experiences of sadness and depression with peers in a structured, facilitated environment. Participants can expect an empathetic, safe environment to connect with others and build confidence in themselves. This group has 4 topics which progress weekly:
- Introduction to Sadness/Depression
- Loneliness and Isolation
- Relationships
- Planning for Ourselves
Our Peer Support Specialists:
Connor (he/him) is TMU's Peer Support Specialist working in the department of Student Integrated Health and Wellbeing. Connor's role is to provide individual and group peer support services to current TMU undergraduate and graduate students. He is currently completing his Masters in Counselling Psychology, after completing his undergraduate degree and working in student health and wellbeing at McMaster University. Connor has been peer supporting for 3 years surrounding topics of depression, substance use, and bereavement.
Available for: Individual and Groups