The wellness hub consists of various mental health resources including virtual wellness tools, informational support and relevant resources on campus and in the community.
Note: The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional diagnoses or treatment.
Not only does physical activity contribute to a healthy body, it also plays a critical role in mental health. Some of the benefits of an active lifestyle include: stress alleviation, improvement in focus and memory, better quality of sleep, and boosting overall mood. Creating an active lifestyle can be as simple as going for a daily walk and taking the stairs more often. Here are some useful resources to help you implement more physical activity in your everyday life.
REDS Rec offers a wide variety of services to help keep you active! Check out their fitness class schedule and other services. You can also find them on YouTube.
GTFO NB is a fun and supportive adventure club for women and non-binary folks. GTFO’s mission is to increase capacity, confidence, and community in New Brunswick women who love to adventure.
ParticipACTION has programs and resources for all ages.
Yoga with Adriene has free videos to help enjoy a yoga practice in the comfort of your own home
The positive effect of walking - are you curious to learn how exercise can have a positive effect on problem solving and creative thinking? Learn more by reading this promising research.
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” — Angela Davis
The staff at UNB Counselling Services are dedicated to ending racism and as such, we believe in action towards social equity, solidarity and self-education around topics such as white privilege, systemic racism, microaggressions, prejudice, and allyship.
The following resources have been collected with the intention of helping those who wish to learn more about what it means to combat racism and to support those who have experienced racialized trauma.
Nancy Harn is the Indigenous Wellness Coordinator at the Ntulsonawt Wellness Centre in Marshall D’Avray Hall. She currently offers confidential counselling sessions grounded in Indigenous culture. For more information, Nancy can be reached at nharn@unb.ca or by calling 506-458-7038.
The Human Rights and Equity at UNB has complied an extensive list of educational resources including books, articles, podcasts, and organizations dedicated to combating racism such as the Anti-racism living document.
Addressing Power & Privilege provides critical reflective questions for white folks that address power and privilege.
Healing in Action provides an excellent toolkit to support the mental health of those who are fighting for racial justice.
The Indigenous Ally Toolkit explains what it means to be an ally and provides education around helpful and harmful assumptions and actions.
The Steve Fund is dedicated to the emotional wellbeing of students of color and equity in mental health on campus.
Idle No More focuses on public education and non-violent direct action in order to dismantle societal inequities faced by Indigenous populations in Canada.
Unwritten Histories provides education around the history of Settler Colonialism in Canada.
Black Lives Matter: Mental Health Resources For And By People of Color
Sista Afya provides excellent resources and handouts for women of colour.
Between Sessions Podcast includes candid conversations on mental health, self-care, trauma, and joy from “two brown chicks changing the face of therapy on both sides of the couch.” Their social media feeds also feature inspiration, resources, and tips on self-care during trying times.
Black Youth Helpline National helpline for black youth and their families.
The Black Health Alliance is a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada.
Across Boundaries provides a dynamic range of mental health support and services and works within Anti-Racism/Anti-Black racism and Anti-Oppression framework. These frameworks address the negative impact of racism and discrimination on mental health and well-being.
Black Lives Matter Meditations were created by a psychologist and activist with the intention to help ease the psychological toll and stress on BIPOC people and those involved in the BLM movement.
Stel Raven is a Fredericton-based therapist and consultant who specializes in working with 2SLGTBQA+ and Indigenous community members who are experiencing trauma. Stel operates from an anti-oppressive framework, offering decolonial and Indigenous approaches to healing.
Under One Sky Friendship Centre is a local community hub providing culturally grounded services and programming aimed at supporting a healthy and empowered Indigenous community.
How studying privilege systems can strengthen compassion: Peggy McIntosh
Anxiety and depression are among the primary reasons why university students seek counselling. During this stage of life, students experience many firsts, including new lifestyles, different academic responsibilities, managing finances, new relationships, and exposure to new cultures...etc.
Sometimes students may find these adjustments to be overwhelming and can be susceptible to developing depression and anxiety if certain risk factors are present. The good news is that anxiety and depression are both very treatable conditions with the proper supports.
Many of us experience stress, fear, and worrying from time to time. This is a natural response to perceived threats, life adjustments, and/or feeling under pressure. Anxiety triggers our internal alarm system: the “flight, fight, freeze” response, which affects our thoughts, emotions, physiology, and behaviours.
Sometimes this internal alarm system can get triggered even when there is no real danger or threat. Anxiety then becomes problematic when we stay in a prolonged state of intense worrying and fear, and this begins to disrupt our daily functioning.
Learning grounding techniques and coping strategies to deal with the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of anxiety can help you to better manage day to day.
Depression is a mental illness that goes beyond just feeling sad. While there are different levels of severity, depression is generally a persistent feeling of despair, hopelessness and/or numbness that significantly affects the way someone thinks, acts, and feels. Depression can decrease motivation, adversely affect appetite and sleep habits, lower energy levels, and create an overall bleak outlook on life.
UNB Peer Support is a group of dedicated and trained student volunteers who provide welcoming, confidential, and empathetic peer-based support to students at the University of New Brunswick.
Fredericton Addiction and Mental Health Services at Victoria Health Centre offer therapy groups and interventions for a variety of presenting issues. One of these programs is Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS) and is particularly helpful with learning emotion regulation skills and building up distress tolerance. For more information call 506-453-2132.
Canadian Mental Health Association offers programming around issues such as anxiety and depression. Currently, they’re offering wellness webinars and workshops that you can access directly on their website. For more information on other services offered by CMHA, call (506) 455-5231 or email info@cmhanb.ca.
TAO (Therapist Assisted Online) includes over 150 brief, effective, educational sessions covering over 50 common topics and skills related to mental health, wellness, and substance use issues. TAO includes interactive sessions, mindfulness exercises and practice tools all aimed at helping you achieve your goals.
Therapist Aid provides grounding techniques to help diffuse anxiety and other types of emotional distress.
CCI (Centre for Clinical Interventions) provides a collection of psychoeducational sheets and worksheets on topics like excessive worrying, health anxiety, and social anxiety.
Anxiety Canada is an informative resource page with a variety of supports specific to Youth. Learn more about facing your fears, healthy habits, and much more.
Self Compassion - At times we can be our own worst critics by placing harsh judgement on ourselves. Learning how to befriend ourselves in times of suffering is an important part of healing.
ViaLearn (Via Institute on Character) learn more about the positive traits of your personality, your values, and unique character strengths.
Jack.org is a youth driven non-profit organization dedicated to challenging stigma, reducing barriers, and raising awareness about mental health.
Getselfhelp.co.uk is a library of cognitive behavioural therapy based self-help resources including worksheets, MP3’s, information on various mental health challenges, and healthy coping strategies.
Succeed Socially is a collection of education and self-help articles addressing social anxiety and social skills development.
Wellness Together Canada to get connected to mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional.
Climate or eco-anxiety is stress, fear, and worry that is specifically focused on the existence and impact of climate change. Its symptoms would mirror that of general anxiety but are brought on specifically by watching and thinking about the future of Earth’s climate.
Eco-grief is an emotional response to loss, like any grief, that is focused on the anticipated or visible changes in one’s environment that are indicators of climate change.
Managing eco-grief and climate anxiety is very difficult when faced with an increased awareness of the effects of climate change. However, changes in climate are something that everyone on Earth has lived experience with, and so dealing with it can be shared. Talk about how you are feeling with a counsellor or in a structured environment like a climate café or community hub. Take action by making changes in your personal life or by advocating for positive and sustainable change in your communities. Maybe take a break from social media and climate news and focus on individual learning and processing.
The pain and suffering experienced after loss, whether it’s a loved one or a pet, can sometimes feel unbearable. We can funnel through a variety of emotions such as anger, numbness, despair, and confusion.
It’s important to understand that grieving is a unique experience for each individual and there is no specific time period suggested for the stages of grief. The following information is provided to help you make sense of your grieving experience and how to support others who may be experiencing grief.
verywellmind provides useful information on the 5 stages of grief and how to best support others going through a significant loss.
MyGrief confidential and free, mygrief helps you to understand and move through your grief.
youthgrief youth focused grief support
Hospice House offers community support in the form of telephone support, caregiver support, grief and bereavement groups, and individualized resource packages. For more information call 506-472-8185.
It is no secret that the foods we eat affect how we feel. Whether excessively snacking when feeling stressed, or experiencing an increase or loss of appetite when experiencing bouts of depression or anxiety, our relationship with food can change depending on the state of our mental health.
In addition, our self-esteem and body image can significantly impact our mindset towards food. Below are a variety of resources that you may find helpful in creating a healthier relationship with food.
Free Online ED & Body Image Support Group
Anna Jackson is a registered dietician who provides nutritional support for UNB and STU students. Book an appointment with Anna and/or learn more about healthy eating.
The Center for Mindful Eating is a practice that can help manage stress eating, while carrying many other benefits.
Intuitive Eating is a framework that integrates self-care and focuses on instinct, emotion, and rational thought rather than a restrictive diet approach.
Body Image and Disordered Eating
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre provides resources and support, including instant chat and a helpline for Canadians affected by eating disorders.
Cave Person Brain Part 1 & Part 2 Project Heal Blog
Centre for Clinical Interventions | Metabolism & Eating Disorders | What is Starvation Syndrome? | Why Diets Do Not Work
Sexuality is a normal part of the human experience. Therefore, both exploring one’s sexuality and alternatively, not wanting to explore one’s sexuality are valid experiences. Learning about topics like consent, safe sex resources, and maintaining your physical sexual health through frequent check-ups, and testing are all part of healthy sexuality.
Campus Sexual Assault Support Advocates (CSASAs) are specifically trained to support student who have experienced sexual violence. They can help you report an incident, arrange accommodations, seek medical help, and much more. To book an appointment with a CSASA, please contact Counselling Services.
The Student Health Centre located in C. C. Jones Student Services Centre hosts a team of qualified doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, dieticians, and psychiatrists who help support the health of UNB, and STU Students who may be experiencing a myriad of health challenges including supporting the sexual health of students. This can include STD/STI screening, PAP tests, writing prescriptions, access to birth control, yearly physicals, and other relevant sexual health related services.
Sex&U provides information on sexual and reproductive health
Catie provides HIV specific resources
LGBTQIA Safer Sex Guide & The Trevor Project - Sexual Health - 2SLGBTQIAP+ specific resources
Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre (FDCHC) provides a myriad of services including primary care, illness and injury prevention, chronic disease management, community outreach services, sexual health services, and educational outreach. FDCHC is located downtown at 339 King Street, and can be reached at 506.452.5900.
AIDS New Brunswick is a non-profit that offers safe, judgement free education about safe sex, safe drug use, and other educational resources. In addition to the sex education, AIDS New Brunswick also offers anonymous HIV testing onsite, information on PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis), and PEP (Post-exposure prophylaxis), and an anonymous needle exchange program, among others.
Sexual Violence New Brunswick (SVNB) is a non-profit association which provides support to those who have experienced sexual violence. The folks at SVNB run a 24/7 support line with specially trained, trauma informed, staff. In addition, SVNB can help support you in reporting an incident, arrange for accompaniment to a hospital, police station, or court, and offer both group and individual therapy. SVNB can be contacted at through the following avenues: Business Calls (506.454.0460), Support Line (506.454.0437).
The reoccurring decision to delay a task or goal you’ve set for yourself is a common human behaviour. There could be any number of underlying reasons that motivate procrastination. Some of these include fear of failure, discomfort avoidance, and/or low energy, etc. The following resources can help you break the cycle of procrastination and support you in creating healthier work and wellness habits.
The Centre for Clinical Interventions offers free information sheets, worksheets, and a thorough workbook aimed at helping you understand and break the cycle of procrastination.
Perfectionism and Procrastination - CCI - Perfectionism & Perfectionism - A Double-Edged Sword.
The pomodoro technique has been proven to boost productivity through time management methods. Learn about more about this technique in this short video.
As a busy student, you likely have firsthand experience on how lack of sleep can impact your mood and overall daily functioning. For optimal performance, our brains require quality rest, however this is not always easy to achieve with a hectic schedule, therefore, establishing a proper bedtime routine may be important for a great night’s sleep. Small changes can make a big difference!
The Student Health Centre, located in C. C. Jones Student Services Centre, hosts a team of qualified physicians, nurses, a nurse practitioner, a dietician, a psychiatrist, and an orthopedic surgeon who help support the well-being of UNB and STU students experiencing various health concerns, including sleep related challenges. This can include an assessment, ordering bloodwork or more extensive testing, counselling related to healthy sleep habits, writing prescriptions, referrals to specialists, and other relevant services.
The Harvard Division of Sleep Medicine provides a wealth of information around the science of sleep, the connection between mood and sleep, and when to seek treatment.
Sleep Foundation provides more about sleep hygiene tips and strategies.
We are intrinsically social beings, and there are many different types of relationships that can exist in our lives – family, romantic partnerships, friendships, working relationships with peers or colleagues, acquaintances, and so on. These various relationships have the potential to impact our mental health, for better or worse. It is therefore important that we take time to reflect on how we feel in our relationships, and work on developing interpersonal skills such as assertive communication and establishing/maintaining boundaries to help keep our relationships healthy.
When we cultivate healthy, supportive relationships in our lives, these connections help us to fulfill our core human needs by feeling more safe, happy, purposeful, and finding a sense of belonging. Healthy relationships are typically characterized by equality, respect, open communication, support, honesty and trust, responsibility and accountability, boundaries, and non-threatening behaviour.
Unhealthy relationships can be very detrimental to our health, but it can sometimes be difficult to identify when a relationship is not serving us. Some warning signs or aspects of unhealthy relationships may include lack of communication, dishonesty and/or distrust, jealousy, disrespect, manipulation, excessive dependence and/or controlling behaviour, isolation, criticism, and constant fighting/conflict. Abuse of any kind (physical, verbal/emotional or sexual) is never okay, and is a clear sign of an unhealthy relationship.
No relationship is perfect, but with the right skills and coping strategies we can all work toward building and maintaining healthy, satisfying relationships in our lives. If you’re looking for support in the area of relationships, these resources are available for you:
Counselling Services – counselling can help provide the opportunity to reflect on and gain insight regarding your relationship concerns, learn new skills or approaches and make plans for positive change. Request an appointment to access service.
Campus Sexual Assault Support Advocates (CSASAs) are specifically trained to support students who have experienced sexual violence. They can help you report an incident, arrange accommodations, seek medical help, and much more. To book an appointment with a CSASA, please contact Counselling Services or email csasa@svnb.ca.
If you're experiencing a difficult breakup and want to learn about helpful coping strategies, read Surviving a relationship breakup - Top 20 strategies.
The Centre for Clinical Interventions has excellent self-help resources in the “Looking After Yourself” section of their website. Access their self-help workbook entitled “Assert Yourself!” to work on developing your assertive communication skills in relationships. You may find the CCI workbooks on Shyness and Social Anxiety to be helpful, as well.
Government of Canada – learn more about violence and abuse, its prevention and how to get help if you are being abused.
Between Us Health - learn more about healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Onelove - An organization dedicated to educating students about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse and learn how to love better.
The Gottman Institute provides information and resources from a research-based approach to relationships and couples therapy, with a mission “to reach out to families in order to help create and maintain greater love and health in relationships.”
Love is Respect is an initiative of the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline, this website touts itself as the “ultimate resource” to empower individuals to prevent and end dating abuse. It is filled with information and resources on dating and relationship basics, consent, identifying types of abuse, getting help, safety planning, and much more.
Canadian Forces Morale & Welfare Services – Healthy Relationships provides Tips sheets, stories, and support resources for CAF members and their families.
Sexual Violence New Brunswick (SVNB) is a non-profit association which provides support to those who have experienced sexual violence. The folks at SVNB run a 24/7 support line with specially trained, trauma informed staff. In addition, SVNB can help support you in reporting an incident, arrange for accompaniment to a hospital, police station, or court, and offer both group and individual therapy. SVNB can be contacted at through the following avenues: Business Calls (506.454.0460), Support Line (506.454.0437).
While there is no sole factor that can predict how an individual may react to a substance or whether they will develop a dependency problem, there are personal and environmental factors that may put someone at greater risk. It’s important to educate oneself around risk factors in order to reduce the harm associated with substance use.
Using the resources below, you can begin to gauge your relationship to substances and find support if you are experiencing dependency and/or addiction.
AIDS NB is a non-profit that offers safe, judgement free education about safe sex, safe drug use, and other educational resources. They offer an on-line Naloxone training program to those impacted by opiate use. AIDS New Brunswick also offers anonymous HIV testing onsite and an anonymous needle exchange program, among others.
Fredericton Addiction and Mental Health Services at Victoria Health Centre offer therapy groups and interventions for a variety of presenting issues. They offer specialized addiction services, including a free auricular acupuncture clinic, inpatient detoxification and ongoing addiction counselling among other services. Call 506-453-2132 to learn more.
Smart Recovery provides effective coping tools to help people self-manage addiction recovery. Some of these self-help tools include worksheets, informative courses, and exercises.
Here to Help – When visiting this website you will find free self-screening tests, the opportunity to submit questions, and current information about numerous substances including alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and many others.
The Canadian Public Health Association provides harm reduction and screening tools for cannabis use in addition to substance use information.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse provides seminal evidence-based information to help raise awareness and reduce harm associated with substance abuse and addiction.
CollegeDrinking primarily focuses on issues related to alcohol abuse and binge drinking among university and college students.
