Advertise on podcast: Mental Health on Campus

In this podcast episode, we are joined by Janella Viado, Residence Life Coordinator at Seneca Polytechnic and host of ThryvSpace, to discuss loneliness, connection, and relationships as students navigate the start of a new school year.  Throughout the episode, Janella draws on her professional experience in Residence Life and academic background in psychology to explore the mixed emotions students may experience when returning to campus. The conversation looks at how loneliness and the desire for connection can show up, what healthy relationships can look like, and practical ways students can build meaningful connections and a sense of belonging on campus.

Les étudiants-es internationaux-ales font face à des défis particuliers liés à l'insécurité alimentaire et financière, avec des répercussions importantes sur leur bien-être, leur santé mentale et leur réussite académique. Dans cet épisode, Elizabeth Doiron-Gascon, travailleuse sociale et conseillère réglementée en immigration pour étudiants étrangers (CRIÉÉ) à l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), partage son expertise sur les réalités souvent méconnues de cette population. Elle présente également des pistes d'action concrètes et des initiatives prometteuses que les établissements postsecondaires peuvent mettre en œuvre pour offrir un soutien plus équitable, inclusif et durable. Biographie : Elizabeth Doiron-Gascon travaille depuis plus de 4 ans et 1/2 au Service des études et de la réussite étudiante de l'INRS. Elle est travailleuse sociale et CRIÉÉ pour les étudiants étrangers. Elle oeuvre dans divers établissements d’enseignement supérieur tant au collégial qu’à l’université depuis plus de 10 ans.

In this podcast episode, we are joined by Dr. Kyle Baillie, Associate Vice President, Students at the University of the Fraser Valley, to discuss Secondary Trauma and its impact on campus staff. While it has long been recognized in fields such as nursing and social work, Dr. Baillie’s research has helped bring attention to how this phenomenon uniquely affects student affairs professionals in the Canadian post-secondary context. Throughout the episode, Dr. Baillie explores how Secondary Trauma shows up in campus roles, organizational and systemic factors that can increase risk, and highlights practical ways institutions and individuals can recognize, prevent, and respond to Secondary Trauma.

In this podcast episode, we are joined by Sophia, a 20-year-old belonging to the Mohawk nation and member of the Wolf Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River. Sophia is in her fourth year of Public Health at Brock University, where she is also pursuing a minor in Indigenous Studies. Her work lies at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and public health, where she is committed to creating more inclusive and equitable health outcomes for Indigenous communities.  Throughout the episode, Sophia shares her experiences as a student leader and advocate, highlighting the value of engaging with Indigenous student services on campus. She reflects on the importance of connection to culture, community, and wellbeing as an Indigenous student in post-secondary, and how these services create spaces of support, belonging, and resilience.

Dans cet épisode inspirant, nous rencontrons Nadia, une étudiante francophone et internationale du campus de Sudbury du Collège Boréal. Elle nous raconte son parcours unique dans une province majoritairement anglophone : les défis linguistiques, l’adaptation culturelle, la solitude, mais aussi les victoires du quotidien. Elle partage avec sincérité ses stratégies pour préserver sa santé mentale, et tisser des liens significatifs. Un témoignage précieux rempli de conseils pour tout étudiant-e ou nouvel-lle arrivant-e en quête de repères au Canada.

In this episode, we sit down with the same panel of current and graduated students from Part 1 to continue the conversation about making friends on campus—this time, with a focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped social dynamics. Our panel reflects on how technology, especially phones and social media, plays a role in maintaining connections, and the new challenges students face when trying to meet people. They share honest thoughts about the fear of rejection, the awkwardness of putting yourself out there, and how loneliness can sometimes hold you back from making new friends. From small moments of connection to the bigger picture of post-pandemic campus life, this episode dives into what friendships look like now and how students are finding new ways to build connections.

In this episode, we are joined by a panel of current and graduated students as they share their experiences navigating friendships in post-secondary. Making friends on campus isn’t always as easy as pop culture makes it seem—while some students find their group right away, others take longer and may feel lonely in the process. Throughout the episode, our panel discusses the reality of campus friendships, including the impact of living in residence, the social dynamics of student-athletes, and the challenges commuters face in making connections. They also explore friendships that form for just a semester and what it means to build meaningful relationships in post-secondary.

In this episode, we are joined by Marsha Josephs, executive director at the Indigenous Institutes Consortium (IIC) as she shares and outlines a new resource, Pathways to Wellness an online wellness resources for Indigenous students. Pathways to Wellness, introduces Indigenous students to concepts and tools to support their wellness journey using traditional Indigenous knowledge perspectives. Throughout the episode, Marsha addresses the importance and purpose of Indigenous Institutes and how significant these institutions are to supporting Indigenous students in their academic and wellness journey.

Dans cet épisode, Andrée-Anne Maranda, directrice associée du service de psychothérapie et de santé mentale étudiante à l’université d’Ottawa, se joint à nous pour partager comment soutenir le mieux-être et la santé mentale dans un campus bilingue. Elle partage des idées sur la manière de favoriser une atmosphère de soutien pour les étudiants-es, le corps enseignant et le personnel, en soulignant l'importance de l'empathie et de la sécurité culturelle. Les auditeurs découvriront des stratégies pour établir des connexions significatives au sein de communautés diverses, tout en abordant également la manière de soutenir spécifiquement les étudiants-es internationaux-ales confrontés-ées à des défis uniques. Ne manquez pas ces conseils pour créer une culture plus inclusive et compatissante sur les campus.

In this episode, our guest Ella Wiseman, Research and Knowledge Lead at the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health (CICMH) will discuss fatphobia and how this affects students on post-secondary campuses in preparation for her infosheet covering eating disorders. Listen to the episode to learn about what fatphobia is, how it affects students on campus and where they can seek support.

Josée Joliat (Collège Boréal) se joint à nous afin de partager pourquoi les étudiants et étudiantes autochtones peuvent avoir besoin d’accéder les services de santé mentale sur les campus, quels sont les obstacles auxquels ils et elles sont confrontés et comment les établissements d'enseignement postsecondaire peuvent les aider. Elle explique également le travail du Centre Louis-Riel pour éduquer et partager des connaissances importantes avec tous les membres du campus.

In this episode, our guests Fiona Lacey (Program Lead for Peer Support and Young Caregivers at the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO)) and Victoria MacMillan (a recent Toronto Metropolitan University graduate and OCO placement student) will discuss young caregivers in post-secondary. Listen to the episode to hear how campus staff and faculty can support post-secondary students who are also young caregivers and learn more about the Ontario Caregiver Organization.

In this episode, our guests Carla Grey, Jasmine Balakumaran, Joyce Tsui and Marsha Astrop (all from Centennial College) will highlight their academic accommodation study. The research project was created to learn more about the experiences students encounter in their academic accommodation journey within the Collaborative Bachelor of Science Nursing (BScN) and Practical Nursing (PN) programs and to identify potential strategies to support them. During the episode, the Centennial team will detail their findings, share their recommendations to improve on-campus academic accommodations, and reveal their plans to work with students in other health-regulated programs.

In this episode, we are joined by Katy Rankin, a registered social worker in Ontario’s education system for 18 years. Katy is Anishnabekwe, a member of the Apitipiwinni Nation, Pikogan community, North of Quebec. We discussed the ways mental health services can be improved on campus for Indigenous students, advice for Indigenous staff who’d like to share their knowledge with their colleagues, how non-Indigenous staff and faculty can support Indigenous colleagues and students, and more.

In this episode, Ash Koster and Laura Daly-Trottier from the Excellence through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP) share key quality improvement (QI) concepts, an overview of the CICMH QI Knowledge College and how QI can lead to change on post-secondary campuses.