Mental Health & Wellness Groups and Workshops

You have access to information about counsellor-led groups on the Group Counselling website. You can also go to the Student Support Services Events page to see them listed alongside all other events happening at the college. Some groups are drop-in and others require registration.

Our Counsellor-Led Registered groups include students who meet regularly with one or two registered psychotherapists or registered social workers. Registered groups include an opportunity to learn and practice evidence-informed wellness skills in a supportive environment.

These groups are most effective when they are attended weekly, and their size varies.

We also offer drop-in groups and peer-to-peer groups if weekly attendance is not an option for you.

Specific instructions for signing up for specific groups are available here. Some groups require pre-registration and others are drop-in!

Generally, to join a registered group, you can drop by the Welcome Centre (3^rd Floor, Student Commons, E building), call 613.727.4723 ext. 7200, or email welcomecentre@algonquincollege.com

For drop-in groups, please see the specific group you are interested in, for drop-in locations and instructions and just drop in as little or as much as you’d like.

You may see other students from Algonquin College in a counselling group. We’d encourage you to remember that you are there for the same purpose: to seek support and learn new skills to support their wellbeing and emphasize the importance of confidentiality during all groups.

It is completely normal to feel nervous about joining a counselling group and it’s important to remember that these groups are designed to help students. It may be helpful to acknowledge that it’s okay to feel nervous and that the sessions can be beneficial to help you reach your goals.

You can also consider starting by attending a drop-in group to see whether counselling groups are right for you. You can also consider bringing a friend along or dropping by to the Health and Wellness Zone (3^rd floor, E building) to connect with the facilitators.

Students can call 613.727.4723 ext. 7200 or email welcomecentre@algonquincollege.com to connect with the Welcome Centre.

The Welcome Centre is located on the 3^rd floor of the Student Commons Building. Here is a link to the Ottawa Campus Map, to further help depending on where on campus you are heading over from.

If you still have unanswered questions, you can drop by the Student Health & Wellness Zone (3rd floor, E building) to learn more about counselling and peer-led wellness groups.

Getting Started and Avoiding Procrastination – From To Do to Done: “If I’d just started earlier, I could have done so much better.” Although many students claim to work better under the pressure of deadlines, not having enough time to complete assignments can mean that you are not reaching your potential as a student. Learn to maximize your marks by starting early and breaking down your assignments into manageable parts using an “assignment tracker.” This workshop is also about sharing techniques that will help you break the habit of putting off work and learn strategies to avoid procrastination.

Say Yes to Less Stress: Balancing your course-load and personal commitments can be a stressful experience for many college students. This workshop, led by an Algonquin College counsellor, will help students learn more about stress. It will also introduce practical strategies to help with stress management so that you can focus better on your learning!

Perfectionism – Taming Your Inner Critic:  Perfectionism is a trait that is often associated with achievement and success. It’s OK to want to work hard and achieve a goal, but the question is “at what cost?”. If you are picky and have too high of standards and want to feel better, reduce stress and enjoy your life more, then this workshop will cover ways to tame the inner critic to allow you to live the life you want.

Ace that Test: For many students, exam time can be filled with stress, anxiety, and worry. This workshop will help you to better access the material that you have learned while studying so that you can demonstrate all that you have learned during the semester.  There will be a focus on strategies to reduce anxiety in testing situations.