The links listed below are not meant to replace one on one counselling with a trained counsellor. The listing of these sites and resources does not imply Counselling Services or its staff endorses all of the information that is included. We encourage you to evaluate the materials and use what you find helpful.
Mental Health Apps
- Always There - (free, android and iphone) - App from KidsHelpPhone to get support on the go, safely and anonymously.
- Be Safe - (free, android and iphone) – create a safety plan for yourself that you can access quickly in times of need.
- Mindshift - (free, android and iphone) - help cope with anxiety by learning how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and indentify steps to help take charge of your anxiety.
- Pacifica - (free, android and iphone) - tool to help track mood, goals, health, CBT exercises, thought patterns, and relaxation exercises.
- Headspace – (free, android and iphone) - for mindfulness meditation
- HealthyMinds - (free, android and iphone) – track and support your mental health, learn individualized strategies and patterns of your moods and solutions, stress busters and relaxation
- Hello Cruel World - (free, iPhone only) – 100 alternatives to suicide or self-harm behaviors
- 7 Cups of Tea - (free, android and iphone) - connect through chat to a trained listener to discuss any problems you may be having, to vent, or to get some advice or resources, or just to talk. Free, anonymous, and confidential. Also can be used in your browser.
- Buddhify - (nominal one time fee, android and iphone) - 80 guided meditations and mindfulness exercises.
- Rise up + Recover - (free, android and iphone) App to help with eating disorders - food, dieting, exercise, and body image.
- Recovery Record - (free, android and iphone) App to help with eating disorders, added by recommendation of other students.
- NbN - Neuoscience Based Nomenclature - (free, android and iphone)- Want to know more about your medication, or another mental health medication? Try this app.
- Sleep Cycle - ($0.99, android and iphone) - App that monitor's your sleep cycle and wakes you at the lightest point of sleep so you can wake up feeling less drowsy
- Walk Me Up - (free, android and iphone) Alarm that wakes you up by requiring you to walk a certain amount of steps to help you make it to early morning classes or get you out of bed on difficult days
- Blue Light Dimming app - search for this on your device's app store, they are free and eay to use, use it on your device at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep.
Motivational Videos and Helpful TEDtalks
- How To Make Stress Your Friend
- The Power of Vulnerability
- Brené Brown on Empathy
- The Secret to Self-Motivation
- Good boundaries free you | Sarri Gilman | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries
- Brene Brown – The Power of Vulnerability – discusses how to live a meaningful and engaged life
- Brene Brown - Listening To Shame (part 2 of above) - talks about shame's impact on how we live life and how to overcome this
- Brene Brown - The Price of Invulnerability (part 3 of above) - summing up and elaborating on the concepts of shame, empathy, courage, compassion, and how to live a full and meaningful life
- Brene Brown - Trust - what is trust, how to build it, how to understand it
- Susan Cain – The Power of Introverts , author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.
- Esther Perel – The Secret to Desire in Long Term Relationships
- Andrew Solomon – How the Worst Moments in Our Lives Make Us Who We Are
- Amy Cuddy – Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
- Kelly McGonigal - How to Make Stress Your Friend – TED talk
- Guy Winch - Emotional Hygiene - TEDx Talk
- Guy Winch - Emotional First Aid - longer Google Talk but more information
- Kevin Hines - Suicide Survivor - his story surviving a suicide attempt and raising awareness about suicide
- Angela Lee Duckworth - The Key to Success is Grit - TED Talk
- Shawn Achor - The Happy Secret to Better Work - TED talk
- Gary Wilson – The Great Porn Experiment, on the use of pornography
- David Foster Wallace – This is Water - change the way you see the tiny, sometimes annoying, details of life, open up awareness and empathy for others.
- Nick Vujicic – No Arms No Legs No Worries – a motivational speaker living with no limbs, describes his journey to gaining a real appreciation for life even through his limitations.
- To This Day - Video by Shane Koyczan about bullying and mental health in life and overcoming adversity
- The Future is Ours – Be Inspired
- The Purpose of Life – Alan Watts - How to stop getting caught up in always living in either the past or the future
- Happiness 101 - Positive Psychology - A longer talk, at one hour, but very worthwhile information to make some positive changes today!
Stress Management
- Helpguide: Find some stress management tips here
- Deep Breathing Exercises – Try these exercises, search for others on YouTube, or you can come into counselling for some other ideas.
- Progressive Muscular Relaxation – This video shows an example of a muscle relxation technique, which is a process of systematically tightening and relaxing muscle groups in your body. Move from the toes to the head and back down again, while monitoring and regulating breathing.
- Imagery – Imagine places or times in your life that have been soothing and relaxing, and take time out to just imagine yourself in that place.
- Free guided meditations to download from the UCLA website
- Free guided meditations from Koru mindfulness and other mindfulness information
- Tara Brach website with meditations that are freely available to download that incorporate other subjects in meditations such as forgiveness, compassion, and love
- Loving Kindness Meditiations - Love 2.0 website - a few more options for guided meditations
- CCI (Centre for Clinical Interventions) Consumers Section: Online modules: Procrastination, Perfectionism, Get through difficult times
- Kelly McGonigal - How to Make Stress Your Friend – TED talk
- Public Speaking – Toastmasters Guelph, learn confidence in public speaking in a safe and supportive environment
- AuthenticHappiness.com - take quizzes to see where your stress management levels are, including GRIT testing, optimism, etc.
Sexual Abuse or Assault Support and Shelters
- University of Lethbridge - Sexual Violence Support and Education, You have access to our support regardless if the sexual violence happened on or off campus, or if you were subjected to sexual violence before you came to the U of L. We’re also here to help if you are a friend supporting an individual who has experienced sexual violence.
- Campus Security – contact to report and get support for any type of assault or abuse,
- Love is respect - addresses questions such as “is this abuse,” and “why do people stay in abusive relationships,” it has online quizzes, information, safety planning, as well as online confidential chat support
Body-Image, Self-Esteem, and Eating Disorders
- NEDIC - The National Eating Disorder Information Centre has a wealth of information on body image facts, including male eating disorders.
- Dove - Sketches - See how women's personal interpretation of their beauty can be so far off of the reality of what others see. Be sure to check out the other Dove videos in the related videos links.
- Adobe by Fotoshop – An entertaining Youtube video about how the media influences our body image perception.
- Eating Disorders Online - Learn about news, resources, tips for emotional eating, new research, misconceptions about eating disorders, including male eating disorders and body image.
- CCI (Centre for Clinical Interventions): Online modules: Building Body Acceptance, Building Self-esteem, Overcoming disordered eating part 1, and
part 2
Relationships
- 5 Languages of Love - Learn what your love language is, how you communicate best with your partner, and how to work together to find a communication style that meets both of your needs
LGBTQ+ Resources
- USLU Pride Centre – Located here on the University of Lethbridge Campus the PRIDE Centre provides for persons on campus, regardless of their orientation, a positive platform to promote safety, personal growth, respect and pride for the Queer community. We are a proactive group determined to end discrimination and create an inclusive environment for Queer persons on campus through awareness, education, as well as social and political activity.
- It Gets Better – A campaign of videos from celebrities as well as every day youth and adults sharing their story on how life gets better, and not to give up hope during difficult times arise in dealing with your sexual orientation. See here for a video from It Gets Better Canada. http://ok2bme.ca/videos/802
- The Trevor Project: Preventing Suicide for LGBTQ Youth - 1 866 488 7386
- FCKH8 Campaign - supporting LGBTQ rights in a provocative campaign (note: language warning).
- You Can Play – a campaign aimed at equal rights for all athletes to be able to play sports – “If you can play, you can play.”
- To My Grade 7 Self – a video from the perspective of bullies looking back on their actions towards LGBTQ youth and sharing their insight towards change from Get REAL
- Born This Way Foundation – Supporting and empowering youth and a portal to share stories of bravery for all diversity and individuality
- Trans Lifeline - Toll-free number for Canada: 1-877-330-6366 - a hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people.
- Think Before You Speak - raising awareness around language, live twitter counts of word use, supporting Gay-Straight Alliance groups and raising awareness of language at schools.
Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictions
- Check Your Drinking: For more information on alcohol use, including average calories consumed and money spent per year.
- Know The Score - For more information about almost any drug and its effects, visit a great site based out of Scotland, although the legal information won’t be applicable.
- Drug and Alcohol Helpline – offers a free and confidential drug and alcohol helpline, email, or online chat to get help or ask questions.
- Webtribes - Connect with others who experience addictions in an online community.
- Marijuana Information: Forbes article from WHO research