Mental health difficulties touch the lives of many, yet finding the right sources of help is not always easy. The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR) is planning three public outreach talks that will provide clear, useful, and practical information to anyone interested in learning more about mental health. In partnership with Waterloo Public Libraries, the talks will be presented on three Sunday afternoons in February at the main library branch.
The series coincides with Psychology Month, celebrated every February to teach Canadians how psychology works to help them live healthy and happy lives, help their communities flourish, help their employers create effective workplaces, and help their governments develop good policies.
Doctoral students in UWaterloo’s Clinical Psychology program will present the talks, drawing upon their knowledge gained from years of study in psychology and their first-hand experiences working as mental health providers. The talks are:
-
Mental Health 101 Dispelling myths about mental health and discussing what mental health care workers do and what resources are available in the region. Sunday, February 5, 2 to 3pm at Waterloo Public Library main branch, 35 Albert Street, Waterloo
- Overcoming Anxiety and Depression Sharing a modern psychological perspective on anxiety and depression, what maintains these common difficulties and what can be done to overcome them. Sunday, February 12, 2 to 3pm at Waterloo Public Library main branch, 35 Albert Street, Waterloo
- Mental Health in Childhood - Focusing in on common problems children face in childhood and when and how parents can seek help and best support their child. Sunday, February 26, 2 to 3pm Waterloo Public Library main branch, 35 Albert Street, Waterloo
"For the past four years I have been so lucky to be training as a mental health care provider at the CMHR,” says Kevin Capobianco, a graduate student therapist and member of the team organizing the outreach talks. “I have learned about mental health from some of the most experienced and capable people in clinical psychology. Now, I am looking forward to sharing that back to people living in KW."
Depending on community feedback on this initial series, the CMHR hopes to offer more publicly accessible talks in the future. Dr. David Moscovitch, CMHR Executive Director, says “we’re delighted to partner with the Waterloo Public Libraries to provide this important service to our community during Psychology Month. The CMHR mandate is not only to offer accessible, effective mental health services for people of all ages in the Region of Waterloo, but also to provide mental health education and resources based on the latest research in our field.”