Health and well-being

On-campus supports

Mental health resources

Counselling Services offers confidential support for personal, academic, co-op, and mental health concerns.

Empower Me provides mental health counselling services for students, available 24/7.

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) supports all members of the University of Waterloo campus community who have experienced or been impacted by sexual violence.

The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDI-R) works with students, faculty, and staff to advance anti-racism and equity through evidence-based policies, practices and programs.

Physical health resources

Health Services provides medical care, including appointments with doctors, nurses, and specialists.

Nutrition Services offers information and consultations on healthy eating and nutritional advice.

UW Fitness Classes promote physical and mental health through a variety of programs.

Move Your Mind is a referral-based wellness initiatives designed to eliminate barriers that may prevent students from staying active and participating in recreational activities.

Spiritual health resources

The Multi-Faith & Spirituality Resource Team is made up of spiritual and religious leaders from different faith traditions, providing support to students, faculty, staff and the community.

Multi-Faith Spaces consist of multiple, functional, accessible locations around campus that can be used by students for prayer, reflection, and other faith-based activities.

Academic supports

Academic Advisors in your home department/school are available to assist with course planning and a variety of other needs.

AccessAbility Services offers support and accommodations for students with disabilities, illnesses, conditions, or mental health concerns.

Community supports

weCONNECTu is a student mentorship program offered for students by students. Upper-year mentors offer a variety of programs to assist first-year students in Health including workshops and review sessions.

MATES (Mentor Assistance Through Education and Support) promotes student well-being by offering a safe space for students to speak with a mentor one-on-one or participate in wellness activities at their lounge.

Wellness Programs and Student Groups offers a collection of wellness workshops and groups for students to learn coping strategies, mindfulness techniques, and other mental health skills.

International Peer Community is a peer-support program aimed at helping international students settle in and feel at home at the University of Waterloo.

Living Learning Communities gives students the opportunity to live with fellow students in their program.

Off-campus supports

Mental health resources

Good2Talk is a confidential helpline for post-secondary students in Ontario, available 24/7.

Here 24/7 provides crisis intervention, mental health, and addiction support services. They perform intake, assessment, referral, waitlist and appointment booking work for those with addictions and mental health challenges.

Progress Place offers a friendly ear if you are feeling lonely, isolated, anxious, or depressed. You can chat online, text, or call a Warm Line peer support worker.

Spectrum affirms and supports the well-being of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Waterloo region.

Kind Minds Family Wellness is a culturally grounded counselling education and research advocacy organization that addressed anti-black racism and systemic oppression.

Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24/7 to all indigenous people across Canada. The service is offered in multiple languages including: English, French, Cree, Ojibway (Anishnnaabemowin), & Inuktitut.

Suicide Crisis Hotline offers 24/7 mental health support, just call or text 988.

Sexual health resources

Shore Center is Waterloo Region's trusted source for accurate sexual health education and confidential pregnancy options support.

Community support

211 Ontario is a free and confidential service that connects people to the social and community supports they need.

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources they need to survive and thrive. They can be reached at 877-330-6366.

More resources are available on the Faculty of Health's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism webpage.

In 2017, the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (now Faculty of Health) established the Dean's Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being with a mandate to gather information about challenges, barriers, facilitators, and resources for supporting health and well-being.

The Advisory works toward the development of tangible recommendations and resources for supporting health and well-being among students, staff, and faculty from across the Faculty of Health.

What we do

• Review strategies for mental and physical health promotion within formal and informal Faculty activities.
• Review opportunities for creating a supportive and safe community.
• Support and promote services that help members of the Faculty of Health community prosper, such as student peer counselling in the Faculty (UW Mates), Campus Wellness, or the Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• Fund and publicize graduate student-led initiatives that might directly or indirectly affect health and well-being, on topics such as physical activity,  health education or workshops, community building or social relationships, leisure and nutrition. 
• Gather information about the status of health and well-being in the Faculty.
• Support events such as Thrive Week, mental health wellness days, and other initiatives focused on supporting health, well-being and engagement within the Faculty of Health community.
• Lead the Faculty’s initiatives to promote health and well-being, including coordination of activities with the University and external bodies (for example, the Okanagan Charter to promote student health).

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please email the committee. 

All members of the Faculty of Health are encouraged to download the newly redesigned Wellness Bingo card and play along for a chance to win a prize every term!

Going forward, Wellness Bingo cards will be released once per term, rather than once every month.

Review all the activities that are provided within the 24 boxes (the 25th box is a Free Space) and aim to complete as many as possible! Each completed set of 5-boxes in any row, column, or diagonal sequence throughout the term will earn you an entry for the $50 prize. The more sequences you complete, the higher your chances of winning!

All submissions must be made prior to 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the day final examinations end by sending a picture of your card to health.wellbeing@uwaterloo.ca. Once you submit your card, it will be reviewed and verified. All eligible submissions will be entered into the draw.

Download your Fall 2024 Wellness Bingo Card or email us for an accessible Bingo list.

Deadline for Fall term submissions: Thursday, December 19, 2024

• The Sanctuary is a non-denominational space open to all members of the Faculty of Health to participate in prayer, mediation, yoga, or any other introspective practices, spiritual or otherwise. Located at BMH 3023, the sanctuary is available at all times and has a sliding meter to indicate if the space is in use.
• Our wellness space is equipped with yoga mats, prayer mats, prayer beads, salt lamps, adjustable lighting and comfortable chairs. We invite you to bring any of your own items into the space but please be advised that it is a public space that is not traditionally locked and materials may go missing.
• If you have any feedback on your experience with the space, please fill out our Sanctuary Enhancement Survey.