Alexander College students are eligible for up to 10 free Health and Wellness Counseling sessions each calendar year. These sessions are designed to provide students with a safe, supportive, and confidential space in which to discuss issues that may be causing distress and personal struggle, and supportive ways to manage stress.
Alexander College’s Registered Clinical Counselors provides Health and Wellness Counseling services with the option of meeting in-office, or virtually. Students can choose the appointment type they prefer at the time of booking the appointment.
Please make a counseling appointment on the Jane App scheduling software by clicking the “Make an Appointment” button.
Some examples of common issues that are discussed with a Health and Wellness Counselor include:
Anxiety, Depression, Relationships, Stress, Loneliness, Academic concerns, Adjustment to new surroundings.
In addition, the college provides workshops on topics such as stress management, body image, and healthy relationships. As well as providing referrals to off-campus resources for ongoing services.
What we offer
Workshops
As another part of our approach to Health and Wellness at Alexander College, we are able to schedule in workshops which deal with a variety of relevant and useful topics affecting students.
Current workshops include:
Nurturing Mental Health Among Students,
Stress Management for Students,
Test Anxiety,
Emotional regulation,
Navigating Romantic Relationships.
Health & Wellness will be hosting workshops for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting in September.
September 26: Nurturing Mental Health Among Students
Room 248 12:00-1:00pm
October 8: Stress Management
Room 249 11:30-12:30pm
October 22: Test Anxiety/Perfectionism
Room 249 11:30-12:30pm
November 5: Emotional Regulation
Room 249 11:30-12:30pm
November 21: Navigating Romantic Relationship
Room 248 12:00-1:00pm
Keep an eye out on our notice boards for dates, times, and locations of upcoming workshops, or simply email our Health and Wellness Counselor.
Here2Talk
Alexander College students can access free, 24/7 single session mental health support through phone or chat with Here2Talk. Students who use Here2Talk still have access to existing campus counselling services.
Here2Talk is an additional support service that offers the following features:
Confidential – Here2Talk is a confidential service. No one- including family, friends, or instructors- will know you have accessed these resources.
24/7 call or chat – Here2Talk is available 24/7. You can reach a clinical counsellor through App or phone anytime of the day, from anywhere in the world!
Relationships
No appointments needed – You do not need to book an appointment. You can just use the App, call or use the website to immediately reach a counsellor.
Multiple Languages – You can request counselling and support in multiple languages, including French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish, Arabic and more!
Students can reach out for support for issues like:
Relationship Concerns, Isolation, Anxiety, Communication Skills, Homesickness, Loneliness, Depression/Low Mood,
Stress, Time Management, Balancing Work & Life.
How does it work:
You can talk to a counsellor either through phone or chat.
Your call/chat will be answered by a clinical care representative, who will ask you some basic information about your identity and your needs. Your personal information will not be shared with Alexander College.
You will be transferred to a clinical counsellor who will provide you with support.
You can access support in one of the following ways:
Help Starts Here – The term ‘substance use’ refers to the use of drugs or alcohol. There are varied levels of risk that come with using any substance.
Help Starts Here – Addiction is a health condition. It is the result of external factors, not personal choices.
Substance Use Support Line -The BC Centre on Substance Use was established in 2017 to provide a centre of expertise to help meet those needs
Mental Health and Substance Use Services – Mental health and substance use programs are for people across British Columbia who live with severe mental health and substance use issues and need an integrated, whole-person treatment approach.
Apps
Headspace – Learn meditation and mindfulness, and choose from hundreds of guided meditations for managing stress, sleep, focus and mind-body health.
Healthy Minds – A problem solving tool that gives you access to a mood tracker, journal, problem solving guides, coping strategies, and breathing exercises.
Calm – gives you access to various guided meditations, mindfulness resources and relaxation sounds.
BellyBio – Helps you practice deep breathing by providing biofeedback and music in sync with your breathing.
Happify – Games and activities that help you overcome stress, negative thoughts and general challenges.
Mindshift – strategies to cope with anxiety and develop effective ways of thinking.
Moodmission – provides individually tailored activities to help you cope with life’s general challenges.
Sanvello – provides strategies for coping with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.
Websites
Moodgym – Interactive self-help book regarding coping with depression and anxiety.
Get Self Help – Access to various free Cognitive Behavioral Therapy self help tools for anxiety, depression, disordered eating and ADHD.
Center for Clinical Interventions – Access to free self-help resources on variety of topics including anxiety, depression, procrastination and assertiveness.
KeltyKey – Assess to free self help courses focused on anxiety, chronic pain, complicated grief, depression, family support, insomnia, panic, and substance use.
Emotional Regulation – Access to worksheet for coping with overwhelming emotions.
Distress Toleranc e – Access to worksheets for coping with stressful situations.
BounceBack – free skill building program for coping with depression, anxiety, stress or worry.
Apps
Todoist – Allows you to organize your tasks, assignments and to do list.
Stay Focused – Allows you to block apps and websites to help you focus on your studies and task.
HabitBull – Allows you to build positive new habits.
Forest – An app that supports you in focusing on your tasks and decreasing distractions.
Google Calendar – Allows you to organize all your classes, extracurriculars and assignment deadlines across your phone and computer. You can also set up reminder emails/notifications to remind you of important deadlines.
Tide – a focus app that allows you to listen to calming sounds while completing assignments.
myHomework – a digital student planner that lets you track your classes, homework, tests and projects, so that you never forget an assignment!
Voice to Text – an android app that allows you to convert verbal information into text.
Websites
Procrastination – Access to self help worksheets for procrastination.
Perfectionism – Access to self help worksheets for perfectionism.
Insight Timer – Free guided meditation and relaxation sounds to help you sleep better, relax and focus.
Loóna – Relaxation activities to help you feel less stressed at night and get a good night sleep.
Alarmy – The alarm requires you to perform different tasks before you can shut the alarm off (For example: shaking it, solving a math problem, snapping a photo of a registered location or barcode scanning)
Websites
Sleep & Insomnia – Access to information and worksheets regarding insomnia and sleep management.
Dr. Muge Celik Orucu holds a PhD in Counselling Psychology and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. She has been working as a clinical counsellor for more than 20 years.
Muge uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Motivational Interviewing techniques in her work.She has experience with Adult and Youth clients and believes in the healing aspects of collaboration and trust between clients.
Seeking counselling is a courageous step towards personal growth; Muge engages collaboratively and empathically with clients to help bolster their self-awareness and work on making positive, goal-directed changes in their lives.
Muge speaks and provides services in English and Turkish.
Sonia Blanco
Sonia Charity Blanco is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and holds a graduate degree in MSc Psychology.
She has been in the mental health & social services industry for more than 10 years providing practical and emotional support to a diverse population.
She believes that the youth have a unique capacity to help themselves and so works with them to find their skills and strengths to better themselves.
BC Wide Crisis Line: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
Here2Talk (download application)
VictimLink: 1-800-563-0808
SALAL (Sexual Violence Support Center): 1-877-392-7583
Trans Lifeline: 877-330-6366
Mental Health Support Line: Call 310-6789 (no area code)
Alcohol & Drug Information Referral Service: Call 1-800-663-1441
(604-660-9382 in the Lower Mainland)
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
