Wellness Curriculum Sessions for the

School of Communication Sciences and Disorders

2020-2021

Working Together for Healthy Learning Environments

Available Sessions

for

SCSD Students

SUMMARY: It is not uncommon for SCSD students to struggle with procrastination, perfectionism,

poor study routines and habits at certain points throughout their program, all of which interfere with proper learning. This session will help SCSD students develop strategies to improve their study habits

and performance. This session will introduce techniques to overcome procrastination, increase motivation, and manage barriers to productivity and optimal performance.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Understand and adopt evidence-based study techniques, including the Pomodoro Technique,

mnemonics, visualization, practice testing, and effective note taking Understand and adopt effective time management techniques, including SMART goals and using a

planner Recognize the relationship between procrastination and perfectionism, as well as strategies to

overcome these habits

Adopt strategies for minimizing electronic and social media distractions Understand how self-care can be used to sustain healthy learning

DURATION: 1.5 hours

Master your Time Management and

Study Skills as an SCSD Student

2

Managing Stress & Coping with

Perfectionism in your Learning Environment

as an SCSD Student

3

SUMMARY: Perfectionists often struggle to enjoy the process of the work they do in their lives

because they place their worth entirely on the achievement of their goals. Most perfectionists know what

they need to do to better-manage their stress but they struggle to engage in stress-reducing behaviors

because perfectionism trumps self-care. In this session, students will begin to learn about perfectionism,

how to change this habit, begin to prioritize self-care, reclaim joy in the process of the work, and still

achieve greatness.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Learn about the traits of perfectionism and the difference between perfectionism and striving for

excellence

Understand the consequences of perfectionism, learn strategies to help overcome it, and challenge oneself to invite self-care

Recognize how perfectionism often goes hand-in-hand with procrastination and why overcoming

perfectionism often leads to decreased procrastination, better performance and overall better quality of life

DURATION: 1.5 Hours

SPECIFICATIONS

Please see the session Experiential Rounds for optional follow-up sessions to this seminar. During

experiential rounds, students will engage in group discussions and explore, share, and discover their

personal challenges with overcoming perfectionism. Through this, they will learn how to support each

other to start changing this habit.

Recommended for students at ALL levels of training: MSc(A) and research M.Sc & PhD students

Recommended Topic: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

SUMMARY: The clinical placement can be extremely challenging. It can be triggering to see a patient who has the same diagnosis as a family member, and it can be difficult to handle a patient’s

death, ethical dilemmas or feelings of failure. Additionally, students who are completing their research-based programs have to deal with significant academic challenges, which include demanding academic

expectations, tight deadlines, performance anxiety, writer’s block, and a sense of isolation and

comparativeness.

The Experiential Rounds are a confidential support group for students to share their academic or clinical experiences, develop strategies to overcome hardship, build confidence, and recognize that they are not

alone in their experience and learn to reach out for support.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Develop strategies to handle the emotional rollercoaster that can come from clinical practice as a novice healthcare practitioner or completing graduate-level research

Normalize the challenging experiences of clinical practice or graduate-level research, and learn that it is a collective struggle and develop supportive networks and strategies to overcome difficult

situations

Develop a self-care routine for energy restoration, handle the daily challenges, and maintain better work-life balance

DURATION: 1.5 hours

Experiential Rounds: A Support Group for SCSD

Trainees to Process the Challenges of the Academic

Environment and/or Clinical Placement and Develop

Effective Coping Strategies

4

SUMMARY: Research shows that healthcare professionals tend to be highly self-critical,

self-sacrificing, and tend to put their profession above other emotional, financial, and family needs. However, bypassing one’s own needs can lead to fatigue and burnout and these conditions can translate

into lower quality of patient care and safety. Studies are showing how mindfulness can alleviate burnout and help promote the much-needed self-care that is required to thrive in this profession.

*This series is recommended for students who have been introduced to the Stress Management

and/or Resilience session.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Learn how mindfulness can help cultivate the self-awareness needed as a healthcare professional in order to respond versus react to situations of high stress

Adopt mindfulness techniques that can help in moments of high stress that are quick and accessible

to the busy healthcare trainee Experience different mindfulness techniques and reflect on their impact

DURATION: 1.5 hours

Mindfulness and Self-Care in

SCSD Training

5

Specifically for MSc(A) 2nd Year Students

SUMMARY: Based on the Residents of Canada STRIVE (Stress Resilience in Virtual Environments)

training model, this is a two-part session to help students learn and integrate the skills and strategies needed to build resilience. This session draws from the Resiliency training of the Canadian Armed Forces,

which helps prepare individuals to process the stress response that they will encounter in various situations in clinical settings.

PART I: Part I of the session is the theoretical component designed to teach students skills for resilience in the clinical environment. More specifically, students will learn to identify the potential

impact of clinical stressors on their well-being, as well as evidence-based strategies to cultivate resilience in their careers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Develop a comprehensive understanding of professional resilience

Recognize the effects of stress on personal and professional well-being and performance Understand the mental health continuum as well as how to recognize when external help is needed

Learn how to adopt evidence-based strategies to cultivate resilience in clinical practice Engage in case studies to practice adopting resilience-based strategies

Cont‘d next page

Building Resilience in Clinical Practice

for Senior SCSD Students

6

PART II: Part II provides students the opportunity to put into practice and debrief the skills and

strategies learned from Part I and to integrate the teachings and prepare them for the realities of the challenges of the profession.

*Please note that none of the facilitators are in evaluative roles and this session is best given near the

onset of MSc(A) 2nd year.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Learn how to process the emotional challenges they may face rather than bury them, which can develop into more challenging conditions, such as PTSD

Practice the skills that build resilience and as a group, process areas that are challenging in order to prepare students for what they need to do when they encounter such situations

Discover strategies from peers, senior student facilitators and trained facilitators

LOGISTICS:

Part I: Theoretical component is 1.5 hours in the classroom on a date prior to Part II, or at the Sim Centre immediately before Part II.

Part II: Experiential component is 1.5 hours at the Sim Center. Please consider travel time for students when booking.

*Sim Centre budget and room bookings must be arranged by the Program prior to requesting a session.

Building Resilience in Clinical Practice

for Senior SCSD Students (cont’d)

7

Contact Us

8

For more information about our services and to access our Session Request Form, please visit our website at:

https://www.mcgill.ca/thewelloffice/our-services

Address: 3708 Peel Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1W9 Tel: 514-398-5836

Lesley Potts

Project Administrator

Prof. Deborah Friedman, BSc pht MMgmt

Assistant Dean Student Affairs

Schools, Faculty of Medicine

Nicole-Ann Shery

M. Ed., c.o, Psychotherapist

Wellness Consultant

Camila Velez, M.A., C.C.C.

Wellness Consultant

Susan Begg

Administrative Coordinator