Student workshops
Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free workshops on a range of personal development, mental health and wellbeing issues each semester. Mental Health First Aid and other training programs are also available for both students and staff.
Resilience and wellbeing series
Learn a range of fundamental skills to better cope and adapt to life's challenges in this interactive webinar series facilitated by CAPS counsellors. You are welcome to attend all sessions in the series, or select specific ones. Register for each webinar individually using your unimelb email address.
| Date/Time | Webinar | Description | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 3 Aug 1-2 PM | Growing through change and uncertainty | Change is inevitable - some changes are expected, while others can come out of the blue and leave us feeling uncertain and overwhelmed. Join this webinar to understand common reactions to change, learn adaptive strategies to manage the difficult feelings that can accompany change, and uncover new perspectives and opportunities that change can bring. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Tuesday 10 Aug 1-2 PM | Boundaries and effective communication | Understand what healthy relationships look like, the importance of boundaries and how to set them, and effective negotiation and communication skills to resolve conflicts. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Thursday 19 Aug 1-2 PM | Better sleep | This webinar aims to help you understand the factors that impact on sleep and offer strategies to get a better night's sleep. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Thursday 26 Aug 1-2 PM | Managing stress and how to relax | Understand how our bodies and minds respond to stress, and how this knowledge can help you build relaxation skills. You will also be guided to learn a range of evidence-based relaxation strategies. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Thursday 2 Sep 1-2 PM | Changing negative thinking | Identify common unhelpful thinking patterns that can contribute to increased stress, anxiety, and other difficult feelings. Learn and practise how to reframe and balance your thoughts. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Thursday 9 Sep 1-2 PM | How to be kind to yourself | Understand what self-compassion is (and is not!), and how this approach can enhance motivation and resilience. Learn practical ways you can show yourself a little kindness when you need it most. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Tuesday 14 Sep 1-2 PM | Building connections: Overcoming loneliness and isolation | Feeling connected and having a sense of belonging is a natural desire to have as a human being. This webinar will explore the challenging feeling of loneliness we all experience sometimes, and ways to connect when we feel disconnected. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Tuesday 28 Sep 1-2 PM | Let it go: unhooking from unhelpful thoughts and worry | During stressful or uncertain times, we can easily get caught up in worries or persistent negative thoughts, but this is often not useful. Learn and practise ways to unhook from unhelpful thoughts so they have less power over your life. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Tuesday 12 Oct 1-2 PM | Dropping the struggle: managing difficult emotions | Learn about your emotions and why your attempts to control them can sometimes leave you feeling worse. Join in to learn practical skills to better respond to strong emotions while living the life you want. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Thursday 14 Oct 1-2 PM | Staying motivated during a tough time | How do we motivate ourselves to get things done during a tough time? Learn how to identify your values and use them to plan and carry out effective actions, so that you can do what matters most even when difficult feelings arise. | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
Enhance your learning series
Learn strategies to enhance your study and learning experience.
| Webinar | Description | Date/time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimising focus and attention | This webinar aims to help you better understand what attention is and how it works. You'll be able to identify the factors that affect focus, and learn about a range of strategies to build your concentration. | Thursday 12 Aug 1-2 PM | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Studying on the spectrum | People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can perceive the world differently from others. This webinar can be useful for people who identify as being on the spectrum or live with neurodiversity, their family and friends, staff or other people with an interest in this area. It can help you identify common issues you may face as a student with ASD traits, better understand the neurodiverse brain, and learn practical strategies to thrive in your study and uni life. | Tuesday 17 Aug 1-2 PM | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Overcoming procrastination: Managing your thinking | Do you put off doing study until the last minute even though you know it’s going to cause you stress? This webinar focuses on helping you to identify unhelpful thoughts that lead to procrastination and learn strategies to challenge them so that you can study more efficiently. | Tuesday 24 Aug 1-2 PM | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Overcoming procrastination: Practical tips and strategies | This webinar guides you through a range of practical strategies to help you study more effectively, feel more competent, and reduce the likelihood of leaving your study to the last minute. | Tuesday 31 Aug 1-2 PM | Webinar recording - Pt 1 Pt 2 (expires 19 Nov) |
| Dealing with exam anxiety | It's normal to feel tense and worried in the face of exams. This webinar will help you understand what causes exam anxiety, and cover our top tips to manage it so you can be at your best for your exams. | Tuesday 19 Oct 1-2PM | Register here |
Anxiety management programs
We all feel anxious at times, but it's possible to learn ways to manage this so that it doesn't get in the way of life. Find out more about anxiety and how to cope effectively through these programs.
| Program | Date/time | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Break free from anxiety for graduate students (August online program) Facilitated by CAPS counsellors, this online group aims to provide a supportive environment for graduate students to connect with each other, and learn a variety of strategies to manage anxiety more effectively through small group discussions and experiential exercises. This requires a commitment to attend both 2 x 2.5 hour sessions. | Mon 2 Aug and Mon 9 Aug 9.30 AM - 12 PM | Completed |
| Beyond study: Overcoming social anxiety This three-week online program will help you understand social anxiety and offer strategies to overcome it. | Fri 27 Aug Fri 3 Sep Fri 10 Sep 1-2 PM | Completed |
| Break free from anxiety (September online program) Facilitated by CAPS counsellors, this online group program aims to provide a supportive group environment for students to connect with each other, and learn a variety of strategies to manage anxiety more effectively through small group discussions and experiential exercises. This requires a commitment to attend both 2 x 2.5 hour sessions. All students welcome. | Fri 3 Sep and Fri 10 Sep 9.30 AM - 12 PM | Registrations closed |
| Break free from anxiety (October online program) Facilitated by CAPS counsellors, this online group aims to provide a supportive environment for students to connect with each other, and learn a variety of strategies to manage anxiety more effectively through small group discussions and experiential exercises. This requires a commitment to attend both 2 x 2.5 hour sessions. All students welcome. | Mon 4 Oct and Mon 11 Oct 9.30 AM - 12 PM | Registrations closed |
Mindfulness programs
Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of openness, curiosity, and acceptance. Regular practice can help us better manage stress and anxiety, improve our focus, engage more fully in life, and take effective action.
| Program | Description | Date/time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midday mindful moments | This webinar aims to introduce the experience of cultivating calm and wellbeing from within. Give your brain a break from study or work by joining a CAPS counsellor in a guided mindfulness meditation. All students and staff welcome. | Every Wed and Fri (Wed 4 Aug - Fri 19 Nov) 12 - 12.30 PM Note. Not running on Fri 27 Aug and 24 Sep. | Register here |
| Mindfulness for stress management | This online group program aims to provide a supportive learning environment for participants to develop a regular mindfulness practice to better manage stress. This requires a commitment to attend 8 x 1.5-hour weekly sessions and 20 minutes of practice per day. All students welcome. | 8 consecutive weeks beginning Thu 5 Aug 2.30 - 4 PM | Completed |
International student programs
Reflect on your experience as an international student and extend your social network. Gain support from counsellors and other international students in learning ways to adjust to a new environment, build meaningful relationships, and maintain positive wellbeing.
| Webinar | Description | Date/time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing family and societal expectations | "My family spent a small fortune to support my studies, so I have to make them proud." Does this sound familiar? We carry expectations from society, people around us, and ourselves. Although expectations can motivate us, they can also sometimes overwhelm us. Join this webinar to share your experiences and explore ways to effectively manage expectations. | Wednesday 8 Sep 2.30-3.30 PM | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
| Making difficult decisions | We make decisions everyday; however, some choices are not easy to make. “Do I stay in Melbourne, or move back to my family?”, “Do I stay in this relationship, or leave?”, “Do I stay in this job - or quit?” Join this webinar to learn tips that could help you make sound decisions in difficult situations. | Wednesday 6 Oct 2.30-3.30 PM | Webinar recording (expires 19 Nov) |
Special interest programs
| Program | Date/time | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring your sexuality or gender identity (Online meeting) Exploring your sexuality or gender identity? Having difficulty connecting with others who are going through similar experiences? Join a safe space for discussion, ideas, and support. | Friday 17 Sep 2.30 - 3.30 PM | Completed |
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training
Learn to recognise and assist someone developing a mental health problem or in crisis.