MELANIE BANKA GOELA
<Contributor>
Osgoode’s first ever Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW): Creating a Culture of Wellness (November 19 to 21, 2012), was in my view, a significant step toward wellness for the Osgoode community. While this was only the beginning, the feedback I have received has been consistent: the environment at Osgoode those few days felt more open, less stressful, and more connected. Most importantly, it brought attention to the value of wellness in our student body and increased dialogue on mental health concerns in the study and profession of law. Your peers are continuing this conversation in important forums such as the Diversity Workshop on January 21st and in the Equity Open Forum on January 28th.
Through MHAW, I also received helpful feedback and support from many Osgoode students for specific programming ideas and initiatives. With the view to providing services and resources reflective of the student body’s diverse values and concerns, I will be facilitating a small discussion/support group a few Mondays this term (dates to be determined). The primary goal of this group is to increase connectedness and support amongst students and provide a confidential forum to discuss mental health and wellness issues with your peers in a positive environment. Please email me if you are interested in more information or in participating.
I am also very happy to be offering a winter semester wellness series of four mindfulness meditation classes led by Jeannine Woodall, an Osgoode alumna, yoga and meditation instructor and Osgoode’s Manager of Admissions and Financial Services. Mindfulness is a practice that encourages us to pay attention to our life and experiences in the present moment. It is research demonstrated to be an effective practice to minimize stress and increase overall mental and physical wellbeing. There is an increased awareness of mindfulness across many sectors, including health care, education, human resources, and the practice of law. See for example http://www.themindfullawyer.com/Home.html. Jeannine also teaches mindfulness meditation at the Law Society of Upper Canada and does an amazing job of bringing the practice of mindfulness to law students and lawyers. I strongly encourage you to attend our first session on Monday, January 28th from 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm in IKB 1014 (ADR room). Three more Monday sessions will follow this term.
Finally, and what I am most excited about, is the launch of Osgoode’s Peer Support Centre. This initiative, entirely driven and developed by Osgoode students, is demonstrative of the fact that your peers care and want to support you in your success and wellness. My hope is that this effort will move the Osgoode community to increased openness and inclusivity. Thank you to all students who are undergoing anti-oppression training, support skills training, and a making a weekly time commitment to bringing these values into reality. I encourage each of you to consider accessing this invaluable resource and help resist the stigma and isolation that surrounds the valid concerns and struggles each of us face in our lives.
For more information on individual and group wellness services available at Osgoode, please visit the Student Success and Wellness pages on our website or feel free to contact me directly.
Best to all you this term and beyond!
Melanie is the Student Success & Wellness Counsellor at Osgoode.