MindSpring webinars
Responding in a Mental Health Emergency
This course is designed for anyone who wants to feel more confident supporting someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Whether you’ve encountered a frightening situation before or worry you might face one in the future, this training focuses on practical, real-life responses. You’ll learn how to recognize when someone is struggling, respond calmly and compassionately without making the situation worse, and know when it’s time to seek additional help.
July 22 at 8 am
Understanding Anxiety
This course is designed for anyone who wants to feel more confident supporting someone experiencing a mental health crisis. Whether you’ve encountered a frightening situation before or worry you might face one in the future, this training focuses on practical, real-life responses. You’ll learn how to recognize when someone is struggling, respond calmly and compassionately without making the situation worse, and know when it’s time to seek additional help.
July 22 at 10 am
Caring for the Caregiver: Managing Stress and Preventing Burnout
Being a caregiver comes with unique responsibilities, and experiencing a range of emotions —anger, frustration, exhaustion, loneliness, and sadness — is almost guaranteed. Discover how your attachment style as a caregiver influences the way you respond to others and understand why high-effort coping and overcompensation often lead to burnout. Throughout the course, you’ll gain practical tools to help you cope with stress, along with strategies to manage power struggles, set healthy boundaries, and respond to risky behavior.
July 23 at 8 am
Understanding How Divorce Affects Children and Teenagers
Explore how children react to divorce at different ages and developmental stages, as well as the long-term effects into adulthood. Learn how to help kids cope with their feelings and lessen the impact of divorce with a licensed therapist. Part 2 in a 4-part series.
July 27 at 10 am
Changing Perspectives: Understanding Mental Health Stigma
Learn why stigma develops over time through culture, fear, and misunderstanding, and more importantly, how it can be unlearned. We’ll discuss how unconscious bias forms in the brain, the impact stigma has on people and communities, and simple, effective strategies to make a difference. This course is designed to be thoughtful, safe, and empowering. You don’t have to be perfect to join—just ready to learn and grow together.
July 29 at 8 am
Asking for Support: Disclosing Mental Illness at Work and in Relationships
Choosing to share information about mental health is a personal decision that often has to be made more than once. Discuss what factors to consider when making the decision and how to make the disclosure when the time feels right, with a licensed therapist.
July 29 at 10 am
Stress Reset: Science-Based Strategies for Workplace Well-Being
Stress is a universal human experience, but today’s world amplifies it in unique ways that previous generations did not face. Explore the science of stress with a licensed therapist and gain clarity about why we feel overwhelmed at times, and why certain situations trigger strong reactions. Learn to identify early signs of burnout and explore practical, science-backed strategies to manage stress in the moment. We’ll also cover setting healthy boundaries and developing long-term habits to support lasting well-being.
July 30 at 8 am
MindWell webinars
Well-being self-assessment
New on MindWell platform
This interactive tool provides individuals with a personal snapshot of their well-being across 12 key dimensions, including physical activity, nutrition, mood, thoughts, and social connection.
Participants can retake the Self-Assessment over time to track progress and see how their well-being evolves. We’ll be in touch soon with customized resources to help you share the tool across your organization and maximize its impact.
The Better Brain Diet: Eating for Mental Health and Peak Performance
Renowned Canadian mental health pioneer Dr. Bonnie Kaplan and MindWell Founder, Dr. Geoff Soloway, walk you through simple, science-backed nutrition strategies that support mental clarity, lower stress, and improve performance.
Pension Plan Webinars
An overview of the retirement process. Explore the decisions ahead, maximize your health coverage and manage your pension application.
College Pension Plan - Approaching retirement webinar
There are currently no upcoming dates for this event. Check back soon.
Sign up for Approaching Retirement webinar
Municipal Pension Plan - Approaching retirement webinar
Explore key insights on retirement decisions, such as pension calculation, eligibility, choosing the best pension option, and more in this 75-minute webinar. Webinars are hosted using Zoom. Learn about your pension in a live, instructor-led session. Select the date and time below to register.
August 11, 12 to 1:15 pm
August 26, 6 to 7:15 pm
Sign up for Approaching Retirement webinars
Municipal Pension Plan - Choosing your pension option
August 7, 10 to 10:45 am
Sign up for Choosing your Pension Option webinar
Municipal Pension Plan - Making the most of your pension webinar
August 20, 2 to 3:15 pm
On demand webinar: Diabetes: The Basics
According to the Statistics Canada, nearly 1 in 10 Canadians aged 20 years and older has been diagnosed with diabetes. Join Dr. Serena Natale in this webinar to gain a foundational understanding of diabetes, its types, causes, and management strategies. Learn about:
- The different types of diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes)
- Symptoms and risk factors associated with diabetes
- Effective management strategies, including diet, exercise, and medication
Play recording (56 mins)
Recording password: uDwzie9?
Self-paced wellness sessions
From Homewood Health: You’ve heard about the monthly live wellness sessions under our Speaker Series for Employee Well-Being. Now some of Homewood Health’s most popular Wellness Sessions have been condensed and made available as a self-directed service! Jam-packed days? These sessions are 15-30 minutes, and you can stop and start as desired. To find the sessions:
- Log into Homeweb, using VIU’s invitation code: BCI714 (note: 3 capital letters, 3 numbers).
- Then navigate your Dashboard:
- Browse Homeweb:
- Then click on the Wellness Sessions button online to find the following sessions:
- The Science of Happiness
- The Journey to Wellness: One Step at a Time
- The Fundamentals of Change and Transition
- The Art of Relaxation
- Managing your Time and Energy
- Improving Workplace communication
- Building Working Relationships
- Building Resilience
- Beyond Stigma
Physiotherapy services at VIU
Need help getting back to feeling your best? VIU offers physiotherapy services to students and employees, including education, exercise programs, and manual therapy. Book an appointment at the Health & Wellness Centre (Nanaimo campus, building 200, Floor 3) or call 250.740.6416 to learn more.
Your wellness, your voice!
Your voice matters! VIU is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our employees, and we want to hear from you.
Please take a few minutes to complete the Employee Wellness Survey, designed to better understand how you're engaging with current wellness initiatives and where we can do more. Your feedback is anonymous and will directly help shape future wellness programming, services, and supports.
Let’s work together to create a healthier, more connected workplace.
For more information on this and other well-being events, visit the RENEW pages. Questions? Email Benefits@viu.ca.