Wellness Ambassadors are Concordia students like you, trained in peer support and active listening. Connect with them for resources, support and more!
Join a Peer Wellness Ambassador for active listening and peer support. Wellness Ambassadors can help you talk through an issue, or provide more resources on campus and beyond.
Peer Wellness Ambassadors are trained students, not psychologists or professional counsellors. They will not provide advice or personal opinions. You know your situation best. A Wellness Ambassador will help you explore what you would like to do and suggest potential resources that may be of help.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please consult our emergency resources which are specifically equipped for immediate support and crisis response.
Drop-in to our five Zen Den locations across both campuses to chat with a Wellness Ambassador.
You can also pick up some free wellness products and study snacks from our wellness shelf!
Note that PWA services will be closed the week of reading break, February 27 to March 3.
“You did your best with the information available to you at the time. Be kind to yourself, have a study plan that fits your lifestyle and be consistent!”
“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.”
“It’s hard not to feel rushed and on-the-go all the time as a student. Reach out to us if you just need to take a breather and talk about what’s going on!”
"I wish for you and me to be able to consistently practice and experience the kind of self-love that is spicy and warm and compassionate like drinking a chai hot chocolate in an exhausting chilly fall afternoon.
"Life is a story with its ups and downs. If you are lost, confused, or in a place that's not your favorite, there will be a next chapter! Over time, you will create your own life story in the best way you can.”
"Embrace yourself - everything that is you because that's what makes you unique. You don't need to be accepted by others, you just need to be accepted by yourself."
“If you want to truly cherish life, follow your own path and your own rhythm, believe in yourself and never be afraid to start over again.”
Jillian Ritchie
Wellness Coordinator
Jillian started at Concordia in 2018 as the Wellness Coordinator and manages the Peer Wellness Ambassador team, coordinates Zen Den programming, runs mental health events and develops partnerships both on- and off-campus. Working with a diverse team of students and colleagues is an incredibly rewarding experience, and promoting wellness on campus is truly a passion.
We look forward to seeing you online or in one of the Zen Dens!
Camila Velez (MA, c.o., Psychotherapist, OPQ)
Wellness Counsellor
Camila is a counsellor and registered psychotherapist at Concordia's Counselling and Psychological Services and Zen Dens. Her role involves providing individual short-term counselling, designing and facilitating psychoeducational workshops, training peer supporters and wellness outreach and promotion.
In her individual and collective-based work, Camila primarily aims to empower students to cultivate a self-compassionate relationship with themselves, befriend their nervous systems, enhance resilience through a trauma-informed lens, co-construct healthier relationships, and advocate for socially just communities and systems.
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