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Workshops & Trainings

Counseling Center

We provide many mental health resources, programs, and events that reach students outside of the center. We host a variety of workshops and trainings that are posted on WaveLink. We offer a variety of helpful psychoeducational videos and meditations on our YouTube channel. Self-help resources on a variety of topics can be found here.

Fall 2026 Waves of Wellness Workshops

Date: 9/4/26

Time: 1:30 pm

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Shirley

This workshop helps college students navigate homesickness through guided activities and practicing coping skills.

Date: 9/9/26

Time: 1:30 pm

Presenter: Ron Galloway, LCMHC

This workshop will focus on skills to reduce and cope with stress.

Date: 9/17/26

Time: 11:00 am

Presenter: Dr. LuAnn Helms

This workshop is an opportunity to learn skills related to modifying thoughts, effectively utilizing emotions, and choosing behaviors consistent with the person you want to be.

Date: 9/30/26

Time: 11:30 am

Presenter: Dr. Josh Marshall

Does your anxiety feel like a constant annoyance or like it runs your life? This workshop will teach you ways to renegotiate your relationship with your anxiety to make it your valuable consultant and trusted friend. We’ll use illustrative examples from the popular film Inside Out 2 to help show you how you can understand your anxiety’s job, its strengths, and its weaknesses as well as how to listen to your anxiety without letting it take over so that you and your anxiety can eventually become good friends.

Date: 10/6/2026

Time: 9:30 am

Presenter: Cierra Alsobrooks, LCSW

This workshop is an opportunity for participants to learn more about procrastination and anxiety. We will discuss what procrastination is, and ways we can try to combat it.

Date: 10/12/26

Time: 3:30 pm

Presenter: Dr. Tiyana Chaney-Taylor

This interactive presentation explores how connection, belonging, and community can strengthen our individual and collective well-being. Students will reflect on the people and spaces that support them while learning simple ways to create positive “ripples” of connection, care, and support across their campus community.

Date: 10/21/26

Time: 2:30pm

Presenter: Dr. Kirstin Sylvester

This workshop helps college students set and maintain healthy boundaries by identifying their needs, communicating effectively, and managing challenges to support respectful, balanced relationships.

 

Date: 11/6/2026

Time: 1:00 pm

Presenter: Dr. Carley Peace

This workshop offers a supportive space to help students navigate a breakup. We will discuss common reactions, tips for coping, and ways to move forward.

Date: 11/9/26

Time: 2:00 pm

Presenter: Dr. Nancy McKean

This workshop will discuss the benefits of gratitude practice and discuss specific, simple strategies to cultivate gratitude through everyday activities.

Date: 11/17/26

Time: 3:30 pm

Presenter: Dr. Vanessa Hissam

This workshop offers a supportive space to explore intuitive eating, an evidence-based approach that encourages listening to your body, rejecting diet culture, and fostering a positive connection with food.

Date: 12/2/26

Time: 11:00 am

This workshop will help students navigate the challenges that can come with returning home for winter break. We’ll explore common stressors and learn practical strategies for managing difficult conversations, coping with stress, maintaining their well-being, and creating a more balanced and enjoyable break.

Drop In Opportunities

Meditation Drop-in to the Counseling Center conference room whenever you can on Wed 12:00-12:30pm (8-26-26 to 12-2-26) to relax, restore and rejuvenate.  

  Support/Discussion Groups – These groups are offered in collaboration with the UNCW Counseling Center and hosted by various offices and departments across campus. They are NOT considered counseling groups and do not require a pre-group orientation. These are weekly drop-in groups that students can join at any time and talk about pertinent issues, learn from each other, and receive support for their concerns. If interested in attending come to the host center during the group time. These groups are offered 8/24/26-12/3/26.

Black Table Talk Tuesdays, 3:00-4:00 pm hosted by the Upperman African American Cultural Center. 

Hablamos Juntos Thursdays, 11:00 AM -12:00 pm hosted by the Centro Hispano Office.  

Building Q*mmunity Thursdays, 2:00-3:00 pm hosted by the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Office. 

Camaraderie Corner Tuesdays, 1-2 pm  hosted by the Office of Military Affairs

Connections: Support and Skills Group Thursdays, 3:00-4:00 pm 8/27/26-12/3/26. This group is an opportunity for students to connect with each other and two CC therapists to talk about wellness, stress management and other coping skills, adjustment to college life, campus resources, relationships, and other student-initiated topics. This group is not considered a therapy group and does not require a pre-group orientation. During this weekly hour, students can feel free to drop by the Counseling Center conference room and join in.

Inner Peace Wednesdays, 1-2 pm hosted by the Asian Heritage Cultural Center

Trans/Nonbinary Group Fridays, 3-4 pm hosted by the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Office

 First Gen Group Mondays, 1-2 pm hosted by the Counseling Center  in collaboration with Seahawks First.

 

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMMING

The UNCW Counseling Center offers continuing education (CE) programming for mental health professionals. CE programming is targeted primarily to doctoral level psychologists, but may also be appropriate for psychological associates, counselors, social workers and other physical/mental health professionals, administrators, educators and graduate students who work with college students or deal with issues related to late adolescence and early adulthood. Any scheduled CE programming events will be listed below, with a link to complete descriptions for each event.  For questions regarding CE programming, please contact CE Program Administrator, Dr. Nancy McKean, at mckeann@uncw.edu or 910-962-3746.

If you have difficulty accessing any information from the Counseling Center web pages or other information throughout our site, please contact us by phone or by email and we will provide alternatives.

6 to 8 Session Workshop Possibilites for Spring

In addition to offering all the opportunities listed on our website we are happy to offer additional opportunities during the spring semester. Possibilities include the following workshops (that would be held weekly for six weeks):

  • Stress and Anxiety Management
  • Resiliency & Wellbeing
  • Self-compassion
  • Beyond Distraction(for students with ADHD &/or struggling with focus/staying on task)
  • Intuitive Eating(for students struggling with eating &/or body image concerns)
  • Understanding Interpersonal Trauma (for students impacted by sexual, dating, or relationship abuse & those who support them)
  • Or a weekly (10-12 session) Counseling Group for Graduate Student

If you are interested in participating in one of the additional opprotunities for the spring semester please fill out the survey and let us know shich workshops you are interested in. Possible Spring 2026 Workshops

 

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)

Research shows that early detection of mental health issues gives a much greater prognosis for recovery and that early intervention can sometimes be critical. The Counseling Center believes that no student who wants or needs help should be left to struggle alone.

In Summer 2008, the Counseling Center launched a major suicide prevention initiative for the UNCW community, Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR), a nationally-recognized suicide prevention training program. The ultimate goal is to train as many people on campus as possible in QPR.

Much like CPR, QPR is an easy process that can be applied by everyone, including people outside of mental health professions. QPR is a behavioral intervention that focuses on getting a distressed individual referred for professional help. It is intended to teach front-line people (e.g., resident advisors, academic advisors, friends, religious professionals, faculty/staff, parents, etc.) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues.

QPR provides direction regarding how to Question a person about suicidal thoughts, Persuade them to get help, and Refer the person for help.

Presented by a certified QPR instructor, each training session includes information regarding:

  • The problem of suicide nationally, in North Carolina, and at UNCW
  • Common myths and facts associated with suicide
  • Warning signs of suicide
  • Tips for asking the suicide question
  • Methods for persuading suicidal individuals to get help
  • Ways of referring at risk people to local resources
  • Time for questions

Each participant will receive a QPR booklet and card with information on suicide prevention, as well as information about treatment providers and support in the Wilmington community. After attending a QPR training, individuals will be certified as QPR Gatekeepers. To register for QPR Training please, go to WaveLink and search under QPR.

To request QPR training for your department or group, please fill out our Outreach Request Form

REQUEST FORM

Online Workshops

Stress Management and Wellness Online Workshops

When watching each video, you will get the most benefit if you fully participate in the workshop activities and practice the skills you learn.

Workshop Videos

Seahawk Skills Workshops

Each video reviews a specific set of skills that increase overall emotional health and managing difficult thoughts.

Workshop Videos

Contact Us

Counseling Center

Phone: 910.962.3746

CounselingCenter@uncw.edu

DePaolo Hall
2nd Floor  Room 2079

Office hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Summer Hours (usually starts the Monday after graduation and ends the Friday before the fall semester starts):

Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Friday 7:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. 

Office Crisis/Emergency hours:
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. year round except when the office is closed. The Counseling Center offers a after-hours crisis line that you can access by calling 910.962.3746 then press #3.