Mental Health Seminars
The Mental Health Seminar series offers students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and staff insight into the research and practice of mental health. Seminars create a space for learning, reflection and discussion to empower campus community members to help influence the culture of mental health and well-being.
CLE credit for students will be provided to attendees. Two seminars are typically scheduled for each semester.
Video Catalogue of Previous Seminars
Individual seminar links go to the video recording of that seminar.
Listed in reverse chronological order:
Presented by Caroline Hexdall, Ph.D., mindfulness instructor with the School of Medicine Program on Integrative Medicine. This seminar explores how mindfulness can reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and support greater life satisfaction through practical, everyday techniques.
Presented by Karon Johnson, MACM, MSW, LCSW, CCTP, Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Well-Being at the School of Social Work at UNC–Chapel Hill, and Darryl Owens, M.Div., BCC, CT, CPLC, Clinical Chaplain and Bereavement Counselor at UNC Hospitals. This seminar explores how grief can emerge not only from death but also from changes in identity, shifting roles, and unmet expectations. It examines how grief shapes identity and relationships while offering practical ways to acknowledge loss and support growth and resilience in personal and community life.
Presented by Edwin Fisher, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, public health researcher and health behavior professor and Patrick Tang, MPH, project director at the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and former program manager at Peers for Progress
Explore the connection between creativity and wellbeing with Dr. Cheryl Woods Giscombé. Participants will discover how art can be used as an embodied, mindful practice to facilitate reflection and presence. You’ll leave with strategies for yourself and your community as well as resources for continued practice.
Dr. Parikh shared insights on the powerful connection between music, creativity, and mental well-being. This engaging seminar dove into how rhythm, melody, and creative expression can enhance resilience, reduce stress, and support emotional balance.
Parisa Kaliush, M.D., guides us through the critical role of sleep in mental health and cognitive functioning. In this session, you’ll reflect on your own sleep habits and learn how enhancing sleep hygiene can improve focus, manage stress, and support overall well-being.
Megan Pruette, M.D., shares compassionate guidance and practical strategies to stay grounded and maintain resilience during the election season.
Desiree Griffin, Ph.D., leads us in an exploration of the intersections between social connections and mental health. In this session, you will reflect on how a sense of belonging relates to resilience and mental health.
Dr. Donald Rosenstein provides perspectives on navigating trauma and grief as well as ideas to support individual and collective coping in the aftermath of tragedy.
Jayne Davis, Ed.D., LCMHS, dives into the challenges posed by financial instability, its profound impact on mental health, and practical strategies for managing financial stress while building resilience.
Rachel Goode, Ph.D., delves into the intricate relationship between food and mental health.
Jane Cooley - Fruehwirth, Ph.D., offers insights gleaned from her team’s research on COVID-19’s mental health impacts on college students and shares effective strategies to foster resilience and well-being even during tumultuous times.
Annie Maheux, Ph.D., shares insights into the ways technology can affect our well-being and offers strategies for promoting healthy tech use and digital wellness.
Nicholas Fogleman, Ph.D., a child psychologist and director of the UNC ADHD Program explores the background of attention and focus as well as strategies that can help.
David Obergfell, DSW, LCSW and Executive Director for Student Well-being and Violence Prevention dove into understanding the nature of happiness as a dynamic result of recognizing, honoring, and attending to our emotional states.
Rachel Rifkin, LCSW. Rachel is a clinical instructor / psychotherapist at UNC School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. We gathered to better understand your feelings, and learn strategies to explore and communicate about them.
Crystal Schiller, Ph.D., a psychologist and researcher in UNC School of Medicine. We gathered to better understand the theory and practice of mindful pauses, how to prioritize them in our own life, and how to inspire them in the community around us.
Expert talks building upon the discussion and suggestions from last semester's Mental Health Summit and kicking off our fall semester series of mental health seminars. This colloquium moves us from theory to practice, centering the discussion on Practicing Cultural Awareness and Humility, presented by Leah Cox, vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, and Trauma-Informed Engagement in the Community, presented by April Parker, clinical assistant professor in the School of Social Work.
Amy Johnson, Ed.D., vice chancellor for Student Affairs, and Samantha Meltzer-Brody, Ph.D. and chair of the Department of Psychiatry updating you on mental health initiatives on campus, followed by Ed Fisher, Ph.D. from the Gillings School of Public Health on peer support initiatives. The conversation examined efforts that have been made toward campus mental health including the spring mental health seminar series and considered the next steps towards creating a community of care and compassion.
The conversation was facilitated and framed by Christi Hurt, Ph.D., chief of staff to the chancellor, and discussed by a panel of practitioner experts on the intersection between interpersonal violence and mental health. It featured panelist Avery Cook, Shelley Gist Kennedy, and Holly Lovern.
The conversation was facilitated by Charla Blumell, Ph.D. and assistant director of health promotion and prevention with Student Wellness, and framed by a panel of experts discussing the role that alcohol and drugs play in mental health. It featured faculty presenter Stacey Daughters, Ph.D. and panelists Wendy Kadens, Dean Blackburn, and Heather Gallagher.
Aaron Bachenheimer, executive director of Off-Campus Student Life and liaison to Carolina’s Campus Ministers, facilitated the dialogue. The conversation was framed by a diverse panel of experts discussing the role that spirituality and faith can play in mental health. Panelists included Elizabeth Harrison, Rabbi Melissa Simon, Simon Stokes, Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed, and Rev. Mary Cat Young.
Mental Health Seminar Playlist
All videos will play chronologically in this playlist or you can select the seminar desired.
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