All outreach presentations can be tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of the requester or group.
Interested parties can fill out this form to request workshops and presentations for Fall 2025.
CAPS Workshop and Presentation Topic Descriptions:
Adjustment to U-M
This workshop will explore the impacts of major life challenges and life transitions on our mental health and well-being. You will learn skills and tools to help alleviate the anxiety and keep moving forward.
CAPS 101
This workshop provides a brief introduction to all things CAPS! Learn about CAPS services, staff, and outreach efforts on campus to promote mental health and overall wellness. This workshop also provides information on when to seek services at CAPS and how to set up an Initial Consultation with a CAPS counselor.
Cultural Adjustment
This workshop will help address the challenges of adjusting to a new cultural environment, which can include adjusting to the U-M culture, to Ann Arbor, or to the Midwest.
Eating & Body Image Concerns
This workshop will provide participants with an overview of issues related to eating disorders and body image. Participants will learn how to identify when someone may be struggling with an eating issue and what the negative impacts of eating disorders are. The workshop will then help participants learn how to approach a peer about these issues and provide information about resources available on campus. Participants may then also brainstorm ideas around creating a body-positive attitude and community within a student or peer group.
Focus on Graduate/Professional Students
This workshop is designed specifically for graduate/professional students to explore some common challenges associated with this new chapter of life. Participants will explore issues such as adjustment to Graduate/Professional school, Imposter Syndrome, perfectionism, stress, isolation, and depression. Tips and resources will be provided to support graduate/professional students on campus.
International Student Issues
This workshop will focus on addressing the unique challenges of international students navigating the academic and social environment in the United States and preparing students who will be studying abroad.
Mental Health 101
This workshop will provide an overview of common mental health topics relevant to the college experience. The session will highlight ways to recognize when to seek help and introduce practical tools for maintaining emotional well-being. It will also review most of the university’s mental health resources, ensuring students know where and how to access support on campus.
Mindfulness for Wellness
Mindfulness has been recognized as a powerful tool for enhanced well-being. Mindfulness techniques are effective for coping with stress, anxiety, and improving overall quality of life. This is especially important for students in a competitive, busy, and stressful academic setting. In this workshop, you will learn basic principles of mindfulness and practice a variety of ways of being in the present moment.
Resiliency & Self-Compassion
This workshop is designed to promote overall functioning and wellness through increasing resilience and self-compassion. Focusing on the tenets of Positive Psychology and Mindfulness approaches, the participants will learn ways to develop a better tolerance for distress, letting go of their self-critical voices, being more compassionate to self and others, and to achieve a better sense of agency in their lives.
Procrastination & Time Management
Sometimes, procrastination is a lot more complicated than people think. Explore reasons behind procrastination and the underlying thoughts and beliefs associated with this common behavior. Identify your reasons for putting off tasks, learn and practice tools to create realistic goals, manage time better, and reduce procrastination to increase productivity.
Progress, Not Perfection
Do you set very high standards for yourself or feel bad when you fall short? Does your desire to be the best prevent you from trying new things or taking risks? This workshop will help participants learn how maladaptive perfectionism can get in their way, especially within this highly competitive university setting. Participants will brainstorm and learn how to be a more adaptive perfectionist who incorporates self-compassion into their lives.
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
QPR is a behavioral intervention that focuses on getting a distressed student/individual referred for professional help. QPR is intended to teach individuals who have a lot of contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and provide guidelines as to how to Question a person about suicidal thoughts, how to Persuade them to get help, and how to Refer the person for help. QPR is a vital training for the U-M campus community, and CAPS offers three types to fit the needs of the U-M community.
If you are interested in QPR training for your unit or student group, please go to the QPR request form. During the academic year, we receive a large number of requests. Therefore, please contact us at least 3 weeks before your event date to ensure one of our staff members can accommodate your request. We will do our best to accommodate your specific requests and arrange for one of our QPR-trained staff to provide the training for your staff, faculty, or student group.
Recognizing and Helping a Student in Distress
Learn what to look for in a friend or student who may be struggling with their mental health and how to approach that individual in a kind and constructive way. This workshop will provide tips about initiating a conversation with someone you are concerned about. Participants will also learn about resources available on campus and how to provide support and referrals to peers or students.
Stress Less
This workshop will help participants understand stress and the benefits and costs associated with stress in our lives. It will also help participants identify unhealthy or self-defeating ways of coping with stress and learn new, healthy ways to cope with stress in their everyday lives.
Wellness Package (For non-CAPS professionals)
The CAPS Wellness Package includes various presentations related to common mental health topics. This information is intended for facilitation by non-CAPS professionals. The presentations include facilitator/speaker notes, interactive discussion and activities, and mental health resources. In addition, the presentations are meant to be brief, about 20-30 minutes in length. However, they can be longer based on what content/information you would like to provide to the group. If you have any questions about the materials, please contact caps-uofm@umich.edu.
Topics:
- Mindfulness
- Boundaries
- Stress/Time Management
- Wellness in a Socio-political Climate
- Self-Compassion