Blog Posts
Mental Health Awareness: A Workshop to Better Support Youth
For over a year now, I have been working for Relance des Loisirs tout 9, a community recreation centre. I have held several positions there, including as a companion for children with special needs and as a day camp counselor.
High risk, high reward? Understanding youth risk-taking
Youth (ages ~12-25) is a period marked by increased risk-taking, a behavior often viewed negatively due to its association with dangerous activities such as substance abuse, unprotected sex, and violence. However, not all risk-taking is harmful.
Clinical Spotlight: Alexandre Veillette
Clinical Spotlight: Alexandre Veillette 1. Tell us who you are. I am a passionate, active person who truly enjoys helping
Why do we have dedicated services for youth mental health?
Why do we focus so much on youth mental health? And why do youth need their own services? It’s obviously a big deal since Canada recently poured over $500 million of federal funds into establishing the Youth Mental Health Fund with the goal of
Clinical Spotlight: Jessica Mitsou
1. Tell us who you are in one sentence.
I am a persevering, organized, extroverted, cheerful, and sometimes rebellious person who likes to challenge the status quo.
Book Review: Fought Disorder, A True Story of Utter Bollocks
These days, who has time to read a book that has more than a thousand pages? Even with a schedule without too many constraints, it takes a certain courage to …
Book Review: Words With My Father By Lowell Klessig and Lukas Klessig: A tumultuous journey into the mind of an American
Words of My Father, a story co-written by a father and his son, is a fascinating book because it brings its two narrators into dialogue, one of whom is… deceased.
My Journey as a youth with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
“Excuse me, sorry”… that’s how it all started. I was around six or seven years old in Florida when my parents noticed I would repeatedly say “excuse me sorry” when there was no need for it…
One size does not fit all for addiction treatment
The concept of “one size fits all” is frequently used for clothing, yet we are well aware that it rarely holds true. Why?
Cloze reading and predictability: Language in psychosis
Researchers have looked at using large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT to investigate psychosis, with predictability of speech as an especially promising area of research. In psychosis, it sometimes occurs that when a person talks, their speech is less predictable …
A Gift for life
It all started while I was training to complete my first marathon. My father’s best friend, who had sport running through his veins, told me …
Retrieving my senses
I’d like for you, here, to make a long story short, like a short film, a quick glimpse, even like a breath. My life’s been up and down, sometimes mainly up and sometimes mainly down. I like to think of myself as a survivor.
More Than Just Words: A Story about Post-traumatic Growth
Over two decades ago, my family and I escaped the Bosnian genocide and fled to Germany. I quickly adopted the German language at the age of six. I was forced to mature beyond my years …
Clinical Spotlight: Dr. Catherine Haskins
1. Tell us who you are in one sentence?
I am a family doctor and manager who is part therapist, part mentor, part life coach, part …
L’espoir des autres
Originally written in French.
The guest professor at the Université de Montréal’s 2013 Political Science Summer School and I shared a common experience in our early twenties that would leave a lasting impression.
The story of a casino
Twenty-five years ago, there were two groups of children. Some were poor, others were not. They all lived in a rural region, and their families agreed to …
I will continue
CEGEP students in Quebec are youth in a relay station between the secondary school system and university. The so-called ‘nerds’ among them (as I once was) experience heightened pressure as they …
Laissons les enfants rêver
Originally written in French.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a child with problems. Thirty years ago, it was difficult for parents like mine to accept that I could benefit from psychological help.
What social neuroscience reveals about schizophrenia
CEYMH team member and Ph.D. student from McGill University, Emmanuel Olarewaju, recently had the pleasure of participating in an enlightening interview with …
Exploring the Potential of Neuromodulation
Exploring the Potential of Neuromodulation In this captivating testimonial video, a dedicated case manager from the Douglas Hospital’s outpatient clinic
BLOOM and its Youth Partners
BLOOM and its Youth Partners I was recently invited to join the youth council of the Center of Excellence in
Faire l’histoire
Making History Originally written in French. In a book that has just been published, two reformers of the American justice
RBC Foundation funds the CEYMH Family-Positioning System
RBC Foundation funds the CEYMH Family-Positioning System The Douglas Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health recently received a major investment from
Introducing the CEYMH Experiential Science Talks
Introducing the CEYMH Experiential Science Talks At the CEYMH, we are hosting a series of talks inviting people to talk
Temple on a Sunday afternoon, anyone?
Temple on a Sunday afternoon, anyone? Many immigrant families live on the West Island of Montreal. Some of them have
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