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By Laura Henshaw

Career Services at Brock University, Ontario, had a busy year in 2008. The department changed its location and launched a Facebook page for their newly designed avatar, Jack McIsaac. An avatar is a graphical image that represents a person and can be used for gaming purposes such as online games or video games, or non-gaming purposes like Facebook or Second Life. Jack was – and continues to be – a great help in getting the word out about the Career Services’ location, resources and events.

By Louisa Jewell and Shannon M. Polly

Resilience is the ability to grow and thrive in the face of challenges and bounce back from adversity.

By Barbara Smith

The relationships between unemployment and mental health are well documented (Herr, 1989). Okasha (2005) notes that the rate of mental health disorders has been closely related to economic, social and cultural conditions. The World Health Organization (2004) states that “economic instability [has] been linked to increased levels of psychiatric symptomatology and psychiatric morbidity” (p. 22). A 2009 survey in the United States found that unemployed individuals were four times more likely to report mental health related symptoms including thoughts of self-harm (MHA, 2009).

By Tricia Bowler-Archambault

One of the features of the employment sector is that its professionals typically have a high level of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. These same skills can also be a reliable source for developing a healthy workplace.

By Ken Keis 

Balance: a state of equilibrium, steadiness of the body or emotions

By David Lindskoog

You hear the word wellness tossed around a lot these days. Centres, clinics, coaches, educators, retreats, wellness, wellness, wellness to the point that google yields 548 million search results for the term, and it begins to lose meaning.

By Leigh Anne Saxe

How are your clients?  Do they feel better now that they’ve worked with you?  Do they use the tools you have offered them?

By Betty Woodman

I have always felt that if I am going to spend most of my waking hours away from the people I love, work better be fun, stimulating, creative and purposeful.

By Stephanie Clark

While reflecting on this issue’s topic, an image popped into my mind. I envisioned one of those crazy jugglers who throw running chainsaws into the air and deftly catch and propel them again and again. If these performers didn’t maintain balance, they’d have an immediate and injurious price to pay!

By Jayne Greene-Black and Mark Franklin

Helping clients move into what we like to call their ‘green zone’ broadens possibilities, builds resilience and improves career and life conversations and choice-making. This metaphoric zone is characterized by feeling energized, balanced, open, and positive. In the green zone, clients can identify and focus on what they want, are more perceptive and can take action to achieve their desires).