Dissertation & Thesis Support Group
A support group for graduate students working on their dissertations or theses, feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or isolated.
What should you expect from the support group?
Join our Dissertation & Thesis Support Group designed for graduate students who are writing a thesis or dissertation and feeling distressed or discouraged. The group aims to help students reconnect with their creativity and motivation in a safe and confidential space. We'll focus on sharing experiences, offering and receiving support, goal setting, and anxiety/stress management.
The group is suitable for students at any stage of writing a dissertation or thesis, experiencing loneliness, frustration, anxiety, or challenges with a supervisor, and finding it difficult to balance life and academic writing. It requires willingness to engage in group activities and share at your own pace.
Potential benefits include becoming less self-critical and fearful of the judgment of others, clarifying your goals and values, gaining confidence in your decisions, developing the ability to tolerate and accept difficult emotions, and becoming better at asking for what you need and setting boundaries. All of this can lead to a new and improved relationship with your academic work.
Fall 2024 Schedule
Tuesday afternoons 2:00 - 3:30pm from October 15*
Burnaby Campus - exact location will be disclosed upon registration
*Not in session during Reading Week.
How to register
- Log into the Health and Counselling Portal
- Click on "Groups/Workshops" in the left hand side menu
- Select the "Dissertation and Thesis Support group"
- Click "Sign up".
If you have any questions, please email Shona at shona_HCS@sfu.ca, and include your SFU student number.
Dr. Shona Adams
Registered Psychologist #2558
Shona is a Registered Psychologist who trained as a Clinical Psychologist in Oxford, U.K.. She is a dual citizen who immigrated to Canada when she was 10 years old, previously living in South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia. She predominantly uses a Human Givens and a CBT approach and is a specialist in treating traumas and complex mental health disorders. She uses a strength-based solution-focused model, working collaboratively to help people understand their difficulties and learn different strategies to interact with them. She is humbly aware of her white privilege and is passionate with facilitating people to reach their full potential within a caring and empowering environment.