We experience thousands of thoughts a day, many of which are automatic and can escape our notice. Nevertheless, the way we think in various situations can have a great impact on our decision making and behaviours. In this session, we revisit the concept of cognitive restructuring to help address the internal barrier of permission thoughts. These thoughts tend to be in the moment, persuasive, and often misleading. Throughout the session you will be given an opportunity to apply the tool of cognitive restructuring to common situations that can elicit permission thoughts, so you can better navigate this type of thinking going forward.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

Topic: Barriers to Physical Intimacy: Understanding & Managing the Impact of Stress and Obesity on Sexual Health

Description: The physiological and psychological impact of stress is pervasive and affects many aspects of our lives. Whether it be the stress of living with a chronic health condition like obesity, life changes, financial stress, work stress, a family illness, etc., stressors and illness often detract from our quality of life in various dimensions. In this session we will explore how stress, illness and sense of self/body image complicate physical intimacy, and we will discuss evidence-based strategies for working around these challenges to optimize your sexual health and sexual pleasure."

Speaker's Bio: Dr. Shauna Correia, B. Eng, MDCM, FRCPC, undertook her medical training at McGill University before completing residency in psychiatry at Dalhousie University. She now serves as clinical faculty with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and works as a psychiatrist and sexual medicine specialist. In her main role at the province's tertiary care clinic, the BC Centre for Sexual Medicine (BCCSM), in Vancouver she assesses and treats men, women, individuals and couples referred for a wide variety of sexual difficulties and concerns (including sexual dysfunctions and sexual pain syndromes). She is involved in several research projects involving the optimization of sexual functioning and the role of mindfulness. She is currently serving as the Sexuality Theme Lead in the UBC Faculty of Medicine undergraduate education program. Outside of work Shauna enjoys travelling, hiking, skiing, dancing and spending time with her dog Seiki, a certified therapy dog.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to obesity and weight management. In this session, Dr. Lyon will address some of this misleading information and provide a more comprehensive explanation of some of the physiological factors underlying this chronic disease, as well as evidence-based recommendations for treatment. Points of discussion will include: physiological drives of hunger, metabolic responses to weight loss, and reward systems in the brain that impact eating behaviours. Dietary and medical treatment interventions will also be discussed.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

Lack of nutrition knowledge can pose a significant challenge when it comes to practicing healthy eating and sustainable weight management. In this new 6-week course, we will help you develop a better foundation of nutrition principles as we explore the role of diet in the management and prevention of chronic medical conditions, the unique role of carbohydrates, protein, and fat as fuel sources for the body, as well as skills to help decipher misleading nutrition labels and make informed choices at the grocery store. Our goal is to help you build nutrition and food literacy skills that will empower you to develop your best diet. 

This group will be facilitated by our registered dietitian, Veronica Kacinik.

About The Speaker: Veronica is passionate about helping people develop a healthy food-body-mind relationship. She has worked in the field of obesity medicine since 2011 and holds a Level 1 & 2 Certificate in Adult Weight Management from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as a Certification in Principles and Practice of Interdisciplinary Obesity Management from the Canadian Obesity Network & Dietitians of Canada. When it comes to weight management, navigating the overwhelming amount of nutrition information can seem daunting. In this session we will discuss several diets used for weight control, explain key dietary principles of obesity management, and provide tips to help you find your best diet.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module.