Guided by five domains of excellence

Dragonfly has identified five domains of excellence required for cultivating excellent mental health in an academic setting. These include forming a Departmental Committee, creating Peer Networks, improving Mental Health Literacy, Fighting Stigma, and regular access to Skills Training, creating the foundation upon which our evidence-based programming is built.

If you are ready to create systemic cultural and climate change in your community, we invite you to consider partnering with us to launch our Comprehensive Program. If you don't know where to start and would like some guidance, please complete our Needs Assessment which is a self evaluation designed to help you determine your institution's current standing and readiness for change. Completing this will help us gain a better understanding of which programs and services best suit your needs!

We offer all our discrete programs and services à la carte as well. Even incremental change is change for the better!

Still not sure? Don't just take our word for it. See what academics are saying about our services: you won't be disappointed!

Mental Health Literacy

Have you been wondering how to improve the mental health literacy at your institution? Maintaining mental health literacy is an ongoing process and we at Dragonfly Mental Health are here to help! Dragonfly offers a variety of evidence-based mental health literacy talks to increase the mental health literacy of all, tailored to the audience at hand. Listed below we detail each of our offerings. Additionally we provide customized talks, provide expert panelists, and guest speakers upon request.

There are many misconceptions about psychiatric disease, what causes it, who is at risk, and how it manifests. Increasingly we are understanding how immense a problem this is within academia. Objective mental health knowledge of the audience is assessed before and after the seminar and additional open ended questions are used to facilitate discussion and provide community specific insight on how to further improve mental health.

This service includes information about the prevalence of mental health illness in general and academic populations, an overview of signs and symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings, and the science underlying the causes and treatments of mental illnesses.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar
- 45 minute lecture
- 15 minute small or large group facilitated discussion
Oriented towards academics at all levels
Brief introduction to common mental illnesses and touches on specific examples how they may manifest in academia
Pre- and post-talk surveys:
- Evaluate attendees' knowledge and perceptions of mental health prevalence, impact, and barriers within their community
- Facilitate discussion
- Provide community specific insight for future mental health needs and assessment strategies
Customizable

Click here to see an example talk!

In the times of a global pandemic, it can be challenging to maintain your mental health. “Mental Health in Isolation” is a 60-minute talk and facilitated discussion that explains how our body and mind function during this global disease outbreak and subsequent isolation, pinpoints the main areas of everyday life which are affected by the pandemic, and provides suggestions, tips and tricks to gain the feeling of stability and sanity.

This service includes customization to tailor the workshop to the specific needs of the client. A pre-talk meeting with key stake holders ensures that the content of the talk and the production of take-home resources are maximally relevant to the audience. In addition, we utilize the pre-talk meeting to familiarize ourselves with the available local resources on campus in order to promote them during the talk. While we recommend the full 60-minute talk, we can also offer a reduced 30-minute talk covering the main topics in a lecture-only format.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar
- 40 minute lecture
- 20 minute small or large group facilitated discussion
Pre-talk meeting with key stakeholders to:
- Customize the content of the talk
- Produce take-home resources that are maximally relevant to the audience
- Familiarize us with the available local resources on campus in order to promote them
Orientated towards PhD students and Postdocs
Discussion of the mind-body experience in isolation
- An overview of chronic stress impact
- Evaluation of anxiety triggers
- Suggestions on managing stress stimuli
- Discussion on regaining stability
Advice and tips on what to do to maintain a healthy mindset

The most common mental illness is depression, yet there are many misconceptions about this illness: what causes it, who is at risk, and how it manifests. Those with high IQ and higher educational attainment are at particularly high risk of developing depression but also less likely to seek treatment largely due to stigma. “A Scientist’s Primer on Depression” is a 1-hour seminar and facilitated discussion which delivers the basics on depression at a biological level that academics will appreciate. This talk is particularly well suited for academics in the biological sciences.

Each seminar includes an optional customized survey and analysis of attendees’ objective knowledge and perceptions on depression prevalence, impact, and barriers in their community which is used to facilitate discussion and provide community specific insights for future mental health needs assessment and strategies.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar
- 35 minute lecture
- 25 minute small or large group facilitated discussion
Topics discussed:
- Prevalence of depression in general and academic populations
- Overview of signs and symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings
- Science underlying the causes and treatments of depression
Expert led facilitated discussion
Pre and post talk survey to:
- Evaluate attendees' knowledge and perceptions on mental health prevalence, impact, and barriers within their community
- Facilitate discussion
- Provide community specific insight for future mental health needs and assessment strategies
Customizable

Imposter phenomenon, or the feeling that you don’t truly belong, is very common among academics. The presence of imposter phenomenon is not at all linked to one’s academic achievement record or the amount of effort put into science. A positive assessment of one’s achievements is only a temporary fix to relieve the anxiety imposter phenomenon can cause. The danger of impostor phenomenon, as in any other neurosis, is that it reduces one’s quality of life. Imposter phenomenon robs us of the joys life has to offer, in both everyday life and in the pursuit of knowledge.

In this seminar, we cover the definition of impostor phenomenon and its prevalence in the academic population. We provide an overview of symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings, and we facilitate community discussion on how to overcome impostor phenomenon in our individual lives.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar and discussion
Topics discussed:
- Definition of impostor phenomenon
- Prevalence of impostor phenomenon in the academic population
- An overview of symptoms highlighting those seen in academic settings
- Discussion on how to overcome impostor phenomenon
Expert led facilitated discussion
Customizable

When does situational or occupational stress become detrimental? What is the difference between Burnout and Depression? Basics of Burnout is a 1-hour seminar and facilitated discussion which defines the core components of Burnout, presents evidence based strategies to treat the symptoms, and discusses how to prevent work-related stress.

In this seminar, we cover the prevalence and impact of burnout in academic and employee populations. We provide an overview of the burnout cycle and how to break it, and we emphasize which factors contribute to burnout and how academics can address them.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar and discussion
Topics discussed:
- Prevalence and impact of burnout in the academic populations
- An overview of the burnout cycle and how to break it
- Discussion of factors that contribute to burnout and how to address them
Expert led facilitated discussion
Pre and post talk survey to:
- Evaluate attendees' knowledge and perceptions on mental health prevalence, impact, and barriers within their community
- Facilitate discussion
- Provide community specific insight for future mental health needs and assessment strategies
Customizable

The high interdependency between supervisor and supervised, combined with the pressure to succeed, make power abuse commonplace in Academia. "Power Abuse in Academia- what can we do?" is a 90-minute seminar and facilitated discussion which includes definitions and examples and goes deeper. It offers insights and encourages discussion on why this is so common and what can be done by early career researchers to drive change in their own communities.

In this seminar, we cover the definition, prevalence, and consequences of power abuse in academia. In addition, provide an overview of what victims can do and emphasize specific actions to drive positive change within a group or institution.

About this Seminar:

90 minute seminar and discussion (45 min each)
Topics discussed:
- Definition, prevalence, and consequences of power abuse in academia
- What can victims do?
- Specific actions that can be taken to drive change
Expert led facilitated discussion
Pre and post talk survey to:
- Evaluate attendees' knowledge and perceptions on mental health prevalence, impact, and barriers within their community
- Facilitate discussion
- Provide community specific insight for future mental health needs and assessment strategies
Customizable

Many potential mentors and mentees believe that mentoring is solely about the mentor providing advice about the mentee’s professional development. High quality relational mentoring has the potential to be bidirectional (enhancing the development of both the mentor and mentee) and transformational (impacting how the mentor and mentee think about not just their current job, but their careers, their vocations, and their lives). "Mentoring as a Two-Way Street" is a 60-minute seminar and facilitated discussion which includes a description of high quality mentoring and all the ways it has the potential to be a two-way street.

In addition, in this seminar we cover approaches to maximize the probability of a high quality relationship, as well as offers insights and encourage discussion on what steps can be taken to operationalize mentoring relationships.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar and discussion
Topics discussed:
- Description of high quality mentoring
- The potential for mentoring to be a two-way street
- Approaches to maximizing the probability of a high quality relationship
- Specific steps in operationalizing mentoring relationships
Expert led facilitated discussion
Pre-discussion meeting:
- To ascertain the community view and understanding of mentoring, and to set the starting point for discussion
- This will also allow for appropriate configuration of what is emphasized and what is touched on briefly
- As well as define the structure of the Q&A session at the conclusion of discussion
Customizable

Immigration is defined as the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country, a course many academics take during the course of their careers. Utilizing peer reviewed publications, as well as the experiences of Dragonfly Mental Health volunteers, this talk was developed by immigrants for immigrants and is an excellent opportunity for the people in immigrants' lives to gain a better understanding of the difficulties they face in academia. "Mental Health and Academia-Related Immigration" is a 60-minute seminar and facilitated discussion which aims to promote greater understanding and compassion of the unique challenges immigrants face, and provide context and solutions for both immigrants and the people in their lives.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar and discussion
Topics discussed:
- Definition of immigration
- Prevalence of immigration in academia
- An overview of the phases of cultural adjustment
- Academia-related immigration specifics
- What to do to improve your life as an immigrant
Expert led facilitated discussion
Customizable

Misconceptions about neurodiversity are widespread, leading to a lack of understanding about what causes it, who is at risk, and how it manifests. Increasingly, this is being recognized as a significant challenge within academia and our seminar aims to address these misunderstandings as well as equip academics with the knowledge needed to foster an inclusive academic environment.

"Neurodiversity in Academia" is a 60-minute seminar and facilitated discussion that includes information about the prevalence of neurodiversity in both general and academic populations, an overview of neurodiversity-related signs and symptoms often observed in academic settings, and potential solutions to support for neurodiverse individuals within academia.

About this Seminar:

60 minute seminar
- 45 minute lecture
- 15 minute small or large group facilitated discussion
Oriented towards academics at all levels
Brief introduction to neurodiversity and touches on specific examples how they may manifest in academia
Overview of particular types of neurodiversity
Solutions to support neurodiverse scientists
Customizable

Book Now!

Skills Training

Knowledge and positive attitudes around mental health are necessary foundations for learning and practicing critical skills to improve preparedness to recognize, speak with, support, and refer community members that may be struggling with their mental health, and advocate for improved communications and accommodations for yourself.

Dragonfly offers a variety of skills training workshops to prepare your community in these areas! Listed below we detail each of our offerings. We also provide customized workshops upon request.

Students, trainees, and team members want to have frank conversations with their mentors and team leaders but are not empowered to initiate them. Faculty and team leaders care about their trainees and team but worry that they may say the wrong thing, will exacerbate the situation, or risk being invasive.

This workshop includes an orientation on setting boundaries, an overview of active listening skills, a review of resources, and the delivery of bespoke handouts and quick guide materials. In addition, a pre- and post-workshop meeting is included to tailor the workshop to your needs and to provide community specific insights for future mental health needs and strategies. Subjectively reported differences between participant preparedness to recognize, speak with, and refer team members who may be struggling with mental health issues will also be assessed.

What it Includes:

2 hour workshop
Overview of:
- The scope of common mental health issues in academia
- Boundary setting
- Active listening skills
- Review of resources
Teaches supportive communication
Emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, including modeling such behavior
Includes development and delivery of bespoke handouts and quick guide materials
Pre and post workshop meetings:
- Tailor event to your needs
- Provide community specific insights and strategies
Customizable

Supervisors want their students to succeed. Unfortunately, many supervisors have been submerged in the overworking culture of academia which dismisses mental health and wellness as a priority. Therefore their perception of what it takes to succeed in academia is likely biased toward working non-stop and without boundaries, and they might expect or encourage their students to do the same. These expectations may not be explicitly stated but are evident in the way a supervisor works with their students. Fortunately, graduate students can take meaningful steps to care for their own mental health and wellness by “managing upward”.

Managing upward refers to creating a good and productive working relationship with your boss, to your mutual benefit. In business, this term is often used when discussing how to be a better employee. In academia, managing upward is a skill that graduate students can apply in their relationship with their supervisor, in order to support their health and wellness while maintaining a good supervisory relationship.

This workshop is based on the principles laid out by Dr. Christiane Whitehouse in her 2020 blog post for Voices of Academia. Co-developed with Dragonfly Mental Health, this workshop delivers immediately usable skills that can be applied to improve communication and expectations between graduate students and their supervisors.

What it Includes:

2 hour workshop
Overview of:
- The importance of the supervisor/trainee relationship for mental health in academia
- Common supervisor/trainee relationship issues (i.e. micromanaging vs absentee advisor)
- Setting expectations and boundaries
- Managing upward skills including establishing reasonable timelines, optimizing time spent with advisor, renegotiating agreements when things change, mutual accountability
- What to do when communication fails
Includes bespoke handouts and quick guide materials
Pre and post workshop meetings to:
- Tailor event to your community's needs
- Provide community specific insights and strategies
Customizable

Students, trainees, and team members want to be less affected by the demands, criticisms, expectations, and pressure from their supervisors and the academic environment in general. Dragonfly Mental Health's "Managing Inwards: Staying calm and confident within student-supervisor communication" is a two-hour, interactive workshop. It will introduce you to tried and true strategies and techniques such as internal reflection and management which will improve student-supervisor communication. Practice sessions in pairs or small groups will help you integrate these skills and make them immediately usable in the real world.

What it Includes:

2 hour workshop
Overview of:
- Introduction to managing inwards
- Communication dynamics
- Identifying personal triggers in communication
- Evaluating limiting self-beliefs
- Dealing with tough communication
- Step-by-step roadmap for managing inwards
Includes bespoke handouts and quick guide materials
Pre and post workshop meetings to:
- Tailor event to your community's needs
- Provide community specific insights and strategies
Customizable

Book Now!

Fighting Stigma

Trying to reduce mental health stigma on your campus but hitting a brick wall? Many people in academia express fear that if they experience mental health struggles they will not be successful or that they will be judged by their peers or mentors. Identifying and directly addressing stigma against mental health struggles improves community support and help seeking behavior.Dragonfly offers a unique approach to fighting stigma within your community! See our programming detailed below.

Stigma has caused many academics experiencing mental health struggles to fear judgement by mentors and colleagues, leading to a belief that they can never be successful in academia by virtue of not "having what it takes." In order to fight this stigma, we create a safe space for respected members of your academic community to share what is typically left undiscussed and yet is an integral part of what makes an academic feel successful and fulfilled.

This service includes the scheduling, filming, and editing of a tailor-made film for YOUR community to help fight stigma against those struggling with mental health issues.

What this campaign includes:

Custom film interviewing members of your community:
- Sharing their own lived experiences with mental health struggles
- How these struggles impacted their work and how they got through them
- What advice they have for others, especially early career researchers
60 minute seminar
- 10-20 minute film screening
- small group reflections
- large group expert facilitated discussion
Post-talk survey assesses the impact of the event on stigma and attitudes
These are most impactful when tailored to the community at hand
We offer both high production value and budget options
Requires at least 6 weeks lead time to allow for filming, editing, and event preparation

Click here to see a "Breaking the Stigma" video!

Book Now!

Peer Networks

Do you need help building peer support networks on your campus? Dragonfly can help with that! Peer Networks are peer-run groups that build a sense of community within the department. The mission of these groups is to build and provide sustained access to relevant resources.Dragonfly offers a variety of resources to help you build Peer Networks at your institution.

No one understands the unique challenges of an individual department like peers in the same position. Establishment of peer mental health networks will result in sustainable peer-led organizations that can identify and address unmet needs, serve as an organized voice for concerns, and promote preventative mental health practices among and unique to each peer group.

What we do:

Provide on-line tutorial sessions to help design sustainable and efficient organization
Identify appropriate affinity groups based on career level (i.e. Masters students, PhD students, Postdocs, Faculty, Staff) or other identities of interest
Provide regularly scheduled support as well as a free online platform for collaboration and communication with other peer networks
Fully customizable to your unique needs

Book Now!

Departmental Committee

Are you trying to improve the mental health culture on your campus but keep running into roadblocks? The problem may be the lack of a departmental committee to oversee these changes and ensure they happen in a systemic and sustainable fashion!Dragonfly offers guidance on how to create a departmental committee made up of representatives from all levels of an academic community to facilitate an ongoing driving force for culture and climate change. Every community has unique needs, thus all our offerings are custom designed to the needs of your department or institution.

Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. We recommend establishing a departmental committee dedicated to improving the mental health of your community. The departmental committee is made up of representatives from all levels of an academic community and facilitates an ongoing driving force for culture and climate change.

In our comprehensive program, this committee shall be established at the outset of working with Dragonfly Mental Health and will serve as the primary collaborative team with whom the tailoring of each program shall be conducted. The purpose of establishing this committee is to ensure the optimal delivery and monitoring of appropriate programs and the sustainability of these efforts in the years to come.

For those interested in launching or refining an existing departmental committee, we offer bespoke consulting from experienced mental health advocates in the academic space.

Book Now!

Comprehensive Program

Are you looking for avenues to create long-term sustainable change in the ways mental health is perceived and addressed on your campus? Dragonfly's Comprehensive Program may be the solution for you! It is an all inclusive three-year package that is fully customized to your needs, includes our mental health literacy talks, anti-stigma campaigns and skills training workshops, and will ensure your university can independently sustain these positive changes in perpetuity.

What it Includes:

75+ hours of expert consulting to design, organize and launch the Department Committee and Peer Networks
Design and communication support for promotion of events
Delivery and facilitation of a mental health literacy talk
Delivery and facilitation of a skills workshop
Production of a custom anti-stigma film
Support in design and development of monitoring and assessment of community needs and impact of programs (survey design, analysis, and secure data storage)
Detailed documentation of initial set up and decisions for legacy support

What it Include:

25+ hours of expert consulting
Delivery or coordination assistance of mental health literacy, skills workshop, and anti stigma programming
In-depth coordination with local student and employee assistance programs and psychological health services to develop smooth bridge-to-care pathways
Transition of community monitoring and intervention impact assessments from Dragonfly to the departmental committee
Design of a long-term road map towards excellent mental health

Learn More Here

Needs Assessment

Everyone starts somewhere. We provide consulting services by experienced academic mental health advocates where we go over the steps you can take to start yourself on the road to improved mental health at your institution.

Book Now!

What People are Saying!

Mental Health Literacy Talk

“Fantastic talk and discussion, I'm really glad we had it!”

“This was great! I think that talking about this issue frequently helps to remove the stigma against seeking mental health treatment.”

“I really appreciated the opportunity to hear how many faculty members have our backs!”

Faculty Training Workshop

“The workshop was very enlightening”

“It provided concrete ideas on what to say”

“I think these programs should be required for all incoming faculty as a part of mentorship training”

A Scientist's Primer on Depression

“I feel better equipped to deal with it and to pay attention to the wellbeing of other people and encourage them to get help if they need it. ”

“I really appreciated the talk and I think it started really good discussion (not just during but after the talk as well) .”

“The talk was both moving and very informative.”

Imposter Phenomenon

“I have always felt like I am the only overachiever in the world, and now I see that there are other people managing to live happy lives with.”

“It felt great to share my fears with the peers and see that the most experienced of them have the same imposter issues!”

"I can be sufficient to do my job. Some skills I will get, some I will lose, somewhere I will sink, and somewhere I may be better than others.”

Managing Upward

“I would definitely recommend! Great workshop, really good instructors, please continue like this!”

“It was helpful to see, that I am not alone with my issues and that there are techniques to improve the communication with my supervisor”

“I learned to be more confident with my own needs and I learn how to communicate it.”

Mental Health in Isolation Talk

“Insightful, interesting and well done.”

“I value an explanation of what’s going on with my mind and my body – it made me feel that I am not alone in what I am going through, and that there are working ways to deal with it.”

“The discussion helped me to appreciate even more that in my division the pandemic precautions are taken seriously.”

Anti-Stigma Campaign

“As a senior scientist, with tenure, I have nothing to lose by anyone thinking less of me as one who was depressed, and plenty to gain by sharing my experience. In fact, I have only received positive feedback since I was featured in the movie. As one who survived and prospered despite periods of depression, I think it’s useful to share my experience, that it is not a permanent condition, that one can recognize depressive episodes, and seek effective treatment.”

~ Richard Harland PhD, Film Participant, UC Berkeley, Dean of Biological Sciences

“It started a discussion no one was having.”

“I learned a lot and got a chance to have meaningful discussions with my colleagues.”

“I think that showing how very successful scientists have struggled and continue to struggle with mental health issues is a powerful way to say that mental illness is not a sign of weakness, nor does it preclude success.”

Basics of Burnout

“I had no idea that what I was experiencing was burnout. This presentation really helped me see what was causing it and what I could do about it.”

“With the additional stress from the pandemic, it now feels like we are BBO (Beyond Burn Out). Knowing the evidence of what helps with makes me more confident in taking time off so I can come back fresh.”

”What a great resource! I’ll definitely be sharing with my colleagues and boss.”

Power Abuse In Academia - what can we do?

“Informative, engaging and empowering, also offering very easy steps to take in difficult situations as well as providing resources”

“Great to learn what is actually already harassment and how some of the things that already seem "normal" are not acceptable.”

“Great insights into good practices and measures that institutes can take to counter harassment - and tips on what junior researchers can do themselves to get help and to break the taboo and talk about mental health, power abuse and discrimination.”

Mentoring as a Two-Way Street

“We received such an overwhelmingly positive response following the session.”

“Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation on how mentoring can go right or down the hill. I was pleased to attend and willing to spread the culture here.”

“Passion comes across very vividly. And helps engage the audience.”

Guided by five domains of excellence

Mental Health Literacy

Skills Training

Fighting Stigma

Peer Networks

Departmental Committee

Comprehensive Program

Needs Assessment

What People are Saying!

Mental Health Literacy Talk

“Fantastic talk and discussion, I'm really glad we had it!” “This was great! I think that talking about this issue frequently helps to remove the stigma against seeking mental health treatment.” “I really appreciated the opportunity to hear how many faculty members have our backs!”

Faculty Training Workshop

“The workshop was very enlightening” “It provided concrete ideas on what to say” “I think these programs should be required for all incoming faculty as a part of mentorship training”

A Scientist's Primer on Depression

Imposter Phenomenon

Managing Upward

Mental Health in Isolation Talk

Anti-Stigma Campaign

Basics of Burnout

Power Abuse In Academia - what can we do?

Mentoring as a Two-Way Street

“Fantastic talk and discussion, I'm really glad we had it!”

“This was great! I think that talking about this issue frequently helps to remove the stigma against seeking mental health treatment.”

“I really appreciated the opportunity to hear how many faculty members have our backs!”

“The workshop was very enlightening”

“It provided concrete ideas on what to say”

“I think these programs should be required for all incoming faculty as a part of mentorship training”