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Stress in Students: Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools

Where You Are | S7 E1 | August 26 2026

 

Students today are facing more stress than ever. Bryn and co-host Gail Markin sit down with Kyra Yung (Student), Connie Easton (School Counsellor of 20+ years), and Connor Gallik (BCCH Psychologist) to learn about ways that school communities can support students in K-12 to navigate stress. Together they unpack:

  • why students are experiencing increasing stress and how they are coping with it
  • signs of stress and the connection to student mental health and wellbeing 
  • what schools can do to support K-12 students at the individual level, in the school community and at the system level to deal with stress in healthy ways 
  • when to seek help and links to resources for educators

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Guest Bios

Kyra Young
Student

Kyra Yung is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business. She previously spent three years as a facilitator with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Here4Peers program, delivering mental health awareness workshops to elementary schools, supported by Connie Easton. Kyra has held leadership and service roles across student council, social impact initiatives, business-focused organizations, and youth mentorship spaces. She brings a student-centered perspective to conversations around navigating academic and extracurricular stress and sustainable success.

Connie Easton, MA
School Counsellor

Connie Easton is a Practice Support Coach with the Thriving School Communities team at BC Children’s Hospital. As a school counsellor with over 30 years experience, Connie continues to support children, youth and families to build resilience using positive mental health strategies.  Connie is the former Coordinator for Mental Health, Social Emotional Learning and Counselling at the Richmond School District in Richmond, BC.  She holds an MA in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia and was a Secondary School Counsellor for 23 years prior to working at the District Level. Currently, Connie is completing her EdD at Western University and continuing her work in SEL and Mental Health Literacy implementation in schools.  

Dr. Connor Gallik
Registered Psychologist, BC Children’s Hospital

Connor Gallik is Registered Psychologist at BC Children’s Hospital and the education lead for Compass BC, a province-wide service to improve access to evidence-based care for children and youth living with mental health and substance use concerns.

Dr. Gail Markin
Guest Co-host and School Counsellor

Gail Markin, PhD is a counsellor, author, and speaker who is committed to promoting mental health and well-being in education. Gail works as a practice support coach with BC Children’s Hospital’s Thriving Schools Team, where she supports school district leaders and teams to create and implement health and well-being strategies and plans. Gail is the author of Beyond Self-Care: Leading a Systemic Approach to Well-being for Educators, and the host of the Beyond Self-Care Podcast

Where You Are Podcast

Through real stories, expertise, and practical tips, this podcast helps families promote their mental health and wellness, navigating important topics to meet you where you are in your journey.