Counseling Center hosts events, support groups to help students destress
Throughout the Spring 2021 semester, the Counseling Center is hosting events and support groups to help Central Michigan University students handle stress and anxiety.
The support groups and events are meant to help the Counseling Center give students the opportunity to make connections and find coping skills in the pandemic. The events allow students to destress through art and community.
An event taking place on all of the Wellness Days is called the Declutter Challenge. The main idea behind the Declutter Challenge is to clear out a person's space to give a clear mind. The event gives students ideas on how to reorganize and make room for other priorities in their lives.
"Oftentimes, when our space is decluttered, it also reflects how we can feel on the inside," Counseling Center faculty member Kristie Miner said. "If we have a cluttered room or space inside our living area that can make us feel overwhelmed."
Miner said the challenges are a way to give students a fresh start. Every Wellness Day will focus on a different area for the Declutter Challenge. March 10 will focus on clearing out email inboxes.
The remaining challenges go as followed:
March 23 will focus on the closet and dresser.
April 2 will focus on living spaces.
April 7 will focus on phone contacts.
April 30 will focus on apps.
The Counseling Center offers virtual support groups to CMU students. Life Unmasked is a weekly virtual student support group run by Counseling Center faculty member Amy Campbell. The support group is not about anything in particular, instead, the group allows multiple perspectives on various topics students may be struggling with. Students are free to talk about anxiety, relationships, self-esteem and anything else they may struggle with or wish to discuss.
Miner said the amount of participants for the virtual support groups vary from session to session.
Another group the Counseling Center offers is called Open Door Art. The group meets in person every Friday from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in Faust. Students are provided canvases and paint. The art room in Faust has a limited capacity and it operates on a first come first serve basis. Kristie Miner runs the group.
"Students can come in and just use anything they want. It's just a place to destress and get a little creative," Miner said.
The counseling center hosts other art events in the Center for Inclusion and Diversity in the University Center. Signups and event information can be found on Engage Central.
Art events average between 10 to 20 participants.
"We're always, this past year especially, working to partner with different places on campus to provide services to students, and allow them to get to know us, and know what we do," Miner said. "We want students to know who we are, we don't want to be hidden."
All information about future Counseling Center events can be found on their webpage, Engage Central, Res Life, Facebook and Instagram.
