▲ Student Counseling Center located on the 2nd floor of Dongbaek Hall, CWNU

The Student Counseling Center at CWNU operates various programs to help students alleviate the psychological burden caused by academic pressures, interpersonal relationships, and daily stress, allowing them to maintain a healthy mental state. New programs offered each month can be quickly checked through notifications on the CWNU app, and this month, a 'Mind Power Enhancement' program aimed at relieving feelings of depression is being offered. As we pass the midpoint of the second semester, we looked back on the programs that the Student Counseling Center has operated this semester and their achievements.

Key programs running this semester to support students’ emotional well-being include "Mind Care Day - Keeping a Great Heart" during the CWNU Bonglim Festival, "Relationship Touch Project," a group counseling program with Enneagram training for better relationship insights, "Stress Smashing," designed to identify and manage key stresses through various psychological tests and activities, and "Peer Counseling Program," where students can seek peer support on topics like university life, academics, career concerns, and interpersonal concerns. These programs were organized around experiential activities, so that students could express and understand their feelings.

In addition, as ongoing programs, the center offers 1:1 psychological counseling with professional counselors and a variety of psychological assessments for career and self-exploration. These services help members of the university community resolve their psychological and emotional concerns, share personal worries, and overcome difficulties faced in daily life. Through the Dream Catch platform on the CWNU Waagle website, students can apply for counseling or psychological assessments, select their preferred time slot, and make a reservation. Professional counselors are always available, and any undergraduate or graduate student at CWNU can receive testing and counseling support free of charge. Operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, excluding lunchtime and public holidays, and each session lasts around 50 minutes, offered once a week.

A student who participated in counseling during the second semester shared, “Through counseling, I came to understand myself better, and emotions that were hard to handle on my own, have gradually improved.” Another student who participated in the Mind Care Day activities emphasized the program’s positive effects, saying, “The stress management techniques I learned in the program helped reduce my academic stress, and I especially enjoyed the emotional fragrance making activity.”

Many students worry that using the center's programs will leave records that could negatively affect their academic performance or career. In response, the Student Counseling Center clarifies in its FAQ section that, “Counseling records are stored at the center for several years according to regulations, but personal information is never disclosed to third parties under any circumstances.” They also clearly state, “Since psychological counseling is not associated with medical institutions, it does not leave records like hospital consultations do, so there is no risk of information being provided outside the school. After the designated period, all materials are permanently destroyed, so there is no need for concern.”

A representative from the CWNU Student Counseling Center noted, “Our university’s Student Counseling Center is a space that is always open for both undergraduate and graduate students. We would be grateful if students could feel free to visit, not only for mental and emotional difficulties, but even for light conversations about everyday matters. We also ask for much interest in the extracurricular program currently recruiting, the ‘Music Therapy Project for Emotional Growth.’” They encouraged continuous interest in and use of the counseling center.

In today’s society, where interest in psychological stability and mental health is increasing, the Student Counseling Center at CWNU serves as a strong pillar for students’ growth. This center, established for the mental well-being of CWNU students, helps students solve their own issues and constantly provides various support, so they can spend their university life more meaningful. It is hoped that the Student Counseling Center will become more active in the future, with many students using it proactively and having a beneficial experience.

By Jeong Yu-jin, cub-reporter  jyj490825111@gmail.com

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