Have you recently experienced depression or a willingness to learn more about yourself? Then, why don't you get professional counseling? Recently, as negative perceptions of psychological counseling have changed to positive, many people are interested in receiving counseling. Chung-Ang University (CAU) has a Student Life Counseling Center that runs various counseling and programs to help students learn about and understand themselves and the problems they are currently facing. Then, what exactly is the Student Life Counseling Center, and what are the counseling and programs provided by the counseling center? Let's learn more about these.
What Is Student Life Counseling Center?
CAU Student Life Counseling Center is a professional counseling institution that provides free counseling services to help students adapt to college life and solve various self-growth and psychological problems. CAU undergraduate school students, graduate school students, and international students can use the counseling center for free, and counseling is also available for students on a leave of absence (members of Institute of Lifelong Education excluded). The Student Life Counseling Center provides various types of counseling and programs so that students can select and utilize the services they need. All counseling and psychological tests provided by the counseling center are confidential and are provided free of charge to students at CAU. There is a counseling center in both on Seoul and Anseong Campuses; in Hall 310 (Centennial Hall) room B208 on Seoul Campus, and Hall 801 (College of Foreign Languages) room 2109 on Anseong Campus. The Seoul Campus Center is led by professor Park Jeong-yun of the Department of Psychology and consists of eight professional counseling researchers, and the Anseong Campus Center is led by Professor Cho Yong-chan of the College of Sport Science and consists of two professional counseling researchers.
Types of Counseling and Programs You Can Apply For
Counseling and programs provided by the Student Life Counseling Center are diverse. First, there is personal counseling. Personal counseling is conducted about 10-12 times with 1:1 meetings with professional counselors, allowing students to think about the problems they face and find specific solutions. Students can apply for counseling by visiting Hall 310 room B208 in Seoul Campus and Hall 801 room 2109 in Anseong Campus, or online by accessing the website of the Student Life Counseling Center (https://guidance.cau.ac.kr/).
Next, the counseling center provides group counseling programs under the theme of emotion control, interpersonal relationships, and career exploration. Regarding a specific topic, about 5~7 students and 1~2 experts will participate together as a small group. Activities are conducted once a week for about 90 minutes around six to ten times between March and June of each semester. During the vacation or at the beginning of the semester, a notice is made on the CAU homepage, the website of the Student Life Counseling Center, etc. You can fill out and submit an application form according to the guided method.
Students can also apply for various psychological tests. They consist of personality tests such as the MBTI personality type test, TCI (temperament and personality test), and CST (personality strength test), and occupational interest tests (STRONG). Students can visit the center individually to apply and conduct these tests and receive 1:1 interpretation counseling.
Currently, for all of these programs (personal counseling, group counseling, psychological tests), both online (by Zoom) and offline consultations are possible due to COVID-19. Besides, the center provides self-diagnosis tests to check the level of depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation. It also conducts special lectures focusing on understanding the importance, management, and improving awareness of mental health.
International Students Can Also Participate!
International students can also participate in counseling and programs at the Student Life Counseling Center. First of all, personal and group counseling are also provided in Chinese, so Chinese students can apply. For psychological test programs, MBTI, HOLLAND (Vocational Preference Inventory), MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), etc. are provided in Chinese. Mental health tests for international students are provided in English as well. Also, the counseling center conducts special lectures for international students once or twice a year. The theme of the lecture varies every time depending on the needs of international students. In the case of the special lecture on mental health held on November 3rd, it was held under the theme of healthy college life in the COVID-19 era. Besides, the center conducts a Chinese student keeper program. This is a program that allows selected Chinese international students to find and directly help Chinese international students in need of help with school life. As such, the Student Life Counseling Center is making efforts to help international students adapt to their lives in Korea.
There may be many CAH readers who want to receive counseling but do not know where to go. Students at CAU can apply for various programs at the Student Life Counseling Center and receive professional counseling for free. In addition, since the types of programs provided by the counseling center vary, necessary counseling can be conducted according to individual situations. If you want to get counseling, why don't you use CAU Student Life Counseling Center? Counseling will help you understand and reflect on yourself, and solve the problems you face.
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00~18:00 (Lunchtime 12:00~13:00)
Student Life Counseling Center (Seoul Campus) Tel 02) 820-6363
Student Life Counseling Center (Anseong Campus) Tel 031) 670-3398