by LOGAN LEE
Reporter

The University of Central Missouri Counseling Center recently partnered with the Student Recreation and Wellness Center to provide educational workshops for mental health throughout the fall semester.

The 14-week workshop series occurs every Monday and Thursday in the Recreation and Wellness Center classroom.

Adrianne Fuller-St. John, a counselor, said the overall health of the student doesn’t solely depend on the physical part of the body but also includes their mental state of mind.

Fuller-St.John said the workshop series would be more efficient in educating students who didn’t want to go through the paperwork of becoming a client at the center and recommends the series to any student struggling with normal development.

The series kicked off with the topic “Adjustment and Coping with Change.” An interactive presentation was geared toward different transitions during a student’s life, such as moving to campus.

Fuller-St. John explained three steps of the student’s reaction to change and how to rely on the 4-S Model: Situation, self, supports and strategies help ease student’s frustration or confusion in big or small changes.

Fuller-St. John asked the group to share responses during each slide and present answers to problems in their responses. She pointed out negative responses to stress during change and presented a positive response for a replacement. Just before dismissal, she handed out fliers that included a list of activities to aid in handling stress and her contact information if anyone had more questions.

Permpoon Mongkonsangsuree, an international graduate student from Thailand, and his wife, Chadaporn, attended the first mental workshop of the series.

Permpoon said it was hard to adjust to his new setting. He said he and his wife worry and stress about the future, and they want to create better lives for themselves.

He said they decided to participate in the workshop to help manage the stress of change. Permpoon said in Thailand, students are not given the tools to help relieve stress but are taught “The more stress someone takes on just makes them better at having more stress.” He said he and his wife enjoyed the workshop and plan on attending those to come.    

Workshops are free and open to anyone with access to the Recreation Center. Check emails from experience@ucmo.edu for updates or https://www.ucmo.edu/cc/MentalFitness.cfm. For more information, contact the Counseling Center in 131 Humphreys or call 660-543-4060.

Editor’s note 9/8/17: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Permpoon and Chadaporn  Mongkonsangsuree are Taiwanese, they are both from Thailand.