Media Release
Mangaluru, Jul 4: The one-day workshop titled 'Empower. Inspire. Thrive: Student Counsellors of the 21st Century' was held at St Aloysius Pre-University College.
Organized by the department of counselling at St Aloysius Pre-University College, in collaboration with the School Education Department (Pre-University) of Dakshina Kannada (DK), and the DK PU College Principals association, the event aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of counsellors and teaching staff representatives from various schools and colleges in and around Mangaluru.
The workshop commenced with a prayerful hymn and the lighting of the lamp. Sangeeta M Sequeira, the workshop coordinator provided an overview of the workshop’s objectives to share practical tools and profound insights that would enhance counselling skills and impact participants both professionally and personally. The principal, Fr Clifford Sequeira SJ extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries and participants.
C D Jayanna, deputy director of the school education department (Pre-University), Dakshina Kannada, inaugurated the workshop and delivered the inaugural address. He stated that students are our assets and looking after their wellbeing is our primary responsibility for the future of our society. The deputy director also spoke on the importance of empowering them both academically and morally. He lauded the initiative of St Aloysius PU College in organizing such a meaningful workshop.
Fr Melwin Pinto SJ, rector of St Aloysius Institutions, addressed the gathering and stressed on the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among students post-COVID, highlighting the impact of prolonged social media use on addiction, body image issues, self-esteem issues, and strained relationships. He called on counsellors to unite in enhancing student well-being within academic institutions.
Jayananda Suvarna, president of the DK PU College principal’s association, was the guest of honor on the occasion.
Dr Rosa Mathew focused on essential roles and challenges faced by student counsellors these days and she suggested practical strategies to support students' academic and emotional well-being, innovative approaches, real-life examples, fostering resilience, promoting mental health awareness, and creating supportive environments.
Nikhesh Shetty spoke about protecting minors, advocating rights: legal essentials in counselling. The focus was on crucial legal aspects within the counselling profession. The content for the same was care and protection of Children Act, POCSO Act 2012, child protection, confidentiality, consent, and mandatory reporting obligations. Interactive discussions and case studies were included to apply legal principles in practical scenarios.
Dr Rameela Shekar spoke about 'Unpacking Challenges: Case Discussions in Counselling'. She emphasized on addressing the challenges involved in therapeutic settings when working with minors. She conducted Insightful case discussions, complex scenarios in counselling practice, client resistance, ethical dilemmas, and effective intervention strategies.
Participants actively engaged in discussions, shared experiences, and participated in practical exercises and case studies provided by the resource persons. Each session included a question and answer segment, where participants expressed appreciation for the practical insights gained and the relevance of the topics to their professional roles.
The workshop concluded with participants equipped with enhanced counselling skills, a deeper understanding of legal and ethical responsibilities, and practical strategies to support student well-being effectively.
Sarah Crasta student counsellor, compered the programme. Bakyalakshmi, coordinator, expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, setting the tone for the ensuing sessions. Vishanth Menezes, and Sr Valsa C A, from the counselling department also assisted in the smooth conduct of the event aimed at empowering and inspiring student counsellors of the 21st century.
The workshop fostered a sense of unity among counsellors in striving towards improved student well-being within educational institutions. The insights gained and connections forged are expected to have a lasting impact on the counselling community in and around Mangaluru.