Jeevani is a comprehensive mental health project implemented by the Department of Collegiate Education, Government of Kerala, which focuses on the mental well-being of the students in the government colleges in Kerala. Jeevani intends to improve awareness and promotion of mental health among college students along with ensuring early identification of psychological issues among these students. To achieve this, a combination of universal awareness program (i.e., regular awareness classes to all the students) and targeted early intervention programs will be implemented.
The jeevani counsellor will be with the students in their journey in college, sharing their joys and sorrows, helping them with their pains. Such a psychological help would definitely prove to be immense benefit to the students.
With the intent to address and help resolve emotional and psychological issues of the student community of GPM Government college has initiated the “Counselling Cell” in association with Jeevani.
What is Councelling?
All the success that we dream for, come our way when we think and act with a clear and healthy mind. College life is the time where students start enjoying their rights and freedom, celebrating love and friendship and also become aware about their responsibilities. Stepping in to the College, the student’s experience many changes. This transition might pose a significant challenge to their mental health. Mental health can affect the way we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
Counselling is a process that aims to facilitate personal well being of the students through support and guidance of trained counselors, for a healthy mind and body.
The Counselling Cell encourages the students to understand themselves and the issues that trouble them and guides them to resolve their problems. These problems can be personal, emotional, social, family, peer, academic, sexual, etc. This is done through individual or group counselling to help them with academic goals, social and personality development, career goals, enhancing listening skills, empathy and interpersonal skills to have healthy relationships and a healthy lifestyle.
The role of the Counselor is to offer support through listening and responding in a confidential, non-judgemental and timely way, ensuring that the students become productive, well adjusted adults of tomorrow. They are trained to assess, diagnose and treat students struggling with academic stress, anxiety, depression, social addictions and other problems they face.
The goal of Counselling is to facilitate positive behaviour changes, improving the student’s ability to establish and maintain relationships socially, promoting their decision making process, helping the student to understand their own potential and cope effectively with the problems they face.
Objectives
- To help the students in solving their personal, educational, social as well as psychological problems.
- To create awareness about issues and problems related to mental health of student
- To motivate faculty in counselling activities.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Solve personal problems of student by conducting individual counselling session
- Boost self esteem of weaker /physically challenged students.
- Diagnose the learning difficulties of students and help them to overcome the same.
- Help the students to overcome examination stress or fear.
- Conduct training program on counselling skills for faculty & staff.
- Conduct seminars for students on mental health and addiction issues.
- Refer the students to professional psychiatrics or counsellors in severe cases.
- Inform the parents about psychological misbehaviour of the student.
Dr. Sindhu Joseph
Asst. Professor, Dept. of Travel and Tourism Management
Coordinator
