University, a microcosm of our larger society, is a place full of new opportunities. Despite all the fun and exciting moments, challenges and conflicts also await. Students may feel burdened with obtaining good grades, be involved in relationship conflicts, and experience breakdowns from continuous failures. Full of worries and doubts, they may wish to confess their crowded thoughts to someone trustworthy. A perfect place for receiving help is the Korea University (KU) Student Counseling Center.
The KU Student Counseling Center was established to support a healthier and happier life for KU students. Currently there are two centers, one in the Science and Engineering Library and the other in the Central Plaza of the Liberal Arts and Humanities Campus. Both centers operate from Monday to Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., with a group of counselors that consists of three senior professional counselors, six professional counselors, and nine resident and intern counselors.
The center serves three different counseling programs, which are personal counseling, group counseling, and psychological tests. Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the counseling programs are currently held online. Personal counseling involves 12 periodic sessions that handle private issues related to emotions, relationships, and career; thus, all counseling details are kept confidential. Group counseling, which is progressed by one professional counselor and a group of students with similar concerns, encourages personal development through collaborative activities and group sharing. Lastly, psychological tests increase students’ self-understanding, as counselors discuss the test results with students and help identify the source of their problems.
In addition to the existing programs, new outreach services called KU Maeumknock and KU Maeum-check started operating since October 2021. KU Maeum-knock is an online counseling program that can be accessed through the center’s homepage. When students upload threads of concerns on the bulletin board, professional counselors leave appropriate advice. KU Maeum-check, an additional online service launched with the KU Maeum-knock, offers detailed explanations of using the digital mental health care services, such as the Mental Health Checkup and Insomnia Care applications.
One of the biggest advantages of these online services is the increased accessibility to mental health care during COVID-19. Due to reduced social interactions, there has been an uprise trend of depression and thoughts of dropping out of school, according to the “COVID-19, Psychological and Emotional Support Tasks for University Students” report published by the Korean Council for University Education. As suggested in the report, university student counseling centers should be responsible of providing a wide range of psychological and emotional support programs for students. Likewise, KU’s launch of online mental health care services will promote students’ overall wellbeing during this time of turmoil.
Please visit https://kuscc.korea.edu for more information.