Emotional Wellness Workshop to provide mental health help

If you ever feel anxious about classwork, unbalanced with a relationship or out of sorts about life in general, you’re
not alone. 

Liberty University’s Counseling and Psychological Services will hold emotional wellness workshops in DeMoss Hall beginning Feb. 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

The Anxiety Toolbox workshop has tips and tricks in dealing with anxiety; the Getting Unstuck workshop covers coping with depression; and the RIO (Recognition, Insight, Openness) workshop includes more hands-on practice with emotional intensities. 

“Knowing how to identify anxiety and depression accurately is important for understanding the specific kind of help that a student might need,” Cale Baker, mental health promotion specialist at Liberty’s Student Counseling Services, said. “Basic understanding will give students a clearer path forward for addressing their mental
health concerns.”

The Anxiety Toolbox workshop will be held in DeMoss Hall 3022, the Getting Unstuck workshop will be in DH 3026 and the RIO workshop in DH 3122A. 

Each workshop will cover three different topics on three different days: Feb. 6, 13 and 20.

The Anxiety Toolbox workshop will discuss stressors, thoughts and self-care. The Getting Unstuck workshop will address different behavioral patterns and thoughts. 

The RIO workshop will look at recognition, insight and then openness. 

There are also supplemental PDF workbooks for each workshop on the LU Student Counseling website. 

Each workbook provides detailed information on the topics of anxiety and depression and ways to understand them better. 

“While the workshops are not a substitute for mental health counseling, they will give students knowledge and basic practices to help approach their mental health concerns,” Baker said. “Counselors are not necessarily looking to educate a student on what anxiety or depression is. The workshop, however, will give that basic information.”

According to Baker, whether a student wants to learn, practice skills or meet other people with similar struggles, the emotional wellness workshops are a great place to start. 

On the other hand, some people might be nervous to attend such a workshop, and Baker said this is completely normal. 

Students should do what they are comfortable with, but those that do come will learn a lot.

Reagan Mucci, a sophomore at Liberty, thinks these workshops can be beneficial to students in many ways. 

“It’s important for everyone, especially people in this young generation with so many distractions and pressure from social media… to prioritize their mental health as it affects their overall well-being and the well-being of those around them,” Mucci said. 

The emotional wellness workshops are held twice each semester. The second round begins March 27. 

Johnson is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter