Have you heard of someone who shares their LGBT+ identities? You may have come across different terms such as pansexual, asexual, non-binary and more. What do they mean? How many types of sexes and genders (yes, there are more than male and female) are there?

This online workshop introduced “The Genderbread Person” to understand gender identity, gender expression and anatomical sex.

LGBT+ members may feel frustrated and confused because of the sexuality issue along the development. Student counselor shared Cass’s Model to overcome internalised homophobia and ways to support LGBT+ peers.

Eating and feeding are fundamental functions necessary for surviving and thriving. Many clients with neurodiversity and mental health issues experience profound disturbances with food in some way. Feeding disorders are more often associated with infants and children, while eating disorders are commonly found in teens and adults.

We are pleased to invite Dr. Michelle Chan, Registered Clinical Psychologist & Associate Fellow of the Hong Kong Psychological Society, to deliver a talk and share the factors contributing to Eating Disorders, the influence of parenting on eating disorders, high-risk group identification and the tips to help and self-help.

Dr. Michelle Chan indicated that one's own perception on eating and body image, personality, emotions, family factors (such as parenting styles, family dynamics) and social factors can all contribute to the development of eating disorders. She also pointed out that there are some preventions for eating disorders such as early identification of these factors and psychoeducation, as well as various scientific psychological treatments when eating disorders are observed.

By the end of the workshop, students gained practical tips on how to take care of themselves and the ways to support their peers for enhancing their emotional wellness.

Sleep plays an important role in physical health, cognitive functioning and emotional wellbeing of individuals with and without mental illnesses. Students may usually put themselves to the limits during mid-term and final exam periods by depriving themselves of quality sleep. A research shows that there is a correlation between sleep and academic performance. Sleep deprivation and deficiency will affect students’ decision-making, diminish working memory and thus lead to poorer academic results.

We are pleased to invite Dr. Esther Lau, Member of Register of Clinical Psychologists accredited by Department of Health & Associate Professor, Sleep Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, to deliver a talk and cover the topics of basic sleep science, sleep problems types and symptoms, as well as sleep smart strategy.

Dr. Esther Lau pointed out the power of sleep that could clear cellular wastes, enhance working memory, improve our ability to regulate emotions and make better planning, decrease risk-taking behaviors and vulnerability to anxiety and depression.

By the end of the session, students have grasped different sleep hygiene tips to regulate their sleep-wake circle and get a better sleep quality for a better work performance and more flourishing life!

According to research, the fear of speaking in public is the #1 fear of all fears. Over 41% of people worldwide have fear or anxiety dealing with speaking in front of groups. It is perfectly normal if you experience accelerated heart rate, sweaty palms, blank mind or even find it difficulty in breathing before going on stage.

In this interactive talk, Dr Lucia Yeung, Senior Lecturer at Auckland university of technology in New Zealand introduced the Big 5 Personality Model for students to know more about themselves and its perceptions & beliefs that led to stage fright. Some practical tips on reducing stage fright and overcoming anxiety in public speaking also shared for students to get well prepared for their presentations.

Bodynamic is a body psychotherapy that allows us to connect our emotional and behavioral patterns through our body and mind. It aims to make verbal psychotherapy more efficient and effective by leveraging a precise and practical approach to work with the body.

In these four workshops, Ms. Kristina V. Marcher, an international trainer and therapist of Bodynamic taught us what parts of our muscles and how they are connected to our developmental stages. Students experienced some practical exercises on mirror and picture body reading to gain an understanding of where to put attention to the theme of Romance and Seduction. Love relationship is an essential part of our life, as such, Kristina introduced the theory of love and sexuality character structure and shared with us some exercises on how to reconnect to our body for exploring our psychological needs with the key component of balancing and changing the structure: center, boundaries and grounding.

Concepts of relationship and exercises on love and needs were also covered for self-reflection and self-exploration. Students would know how to modulate and connect to their body, make changes to achieve their goal, improve their confidence and become clearer about what they want in a relationship as well as how to present themselves in the best way after these workshops.

Mental health is one of the main ingredients contributing to the fruitful university life of students. With the onslaught of the lingering pandemic, the academic, interpersonal and emotional challenges encountered by our students are becoming more complicated and severe which take a heavy toll on the mental wellness of our students.

Promoting and safeguarding the mental health of our students calls for the joint effort of all university staff. In light of this, we have invited Dr. Phyllis Chan Kwok Ling, Vice- President of the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists to deliver a talk to faculty, staff and students. The talk shed light on how gatekeepers can safeguard the mental health of students. Dr. Chan also introduced relevant symptoms of psychiatric problems and how early intervention can be achieved.

By the end of the sharing, both staff and students who take the role as gatekeepers gained some effective tips on enhancing their emotional awareness and ways of self-care.

Life is ever-changing and also challenging. Sometimes, we may be overwhelmed by the stress brought from taking up new tasks, building new relationships, receiving new information, and facing different demands. Hustle and bustle from the external world can create chaos within us, make us stuck in life, and hinder us from thriving.

In this workshop, Ms. Josephine Hui, a Clinical Psychologist and a Member of Register of Clinical Psychologists accredited by the Department of Health shared some practical and interesting tips with students on how to manage their time and balance their life by Time Management Matrix and decluttering.

By experiencing some mindfulness exercises during the session, students gained inspirational and effective strategies to face the challenges and live in the present with peace.

One of the biggest challenges brought forth by COVID-19 is the significant disruption to our normal campus life. We may be prompt to feelings of fear and anxiety regarding resuming classes, observing regular study routines, and building new relationships with others when we are back on campus after a substantial period.

We are pleased to invite Miss Chan Siu Ling, a trainer from Hong Kong Satir Center and a Certified Marriage and Family Therapist, and Miss Cindy Leung, a Clinical Psychologist to deliver Cantonese and English workshops respectively on how to face and better ease in campus life under a variety of new challenges to our students.

By the end of the sessions, students grasped some effective tips and strategies for staying afloat amidst their stress and anxiety, had more self-awareness under stress and some ways to come out with profound personal growth when facing new challenges.

We understand transition from high school to university life can be exciting and stressful for most of you. There will be huge adjustments that you have to make such as adjustments to new learning and teaching styles, assessment styles, writing practice. That said, it can also be a challenging yet rewarding experience you will ever have in your life. Those who are well prepared will thrive.

To help you get better prepared and flourish for a new and exciting chapter in life, we have provided a full array of programs. Through these programs, we hope you will learn to make smart decision, work time management to your advantage, develop important habits like self-control, a positive attitude, stress management as well as organization skills that will go a long way to ensure that you stay on top of your university study.

• Psychology of Building Friendship and Charisma
This talk aims at enhancing students’ understanding of their personality and how personality could affect their interpersonal relationships. Focus would be placed on learning practical skills in improving confidence, interpersonal communication, and friendship building.

​​​​• Psychology of Smart Learning
Students in the HKUST are known for a high standard of academic excellence and desire to learn. University life encourages you to realize learning aspiration and maximize your potential in attaining goals. Let’s learn how to have better academic adjustment, understand your motivation to strive for excellence, and establish goals for self-development so as to give yourself the best start possible!

​​​​• ​Psychology of Happiness
Positive psychology has shed light on ongoing insights into personality, mood and cognition. Research and experts agree that we all can learn how to bring more meaning and satisfaction into our lives, so as to feel happier!

​​​​• ​​On Your Mark! Get Set! (for International Students)
University life is a time of academic pursuit, personal growth and development, as well as a time of challenge! It is our pleasure to facilitate you to learn, to explore and to flourish in your time at HKUST. The beginning is very important for all new students in understanding and knowing how to adjust to the new academic, social and cultural environment so that you are ready to unfold an enjoyable and fruitful university life.

​• ​​University Years To Go (for Mainland Students)
University life is a time of growth and development, as well as a time of transition and challenge! It is our goal to facilitate you to prepare, to explore and to flourish in your coming university years. Let us get you started for your understanding and knowledge on how to adjust to the new environment in order to pursue a fruitful university life.

​• ​​Building a Resilient Habit
Resilience is the ability to "bounce back" from adverse situations, such as trauma, tragedy, threats, or other significant sources of stress. There are several factors contributing to people's resilience. One of them is the way people think. In this workshop, we will understand how our thinking and beliefs would affect our emotions and behaviors, and to learn more rational and resilient thinking styles in facing life frustrations.

​• ​​​​Psychology of Finding Your Way
This workshop help you develop a sense of self, define your own personal objectives and evaluate the extent to which they meet your personal goals. This is a good opportunity to understand and maximize your potential in attaining your future life direction!
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​• ​​​​​Psychology of Self-care
University life can be fruitful, but challenging. There will be ups and downs from time to time. Emotions and behaviors are all interconnected with each other, and influence our mind, emotions and actions. As a result, it is important for us to manage our own emotions in constructive ways to alleviate stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflicts. Self-care starts with accepting yourself that we have blind spots. Through self-reflection and positive thinking, you can let out everything you have been holding back and to ponder on life to pursue your dreams and goals.

​• Getting the Love You Want
Conflict is a normal part of any relationship. This workshop will offer practical tips on conflict management and step-by-step resolutions to improve relationships. Students will be guided to understand more on what constitutes a conflict and the importance of healthy conflict resolution.

Hustle and bustle of university life could be stressful and frustrating. Our mind always preoccupies with projects and tasks. We may easily fall into negative emotions and worry over the past or the future. Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our mind, body, and surrounding environment non-judgmentally. By being attentive to experience the present moment, we could regain our energy, enhance our wellbeing, and cultivate our true happiness.

In all four sessions, Ms. Christine Cheung, mindfulness practitioner who has twenty years of experience in practicing mindfulness and the founder of “Mindful Joyful Parenting” taught us practical mindfulness exercises to deepen our awareness, build our self-acceptance and bring us inner peace. Students experienced mindfulness exercises such as mindful breathing, tapping exercise, and mindful sitting to bring attention back to here and now. Sometimes we inevitably undergo strong emotions, as such, Christine introduced how mindfulness techniques reconnect our body and listen to our mind to stay with those storm-like emotions.

Different mindfulness practices and tips were shared to be an integral part of our daily life. Students would be able to relax their body and mind, be aware of themselves, stay with their emotions, live mindfully, and cultivate their inner peace after the sessions.