University life could be full of new challenges, changes, and experiences. Some of these are exciting, some others could leave us feeling stressed. Right amount of stress can be good and motivate us to achieve our goals, yet, too much of it can impair our well-being.

In this talk, Ms Sherry Im, Clinical Psychologist from New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, leveraged on polls to explore different sources of stress and found that academic stress and worries about future were the most common stressors experienced by participants.

Cognitive behavioral strategies drawn from evidence-based psychological approaches were then shared to facilitate participants in engaging in flexible thinking to avoid common thinking traps and alter their thoughts and perception about self, others, or situations that could reduce stress and tension. Practical tips for building resilience were also shared to facilitate participants to live a balancing and nourishing lifestyle to live a fruitful university life without cracking under stress.

The workshop adopted the concept of a human library, featuring guest speakers who were Peer Companions supported by the Counseling and Wellness Center and Ambassadors from Community Mental Wellness Education Service, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service. The speakers courageously shared their experiences of mental illness and emotional distress and discussed how they navigated these challenges in their personal development journeys. They explored stress management strategies while pursuing personal growth pathways and emphasized the significance of embracing flaws and changing perspectives. With the intention of fostering self-acceptance, facilitating honest discussions about failure, bolstering resilience, encouraging a culture of seeking help, and nurturing the exchange of wisdom among peers, the workshop provided an environment where student participants could actively engage with guest speakers and acquire valuable insights and learn from the shared experiences.

Mental health challenges can be overwhelming, and crisis situations could be particularly daunting for individuals experiencing them.

In this talk, Ms Sheri Wong, Psychiatric-Mental Health Registered Nurse from the Counseling and Wellness Center, HKUST, leveraged on interactive activities and case studies to explain practical strategies for identifying early warning signs, intervening effectively, and connecting individuals-in-need with appropriate resources.

By the end of the talk, participants were equipped with the knowledge and skills to make a positive difference in the lives of those experiencing mental health challenges, as well as promoting recovery and resilience in the aftermath of a crisis.

The workshop rides on the concept of Human Library, which featured guest speakers from the Peer Companions supported by the Counseling and Wellness Center and Mind HK Ambassadors. The speakers shared their personal experiences and challenges they faced in academics, along with the strategies they employed to navigate those difficulties. These strategies included changing perspectives, seeking resources, establishing peer connections, and utilizing counseling services. The workshop aimed to encourage self-acceptance, foster open dialogue about failure, enhance resilience, promote a culture of seeking help, and facilitate the exchange of wisdom among peers. Through engaging with the guest speakers, student participants gained valuable insights and learned from shared experiences, creating a supportive and empowering environment.

The workshop focused on attachment theory and its impact on personal development and interpersonal connections. It addressed common challenges students face, such as social media comparison, difficulties in being heard, fitting in, and homesickness. The workshop also explored the physiological responses associated with these challenges. Strategies for managing emotional well-being were provided, including changing perspectives, fostering understanding, effective communication, and recognizing the significance of small changes. Self-hypnosis was introduced as a potential tool for managing emotional distress in social interactions, with practical exercises shared. Participants in the workshop gained valuable insights into their own attachment styles and developed strategies to manage emotional well-being in various challenging situations effectively and foster stronger interpersonal connections.

As students transition into university, having a understanding, supportive and loving connection with parents can provide a sense of safety and allow one to cope more effectively when facing inevitable changes and stressors in the outside world.

In this talk, Ms Fiona Tsang, experienced counselor from THE COMPANIONS, shared tips on understanding and validating one's own emotions, identifying communication patterns, and communicating unmet expectations. Participants also learned how to appreciate and connect with their parents as young adults.

Fiona also facilitated guided meditation and shared her personal story on understanding oneself and one’s parents as individuals, beyond their roles as daughter/son or mother/father, allowing participants to reflect on their own expectation and learn new ways to connect with family and relationships as they move through different roles as a young adult.

Social connections made during university study could become valuable networks of support for years to come. However, students might at times be held back or overwhelmed by social anxiety - a prevalent yet rarely discussed challenge faced by many university students.

In this talk, Ms Tsang Ka Po, Clinical Psychologist from New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, leveraged on short clips to illustrate common features of social anxiety that often hold students back from making social connections and their struggles in building relationships.

Practical strategies and relaxation techniques drawn from evidence-based psychological approaches were then shared to facilitate participants in engaging in flexible thinking and overcoming social challenges. Interactive polls were also used to invite participants to reflect on their social goals. Tips to take small steps to expand friendship/relationship circle via initiating and maintaining relationships were also shared and illustrated with videos.

The beginning of a new semester could be a challenging and emotionally distressing time as students navigate new social environments. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP®) is a simple and powerful process to discover simple, safe, effective and personalized tools to create and maintain one’s wellness in your everyday life.

In the talk, three WRAP® Facilitators, Ms Artemis Leung, Mr Harry Chung and Ms Hody Lee from New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, leveraged on their personal experience and video about “Miracle of Arthurs Boorman” to illustrate the five core values of WRAP®, namely education, hope, personal responsibility, self-advocacy and support. Importance of pre-planning in navigating ups and downs of life were also discussed.

Leveraging on Padlet, participants shared common stressors that throw them off track, identified their personalised wellness tools and developed a daily maintenance plan to stay on track with their life and wellness goals.

Even when transitioning into university, a good student-parental relationship is still particularly important as it could make you feel safe, loved, valued, and supported when coping with all kinds of changes and life stressors in the world. However, people may go a long way in building or maintaining healthy relationships with parents while struggling in the process of developing unique identity and personal beliefs.

In this workshop, Miss Fiona Tsang, an experienced counselor from THE COMPANIONS, provided guidance on discovering what are the roles of parents and exploring our expectations towards parents. The roles of parents could influence our values, self-worth, communication styles, and relationships with society. She also shared her personal story on understanding parents as human beings with limitations and flaws.

More importantly, Fiona provided some practical tips on how we can communicate and connect with our parents effectively, including accepting our feelings and experiences, identifying our expectations, setting our boundaries, and making better choices for ourselves.. By the end of the workshop, students are equipped with important messages to foster positive relationships with their parents.

All of us crave a sense of connection and love from different kinds of relationships. Although we often gain support and joy from relationships, sometimes some relationships can start off or become unhealthy over time. Unhealthy relationships can bring us suffering and influence our mental well-being.

We are pleased to invite Dr. Nicky Yu, a registered clinical psychologist, accredited by the Department of Health, to introduce what are toxic relationships and the ways to declutter toxic relationships.

In this workshop, Dr. Yu delved into different types of toxic relationships that can exist in our lives and provided insights into how factors such as parenting and attachment styles can contribute to making it difficult to leave these relationships. She also shared some examples and signs of unhealthy relationships and guided us to build self-awareness and communicate our thoughts and feelings effectively to grow stronger and more secure relationships over time.

By the end of the workshop, students gained essential messages on how to review, identify and let go of unhealthy relationships, freeing up space for positive connections, as well as tips on building healthy relationships based on trust and respect, laying the foundation for happier and more fulfilling relationships.