A workshop was conducted by Mr. Anthony Raj, counselor, on 15/10/19 at the DB Hall, SIGA for the students of SIGA Polytechnic College.
Mr. Anthony Raj is a certified and experienced Counselor and Psychotherapist. He has undergone Leadership Training Conference held at Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services, UAE, PACE (Professional Approach to Christian Education) training for one year. He has also attended the first Athletics Clinic for Foreign High Schools in the National Stadium, Bahrain. Mr. Anthony Raj has also completed the approved course in Catechesis at Sacred Heart Church, Bahrain. He is a member of Evangelization Commission, Diocese of Chengelpet for Counselling the families and youth.
The main target of this workshop is to insist the importance of mental well being along with physical fitness. In general, people think that only a person with a mental illness or disorder needs to meet a psychological counselor for counseling and the fear that they will be labeled as mentally ill, but this is not true. When a person has fever, pain or other physically related ailments they do not hesitate to approach a doctor. In the same way when a person is feeling dull, depressed or confused it is very normal to approach a psychological counselor and this is not abnormal or strange. This workshop helped to break this taboo that has been there in the society.
During the workshop the students were given a questionnaire which asked them to identify the good qualities in them, good qualities that are recognized by their own family members and close friends and good qualities that are recognized and finally the good qualities recognized by not so familiar people. This the counselor says, “This is called innovative counseling where we help the youngsters to concentrate more on their positive qualities, which as days go, will boost their self-esteem. This also facilitates the students to approach counselor without any stigma attached.” The counselor also said that many students at the end of the workshop approached him and said that they did not know that they have so many good qualities until their friends spoke in the workshop about each one of them. They also assured that they will try to eliminate the bad qualities that were identified by them and their friends. “It was a successful workshop,” says the counselor “there are more sessions coming up to help the students to come up in life by guiding them in the right direction.” He also is confident that the students will feel free and open up as days go with ease.
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