Initiative to help students overcome stress

Orientation programmes to be held in schools, colleges

Director of Psy Academy and Counselling Service and psychologist V. Harilakshmi conducting a career counselling session for school children in Visakhapatnam.

Identifying the need to impart life skills and strengthen emotional intelligence among young minds and help them effectively deal with stress and negative emotions, Psy Academy and Counselling Service (PACS) is gearing up to conduct free orientation programmes in schools and colleges, starting next month.

The target is to reach out to over 70 educational institutions in six months with a well-defined timetable drawn for the purpose. With each session lasting for about one-and-a-half hours, the workshop aims at covering several components.

From aligning career goals based on one’s interest and abilities to coping with peer pressure and criticism, improving communication and interpersonal skills to problem solving and decision making skills, recovering quickly from stress to enhancing emotional intelligence and ironing out hurdles faced by students during their academic life, the programme intends to assist students to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

“With a number of students being pushed into a career zone they are least interested in, this kind of workshop will motivate them to carve a career path based on their interest and abilities. The focus is to make parents understand that medicine and engineering are not the only available options for their children but evolving fields such as journalism and photography can also be considered future prospects,” reasons V. Harilakshmi, Director of PACS and psychologist.

According to her, a majority of students are influenced by parental pressure while choosing their domains. “This coupled with peer pressure and inability to meet parents’ expectations force the younger generation to take extreme steps. A series of customised orientation programmes aid in handling these issues,” adds Dr. Harilakshmi.

As part of the future endeavours, experts and trainers of the academy will reach out to parents and corporate employees through tailor-made counselling sessions. The academy trainers can be contacted at rehalki@gmail.com.

Orientation programmes to be held in schools, colleges, starting next month