On Wednesday, September 21st, SXU’s Counseling Center hosted “The Anxiety Education and Screening Day” in the Butler Reception Hall, starting at 11am and concluding at 2pm. Psychology students volunteered and helped throughout the event. The theme for this semester was based on the board game Clue.
The event had several stations explaining causes, treatments, and coping strategies about anxiety through interactive activities. There were also massages, food, and exercise activities for students. In addition, anxiety screening tests were available, as well as counselors to speak with to discuss the results of the test.
As in the board game Clue, students had to collect clues to discover a murder mystery and discover who had killed Mr. Body, with what object, and where. Students would get clues by visiting modules and would win a T-shirt once they had solved the mystery.
Many students attended the event and participated in the activities. A couple of students voiced their opinion to the Xavierite about the Anxiety Education and Screening Day.
“We like it, the people here are very welcoming and it’s very informational,” said SXU freshmen, Amanda Gilliland.
“I think it brings a lot of awareness because most people don’t know [that] they have anxiety. They just think it’s a phase and that they’ll probably get over it, but some people need to learn more about it, so I think it helps,” said SXU junior, Monica Lagunas.
The Xavierite spoke with counseling director Karen Shockley and counselors Carla Porter-White, Brian Kelley, and Matthew Marjan who all coordinated and participated at The Anxiety Education and Screening Day.
Counselor Kelley explained to the Xavierite that two screening events take place every year; anxiety screening in the fall and depression screening in the spring. These events have been hosted for at least 15 years with different themes, including The Avengers, the TV show Lost, and Inside Out. “The top two mental health issues in the country are anxiety and depression so it’s not an accident that those are our screening days,” said Kelley.
For counseling director Shockley, raising awareness on anxiety helps reduce the stigma of mental health issues. “People are afraid to talk about their own issues. If they realize that anxiety is something that most experience at some time in their life, then it’s not such a horrible, scary thing. Instead, [it’s] something that can be managed. Also, [it helps] to recognize, in yourself, when is the point that you should really get some help,” said Shockley.
Counselor Porter believes this event gives students the opportunity to meet the counseling team and have a better idea of what to expect when visiting the Counseling Center. In addition, counselor Marjan, believes that this event can also help students help their own friends or family who may have anxiety since they will know what to look out for and what to do to help them out.
The counselors were very satisfied with the turnout of the event and with the participation of the students. They estimated that there were approximately 150-200 attendants.
“We really hope students can learn strategies and handle their own stress and anxiety and also [gain] an understanding of what anxiety is and how it affects them . . . understanding how it interacts with all other areas of your life,” said Shockley.
To request counseling services, students can fill out the required form online or in person at the modular unit. For more information, you may call the Counseling Center at 773-28-3131 or visit the modular unit located between Pacelli hall and the football field. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Miryam Villarreal
Senior News Editor