Being a college student is in many instances stressful and overwhelming as students constantly struggle to balance their time and energy between academics, work, socializing and more.
The Clinical Counseling Marriage and Family (CCMF) program, one of the graduate programs here at HSU, began Stress Management Support Groups after having a multitude of students reach out about their feelings of stress during this semester.
COVID-19 has caused many students to have classes move to an online format that is unfamiliar to many. Since a lot of classes and events have been moved online, students are not getting face-to-face interaction with other students or professors, which has been causing an increase in feelings of loneliness or isolation. There also seems to be an increase in the amount of stress students are feeling because of these factors. Amanda Cusson is an HSU student who works closely with these stress management groups.
“We wanted to start these Stress Management Support Groups to help students realize they are not alone in their feelings of stress and anxiety, and to provide a safe space for discussing their struggles and leaning on each other for support,” Cusson said. “Additionally, we use this time in groups to learn new coping skills for handling stress in the future.”
Joining a group is extremely encouraged because of how immensely beneficial it is for students to see that they are not alone in the struggle with their stress. They are able to openly converse with others about their individual situations and gain new insights from the other members as well. They can actively practice new skills they learn within the group itself as well as outside of the group in their day-to-day lives.
The groups are considered “open” groups, so anyone can join at any time. They will be held on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in Abilene Hall, room 213. These group meetings will continue through the rest of the semester.
If you have any questions or are seeking more information about the groups, email Amanda Cusson at amanda.m.cusson@hsutx.edu.
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