About MHCC

Learning and development toward one's life goals require a supportive, stable, and stimulating psychosocial environment. With the growing demands and concerns of students from all backgrounds, as well as their various requirements and ambitions, a holistic and comprehensive guidance system in the form of counselling services for university/college students' mental health and well-being is essential.

Counseling is a procedure that tries to assist and guide students' personal well-being for a healthy mind and body through the support and guidance of experienced psychologists and counsellors. With the goal of addressing and assisting the student community with emotional and psychological concerns, the Department of Psychology, St. Xavier’s College, Jaipur has established a “Mental Health and Counselling Cell” hereby referred to as the Counselling Cell on campus under the aegis of the Department of Psychology. The Cell will comprise a professional team of faculty members from the Department of Psychology and a psychological/behavioural counsellor. The Coordinator(s) of the Cell will always be faculty member(s) from the Department of Psychology and all faculty members of the Department will also be members of the Cell.

The Counseling Cell assists students in better understanding themselves and the challenges that they face, as well as assisting them in finding solutions to their concerns. Personal, emotional, social, family, peers, academic, sexual issues of the students are addressed with the help of the cell members. Individual as well as group counselling is used to assist students with academic goals, social and personality development, professional ambitions, and improving listening skills, among other things.

Functions of the Cell

Identify the students that require assistance
Identify student’s issue areas or challenges, as well as their potentials and limits
Aid in the alleviation of pain, the development of suitable solutions, the making of responsible judgments, and the development of self-actualized persons in students
Conduct individual and group counselling sessions with students to solve their personal difficulties
Facilitate positive behavior changes, improving the student’s ability to establish and maintain relationships socially, promoting their decision making process, helping the student to understand their own potential and cope effectively with the problems they face
Boost the self-esteem of kids who are weaker or physically challenged
Administer, score, and interpret psychological tests
Diagnose students' learning problems and assist them in overcoming them
Assist students in overcoming exam anxiety or stress
Provide assistance in the proper management of mental health issues
Improve students’ achievement and foster a healthy and secure learning environment
Counter the stigma associated with mental illness and to encourage students to keep track of their mental health in the same manner they keep track of their physical health
Organize expert and professional lectures, seminars, and workshops periodically

Strategies of the Cell

Offering a platform to students to discuss their concerns which may be impacting on academic performance or personal health and well-being
Talking to a mental health professional can help students to get insight into how their emotions influence their everyday life
This cell can assist students in examining their issues and figuring out how to address them on their own. Counseling aids the shaping of students into responsible and confident individuals of the society
Improving interpersonal and communication abilities, a higher level of self-acceptance and self-esteem ability to alter self-defeating patterns and actions.
Assisting students from a variety of social, economic, and linguistic backgrounds in adapting to the demands of college life
Promoting the student’s development in all aspects of personal (mental, emotional, social, physical) well-being and academic growth.

Role and Responsibilities

Coordinators

Hold individual counselling sessions for students to help with any personal problems being faced by them (predominantly at an intake level to assess severity)
Organise workshops and seminars to boost the self-esteem and overall well being of students, especially those belonging to marginalized communities or sections of society
Aid the students in overcoming examination stress or fear
Conduct workshops to sensitize students on important issues pertaining to mental health
Conduct training program on counselling skills for faculty members
Conduct an annual seminar for students on addiction issues
Refer the students to professional psychiatrists or counsellors in severe cases
Develop a repository of mental health helplines for students, especially those who cannot afford therapy (E.g. Psycho-Social toll free helpline - 0804611007)
To provide necessary guidance in different spheres of life to ensure mental, emotional, social, physical well-being

Behavioural Counsellor

Organising, planning and scheduling counselling sessions for students
Hold regular counselling sessions for students who need help with any personal problems being faced by them which are moderate to severe in nature (both individual and group)
Administer, score, and interpret psychological tests
Diagnose students' learning problems and assist them in overcoming them
Assist the coordinators in planning relevant sessions and workshops for the student community in accordance with the issues being faced by them
Assist the coordinators in planning training programs for staff
Maintenance and regular updating of all counselling related data (online and offline)