Counselling Receives Creative Support
Students across the College have created artworks and emotional expression tools to support the College Counselling Service.
The College Counselling Service offers free confidential appointments to students, providing help and support with any personal or emotional concerns they may come across while studying.
Support for the service has come from departments across the College. From our Art and Design department, students have designed a series of vibrant paintings for display in the counselling offices and waiting areas. Each painting features a positive phrase or saying to help uplift those using the service.
Pictured: Vice Principal Lawrence Magee, Art and Design Students, College Counsellor Aly Saint
Lecturer in Art and Design Jane Habgood commented: “The Art students were really pleased that they had been asked to do this project. Some of the students in the department have received support from the counselling team and felt this was a great way of giving something back for the support they had received. We have now decided that this will be a rolling project and are already designing new posters for the counselling offices.”
Students from our Foundation and Entry Level department were commissioned by the team to create ‘Emotion Stones’ – colourful rocks that feature words used to express feelings. These are being used by the team to help clients identify and communicate the emotions they are feeling.
College Counsellor Aly Saint commented: “It is important to the College Counselling Team that the room we work in and how we work therapeutically has input from the student body. The stones are beautifully produced and have already proved to be an effective creative tool in our work with student clients.”
Pictured: College Counsellor Aly Saint, Foundation and Entry Level Students, Principal and CEO Virginia Barrett
“The stones will be used to help clients identify their feelings and emotions, helping them to name them and therefore begin to understand their current experience. Stones literally come from the ground, so can be very helpful in grounding us when we may feel overwhelmed. They are tactile, of different weights, shapes, sizes and colours – aspects which can help uncover deeper thought processes that are less conscious, and can help the work in the therapy session.”
Visit farn-ct.ac.uk/talk to find out more about the College Counselling Service. Students who would like to book an appointment can contact the Counselling Team by emailing counselling@farn-ct.ac.uk, phoning 01252 407069, or texting 07392 765491.
