Counselling and Wellness Support

Promotion of Students’ Psychological Well-being

The Counselling and Wellness Section (CWS) has been striving to cultivate student psychological well-being, as a core element of mental health. Supported by the UGC COVID-19 Fund, in September 2023 CWS implemented various initiatives to enhance student holistic wellness development, including the PolyU Wellness Fund (student-initiated wellness projects), Integrated Counselling Services (an online ChatBOT) and the launch of “PolyU WellMind GO” (a novel mobile application). Other initiatives such as the Mental Health Caring Project, Psychological Wellness Workshops, and Wellness Ally, also play a crucial role in promoting awareness of mental health on campus. Together, these wellness promotion programmes and activities reached over 14,000 beneficiaries, and a team of over 50 student leaders was trained as a Wellness Ally in the 2023/24 academic year to strengthen peer support and advocate healthy lifestyle in the PolyU community.

Faculty Visits of Devising Psychological Support to Students

 The Dean of Students and colleagues from the Counselling and Wellness Section (CWS) initiated visits to six faculties - Business, Construction and Environment, Engineering, Humanities, Health and Social Sciences, and Science, and three schools - Design, Hotel and Tourism Management, and Fashion and Textiles. Over 95 faculty members joined the visits, which aimed to strengthen collaboration with academic staff on early identification of students in need and making appropriate referrals to SAO. The sharing sessions raised colleagues’ awareness of student mental health issues. Fruitful discussions on potential future collaborations provided for the betterment of our PolyU students physically, psychologically, and mentally were also held. A closer bond has been developed by introducing CWS liaison counsellors to their corresponding faculties and schools.

Positivity Project 2023/24

Supported by UGC Whole Person Development Fund, PolyU Positivity Week, “Soul-grateful”, was held in Logo Square from 21 to 28 March 2024. The event aimed to promote gratitude through a series of activities, including an Animal-assisted Therapist talk; Music Therapy and Photo Therapy workshops; and a collaborative Dustykid exhibition “The Gentleness Remains”. These initiatives inspired students to explore the power of gratitude.

Over the academic year, 30 Positive Psychology Ambassadors were selected and completed training to provide peer support and advocate for mental wellness on the campus. Under the guidance of counsellors, the Ambassadors demonstrated five meaningful student-initiated projects covering topics such as gratitude to self, nature, family, and the community. Reaching over 1,320 students in total, the Positivity Week emphasized the importance of gratitude and positivity, creating a positive impact on students' mental wellbeing in their daily lives.