Baylor Counseling Center Spreading ‘Hope, Peace and Love’ on Valentine’s Day
Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Feb. 10, 2017) – The Baylor University Counseling Center will host its second annual Hope Peace Love Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, with a full day of programming focused on mental health-related issues and stigma reduction.
The Counseling Center will provide students with resources and programs that fall under the themes of HOPE (i.e., suicide prevention, mental health stigma, depression), PEACE (i.e., anxiety and stress management, mindfulness/meditation) and LOVE (i.e., healthy relationships, self-esteem, community).
The event also features the Hope Peace Love Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Baylor Sciences Building (BSB), which includes:
• Healthy Relationship Bingo
• Make a Valentine, Make a Difference
• Color Your Way to a Less Stressful Day
• Love the Run You're With 5K Sign-Ups with Wellness
• Bodies 'R Us - take the body image challenge with fun activities
• Mobile Mind Body Lab - use interactive devices to learn relaxation techniques
Dunkin’ Donuts will provide free coffee, hot chocolate and donuts from 9 to 11 a.m. in the BSB atrium. Food trucks, including Club Sandwich and Pokey O’s, also will be onsite during the day.
“The main reason we are hosting Hope Peace Love is to serve our students in a different way,” said Monique Marsh-Bell, Psy.D., senior psychologist and assistant director of community programming in the Baylor Counseling Center (BUCC). “The BUCC not only provides counseling, but we also provide educational and prevention services. Hope Peace Love is one way that we can educate students about mental health issues and provide them with tools for dealing with some of the problems they encounter in their day-to-day lives. There are students who might be having some struggles but are not in need of ongoing counseling, and we want to help those students be proactive in caring for themselves and their mental health.”
Hope Peace Love also includes these events and discussions:
• Hope Box Raffle 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SUB Den (sign up to win giveaways and receive information about positive coping skills)
• Viewing of the Disney movie "Inside Out" from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the SUB Den (popcorn and prize giveaway included)
• "Understanding Anxiety" Discussion from 1 to 2 p.m. in BSB Room A.106 (learn about the causes and cycle of anxiety as well as coping skills and areas of support)
• "Sexual Minorities and Mental Health" Discussion from 2 to 3 p.m. Foster 240 (learn about the risk factors, prevention and treatment of mental health among sexual minorities)
• "Prayer and Mental Health" Discussion at 4 to 5 p.m. in the SUB Den (explore approaches to prayer as a tool for promoting mental spiritual health)
For students who might be unsure if they need to seek help or if they are unaware of where to go, Marsh-Bell said Hope Peace Love gives them an opportunity to gain more knowledge about what constitutes a mental health issue, learn about the services provided by the Counseling Center and meet Counseling Center staff.
“We also recognize that the student body continues to grow, and in order to serve all our students, it requires us to go outside the walls of the BUCC and meet students where they are,” Marsh-Bell said. “The overall goal for Hope Peace Love is for the BUCC to ‘be a transformative presence in all our students’ lives’ by giving them the tools, resources and guidance to restore and maintain their mental health.”
The Baylor Counseling Center can be reached at 254-710-2467 and is located on the second floor of the McLane Student Life Center.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.