THE LA CONSOLACION Bacolod has launched an advocacy program for mental health amid the ongoing economic and social crisis brought by the Covid19 pandemic.

The advocacy program provides a series of webinars on mental health with ‘therapeutic, stress-relieving activities’ scheduled for the entire school year until June 2021.

President Maria Garcia said that among the pillars of the school’s continuity plan is to provide mental health support for students, faculty, staff and even parents who are bearing the brunt of the crisis.

Vice President for Personnel and Alumni Relations Romela Aujero said that the program aims “to educate people on the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, strategies to manage stress, and develop coping abilities.”

The program, handled by psychologists and guidance counselors, will provide online and tele-counseling services.

VP for Academic Affairs Joan Infante addressed the school’s faculty and personnel stressing the need to notice their thoughts and how it can influence emotions that guide their behavior.

“I am not a mental health expert, yet I am convinced that our actions are directed by our thoughts. Our words are an outcome of what we feel and think. Thus, our outward expressions are all a product of our minds,” Infante said.

Infante also called on the faculty and personnel to be mindful of their thoughts especially amid the Covid19 situation which can induce fear.

“We are thinking beings, and just as our physical bodies become what we feed it, so do our minds become what we feed it daily.  During crisis situations, our perception could be blurred and events could be blown out of proportion. How do we counter this? Let us remember that we do not exist in a vacuum,” Infante said.

“Our minds, our thoughts, our ideas are influenced by the company we keep, by the stories we hear, the videos and shows we watch, and the articles we read. Thus, if we read our minds with negativity, we can expect it engulfing our thoughts and actions. On the other hand, life’s colors become brighter, a crisis becomes an opportunity, a seeming defeat becomes an occasion for growth, if we are suffused with positivity,” she added.

A recording of the webinar sponsored by the Asian Psychological Services and Assessment on ‘Ensuring Mental Wellness During Distance Learning’ will be the first to be shown of the series of webinars for November.