Counseling services provide outlet for students to discuss mental health
Written by Sam Bramlett, Photo by Nick Thomsen
The pressure to be creative and productive is intense, but there are ways to manage the stress. This Friday, May 3, SCAD’s office of student counseling will hold a series of honest, open and safe small group discussions on the challenges and successes students face when managing mental health.
Each small group will contain no more than seven students in room 101 of Morris Hall at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 am and 11:30 am. The talks will be joined by alumna Renuka Adhav, whose work is inspired by and expresses personal experience with mental health and emotional well-being.
Adhav received her associate’s degree in radiography from Florida Adventist University in 2009. After living and working in Florida, she moved to Atlanta to get her B.F.A in painting from SCAD in 2012. The transition from radiographer to painter was drastic and no small cause of anxiety. Renuka’s passion for painting became a method of healing for her while facing obstacles. She currently teaches classes in Florida where she uses art to deal with stress.
The conversations Friday will deal with personal struggles that students face in an intimate setting for privacy and growth. Renuka will share strategies she’s learned [from balancing her career in medicine and art] for successfully coping with otherwise damaging emotions and anxieties.
All interested students must RSVP for a small group session by emailing either Elizabeth Garrett, the Director of University Engagement, at egarrett@scad.edu or Chris Corbett, Director of Counseling and Student Support Services, at ccorbett@scad.edu and indicate their preferred meeting time.
District is committed to fostering a discussion on mental health within the SCAD community. Readers are invited to engage with the recently published long form on mental health, which expands further on this topic.
