Voices, Votes, and Vitality: Managing the Election Season for College Counselors

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 - 12pm-2pm EST

2 CE for APA & NBCC

Program Title: Voices, Votes, and Vitality: Managing the Election Season for College Counselors

Audience: This session is designed for college counselors and all licensed mental health professionals that work with college students

Presenters:

Jeni Beckman, LPC, ACS, RPT, NCC
Bachelor of Arts, Tulane University
Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Johns Hopkins University
PhD Candidate in Counselor Education, Mercer University

Program Abstract: Counselors who support college students will explore strategies to support student wellbeing and maintain their own vitality during the heightened stress of election season. As political tensions rise, counselors face unique challenges in addressing sociopolitical stress and election distress among their student population. This workshop will equip participants to empower students and sustain their own resilience during this time. Participants will explore techniques to help students find meaning, purpose, and connection amidst political turbulence. We'll discuss methods for supporting student advocacy, engaging in self-care, and making sense of a complex world. Simultaneously, counselors will learn practical tools to recognize and mitigate secondary trauma, vicarious traumatization, and burnout in themselves. The session will provide tools for maintaining professional objectivity while supporting students across the political spectrum. Attendees will leave with a comprehensive action plan for promoting mental health and resilience - for both students and themselves - before, during, and after the election.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Implement strategies to support student wellbeing during election season, including techniques for helping students find meaning and purpose, balance political engagement with self-care, advocate effectively, and navigate social media responsibly.
2. Develop a comprehensive self-care plan to recognize and mitigate personal vulnerability to secondary trauma, vicarious traumatization, and burnout related to election season stressors, while maintaining professional objectivity and avoiding countertransference.
3. Integrate evidence-based approaches to manage college counselor and student wellbeing before, during, and after the election