Students in section two of Social Work General Practice are hosting a seven-part “Healthy Relationships” series for a class project. The goal of the series is to educate peers about self-reflection, mindfulness, and healthy relationships with oneself and others.
Session one of seven, “Growing Into Your True Self” took place on Jan. 31, with the focus of learning how to enjoy time alone and build a comfortable relationship with oneself. The session was hosted by junior social work and psychology majors Genoa Arling and Alejandra Valenzuela.
“We all got to choose which topic we wanted to host our session on, and Alejandra and I immediately knew we wanted to do ours on self-love,” said Arling. “I think we’re both ones who enjoy being alone and spending time alone, and I think sometimes others don’t really know how to do that. So we decided to discuss ways that others can make time for themselves and enjoy that time.”
Example of Healthy Relationship Series poster. Photo provided by Genoa Arling.
Self-help journals were given during the first session, and all participants were able to take time in silence to decorate and write in them as they pleased. At the end of the session, emotion wheels were also handed out as a resource for understanding intrapersonal health and well-being in more depth.
The second session, which took place on Feb. 14, was hosted by sophomore social work major Karma Williams and Meredith Brinkman who discussed having a healthy relationship with spirituality.
“This is going to be covering how to find spirituality within yourself because spirituality is independent from religion,” said Williams. “We’re showing ways to delve into your spirituality through meditation, listening to speakers’ readings, and one of our activities will be a guided meditation that I myself lead.”
The next session of the Healthy Relationships series will be hosted in the near future by junior social work majors Frankie Hamilton and Sammy Shardo. Posters will be posted around campus with more information.
Hamilton says students can expect the next session to be geared towards a healthy relationship with one’s body in a physical manner.
“While there are many different aspects that can be reflected upon during this session, our hopes are to discuss the stigma surrounding excessive working out and unhealthy relationships with cutting calories being the only ways to have a healthy body,” said Hamilton.
For more information, one can contact Frankie Hamilton at hamfva[at]bluffton.edu or Sammy Shardo at shasma[at]bluffton.edu.
