Student Wellness Services Expand Support through Art Therapy and Group Programs

In 2023, the Healthy Minds organization reported that more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem. A year later, the same study, drawing on responses from over 84,000 students at 135 colleges and universities, found that severe depression symptoms had dropped to 18%. While rates of the most serious symptoms appear to be declining, there’s still a need for student support. ECC Wellness Services offers multiple confidential therapeutic support options, including one-on-one counseling and group sessions tailored to students' needs. 

Creative Expressions

Wellness Professional Cynthia Carlson, who holds a master’s in art therapy, launched ECC’s Creative Expressions group about two years ago. She incorporates art into her counseling because it helps students slow down, reflect, and shift their perspective. 

“It's a great way for students to relax, engage in that activity, get out of their thoughts, and reframe things,” Carlson said.

Activities vary based on the students in the room and their needs. She said it's more about the process of creating than the final product. 

“There are drawing games, but we’ve also done collages together where everyone has a piece of it, and then we put it all together,” she said. 

During each session, she will check in with the student and ask them to rate their level of distress on a scale of 1 to 10. She will then take three deep breaths with the student and discuss what creative activity they would like to do that day. In the past, students have drawn pictures, written poetry, or worked on art digitally.

Carlson will bring a range of art materials, including bracelet-making materials, chalk, oil pastels, markers, and colored pencils. She also teaches her neurographic art as a self-regulation tool.

“Usually, the numbers are way lower at the end of the session,” she said, adding that they talk about how they can carry this feeling into the rest of their day or week. 

Creative Expressions meets Tuesdays, 3 to 4 pm in Building F, Room 121. The last meeting of the semester will be held on November 25.

Additional Wellness Support Groups

ECC offers four other support groups designed to help students navigate daily stressors, build skills, and connect with peers. 

Adulting 101

The “Adulting 101” group, led by Wellness Professional Coresair Mack, focuses on helping students budget their finances, shop effectively, and plan meals. Students will often come in with different needs, and Mack will adapt to their individual needs, Carlson said. 

The Adulting 101 group meets on Wednesdays from 3 to 4 pm in Building B, Room 253.

Walk & Talk

Wellness Professional Laura Ramirez Del Rio leads the Walk & Talk group, which focuses on self-regulation, stress management, breathing meditation, and movement. Carlson said the group focuses on chatting and walking for physical movement.

The Walk & Talk group meets on Mondays from 3 to 4 pm in Building F, Room 121.

Charlas Y Conexión 

The Charlas Y Conexión group supports ECC’s Latinx population. Del Rio and Migdalia Perez lead the group and are both bilingual wellness professionals. This group meets on Wednesdays from 4 to 5 pm in Building K, Room 107. The last fall 2025 meeting is on December 10.

International Support Group

Carlson runs the International Support Group for ECC’s international students. She will have anywhere from six to 12 students at these meetings, Carlson added. Meetings are held on Mondays from 3 to 4 pm in Building A, Room 204. 

NexGen Health Professionals

A student success coach and Carlson lead the NextGen Health Professionals group, which acts as a drop-in study skills group.

In this group, they will focus on self-regulation to help students regulate anxieties and study skills in real time. Past sessions have focused on quick strategies to improve focus and efficiency, workshop space to ask questions, practice skills, and get support, time to connect, share, and recharge. 

The NextGen Health Professionals group meets Wednesdays from 12 to 1 pm in building A, room 357. The next sessions are on November 19 and December 3. 

“Groups are a really wonderful way to build connections with other peers,” Carlson said. “Sometimes, peers have better feedback than I might have, so that's why groups sometimes are a great resource for students to use.”

Individual Sessions

Support groups serve as a supplement to individual counseling. Students can receive up to eight one-on-one sessions per semester with a wellness professional. 

There are multiple options to schedule an appointment with a wellness professional at ECC. To schedule an appointment online, call 847-214-7390, or email studentwellness@elgin.edu.