I cannot remember when did I come up with the idea of organizing group counseling activities inside my school. The thought probably emerged since the day I cried for hours in my bedroom staring into the terrifying pile of homework in front of me. Even till now, I often thought about all those times I had spent in tenth grade feeling anxious about academics and the growing amount of workload. It wasn’t a nice experience, but one thing was for sure— if there was someone whom I can pour out my negative emotions to, growing up and all that pressure that came along might not be as difficult to get through.

It then occurred to me, what if everyone is seeking for the exact same thing —people to confide their inner emotions to? This is the reason why I started a mental health club in Huili School Shanghai and held group counseling sessions where students can sit in a circle to discuss common struggles under the lead of the school counselor. Pressure is something that many of us had shed our tears for, but all that pain will be lessened if we discuss about it openly in the hope of finding comfort from each other and establishing a strong peer support system.

Weeks later, I found myself sitting on the carpet of the counseling room, staring blankly through the window as the first group counseling session reached its end. The sky was still blue. It looked as if nothing has changed on this world. However, deep down inside, something has completely changed. All the negativity that dominated my heart had disappeared and was replaced by a sense of belonging. Even better, I saw smiles on the faces of the other participants. We all know that this is the first step to spread positivity and raise mental health awareness in the community, so less and less students will struggle alone.

Nobody shall be alone.

I guess, I had made a difference.