“I find traditional counselling very counter-productive. Rehashing bad memories makes it harder to let go and move on. Doing classes is educational, social and fun. I am more proud to call myself a student rather than a patient.”
We caught up with a student at ACL, Claire who has completed a number of our online Mental Health and Wellbeing courses. Claire has recently shared her ‘lockdown’ experiences on Epilepsy.org, highlighting the benefits of our wellbeing courses compared to traditional counselling and how they have personally helped her connect with others and feel motivated to explore further self-development opportunities.
“I would like to share my recent discovery. Ever since my husband started working from home due to the Coronavirus lockdown my seizures have reduced significantly. Having him with me throughout the day has been reassuring for my safety. I want to know whether my seizures are mainly associated with my mental health, such as anxiety. For me, traditional counselling made me feel like a patient who struggled to think positive or recover. I’ve started doing virtual wellbeing courses with the ACL Essex. Interacting with others has been social and educational for me. It has improved my mental health and kept me stimulated and motivated for self-improvement.”
At ACL Essex, the majority of our courses we offer are delivered LIVE online with full support from our qualified specialist Tutors. Sessions can be accessed remotely at home, with full support from our technical team if needed. Claire shares her online learning experiences at ACL so far:
“I’ve felt comfortable with the tutors who have taught me so far. They have been happy to re-hash over parts where I may not have completely understood. I like their presentation sheets that are shown on screen. I’ve given them feedback as to layout and using pictures and various colours helps break up the text.”
“I am more proud to call myself a student rather than a patient.”
Claire has completed a number of Wellbeing courses recently and has plans to complete many more.
- Reducing Anxiety & Staying Healthy
- Positivity & Stress Reduction
- Building Confidence
- Building Resilience
- Managing Communication
- Psychology taster courses
- Self-Care for Resilience
- Health & Wellbeing
- Goal Setting for Wellbeing
- Life Coaching for Career Direction
- Finding Direction & Purpose
- Rebalancing Your Act
- Personal Development – Be the best you
“Today another student commented on my experience and she said it helped her a lot which made me feel better.”
We are so glad that Claire has shared her experiences and is finding it rewarding being a student at ACL. Thank you for helping others understand that they are not alone in their experiences and there is non-traditional support out there that could work for them.
View our mental health and wellbeing courses
We offer a space to explore new ways to improve your wellbeing and gain valuable tools to help you navigate your daily life. Our expert tutors will be there with you every step of the way for guidance and support. You can also find guidance, links to support networks and providers here – Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
We love to hear about your experiences.
If you would like to share your experiences about what you’ve achieved, gained, and developed whilst studying with us, we would love to hear from you.
Contact us to share your story – acl.nostoppingme@essex.gov.uk
