Seongdong-gu Opens 'Youth Mind Counseling Center'

Opening Ceremony of 'Cheongnyeonmaeum Counseling Center' for Emotional and Mental Health of 2030 Youth... One-on-One In-Depth Personal Counseling, Group Counseling, Self-Help Meetings, and Activities to Enhance Emotional Stability and Social Networks

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, is giving a greeting speech at the opening ceremony of the Youth Mental Counseling Center.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) has opened the "Youth Mind Counseling Center," a specialized counseling center for emotional and psychological health management of 2030 youth struggling with large-scale employment difficulties and social anxiety.

The "Youth Mind Counseling Center" opened in May after receiving full funding from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It renovated an unused space within the Seongdong Youth Culture House in Geumho-dong into counseling rooms, meeting spaces, and offices, and deployed five professional counselors.

The center targets Seoul residents aged 19 to 34 and offers individual counseling, group counseling programs, and self-help meetings, lowering the psychological and economic barriers to psychological counseling to promote emotional stability and expand social networks among youth.

Individual counseling consists of one-on-one in-depth sessions addressing personal, psychological, and physical issues comprehensively, with at least three sessions per individual.

Group counseling includes programs in areas such as employment, stress management, interpersonal relationship training, and parenting. About 10 participants join to discuss their concerns and work together to find solutions. So far, counseling has been provided to over 100 people.

Self-help meetings form youth networks such as "Career Network Meetings," where young people with shared interests gather for study, information sharing, and group experiences at least once a month, sharing and resolving youth concerns and social issues together.

Mr. Hong (22), who received career counseling in June, said, "The greatest benefit of counseling was meeting friends who listened to my concerns and talked with me." He added, "Through this counseling, I have planned to enter Hanyang Cyber University’s Department of Youth Coaching Counseling to study youth counseling and guidance. It may be a small challenge, but I wouldn’t have done it alone."

A district official said, "We have observed that counseling participants show noticeably positive changes as the number of counseling sessions increases," and added, "As counseling applications continue to rise steadily, we plan to expand the pool of professional counselors and operate the center on a larger scale in the second half of the year."

The counseling center operates Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Youth who need counseling or want to participate can contact the Youth Mind Counseling Center directly by phone or refer to the Seongdong Youth Culture House website.

In addition, the district is promoting youth social activity projects and support programs for young artists to support youth social careers. In October, the Seoul Youth Center "Seongdong Orang" will open in Wangsimni Doseon-dong to provide customized comprehensive information on youth psychology, housing, and employment.

Youth Mental Health Counseling Center Group Counseling Program

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "Starting by listening to and empathizing with the concerns of youth facing an unprecedentedly difficult time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will work closely with young people to implement feasible, hands-on youth projects."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.