Seocho-gu Operates 'Mind Recharge' Mobile Counseling Bus

Mobile Experiential Counseling Bus for Youth and Parents, First Launched Nationwide in 2019 with Great Popularity... From This Year, Available to All Residents of Seocho-gu, Not Just Youth and Parents... Offers School Violence and Cyberbullying Prevention Education, MBTI Psychological Tests, Family Relationship Improvement Programs, and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jo Eun-hee) is starting the operation of the 2021 mobile counseling bus "Mind Recharge" to comfort the weary hearts of residents and students due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, last year the operation was not active due to school closures caused by COVID-19, but this year, the number of simultaneous passengers will be reduced according to social distancing guidelines, and the program will be expanded to include all Seocho-gu residents exhausted by COVID-19, in addition to the existing youth and parents.

Along with this, it was announced that programs such as school violence prevention and on-tact parent-child relationship improvement will also be revitalized.

The mobile counseling bus "Mind Recharge," accompanied by professional counselors, is operated in two types: "School Visit Type," which visits schools, and "Village Visit Type," which visits local communities.

The School Visit Type visits schools that have applied for participation and operates programs such as the "Friendship Recovery Program," which helps students naturally talk about worries that were difficult to express, as well as experiential school violence and cyber violence prevention education.

Starting from the end of March, visits will be made to Seoil Elementary School, followed by Usol Elementary, Seocho Elementary, Sindong Elementary, Seoi Elementary, and others, with continuous inquiries from other schools as well. All programs are operated with fewer than 10 participants to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Village Visit Type conducts personality type tests (MBTI) and parent counseling, expanding the target participants from youth and parents to all Seocho-gu residents.

From March to April, it will be operated on a rotating basis at parks in Seocho-gu, starting with Seomdeul Neighborhood Park (every Thursday) and Yangjae Neighborhood Park (every Friday).

Also, starting this year, an online (Zoom) group-based parent-child understanding program based on the personality type test (MBTI) is being piloted.

Residents who participated have requested advanced programs, and due to the positive response, the program will gradually expand.

A recent elementary school student who participated in the counseling bus at Yangjae Neighborhood Park expressed their changed feelings, saying, "I usually found it difficult to consider my friends or express my feelings, but after riding the Mind Recharge bus and doing a campfire in the healing zone, it felt like the heavy burden in my heart disappeared," and "I felt proud and happy hearing compliments through the Compliment Pipe."

Residents or schools wishing to participate in the mobile counseling bus "Mind Recharge" can contact the Seocho-gu Office Child and Youth Division or the Seocho-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center.

Meanwhile, the district's mobile counseling bus efforts have continued since 2019. It was the first in the nation to convert a 45-seat large bus into various experiential activity spaces, visiting schools and parks to operate communication programs for youth exposed to crisis situations such as school violence, internet addiction, and domestic violence, as well as parents experiencing conflicts with their children.

In 2019 alone, 8,000 youths and parents participated, gaining great popularity, and it was selected as the best case in the comprehensive evaluation of nationwide youth counseling welfare centers by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family from 2017 to 2019.

Seocho-gu Mayor Jo Eun-hee said, "Don't worry alone, and I hope this will be a time to find various keys while giving happiness to your heart through the mobile counseling bus," adding, "We will continue to develop more substantial programs for the emotional recharge of residents."

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