To strengthen mental health education for international students and assist them in better adapting to the cross-cultural environment while enhancing psychological resilience, International Education School recently launched and successfully concluded the first session of 2026 spring"HeartLink Bridge" group psychological counseling series. Over the three-week period, with one session per week, the group embarked on a warm journey from "ice-breaking and acquaintance" to "emotional adjustment" and finally "support and growth."
The first session, themed "Ice-Breaking and Anchoring: My 'Cultural Map' at ZUEL," guided students in drawing and sharing their "cross-cultural ECGs" and collaboratively establishing a group contract. From the initial excitement of arrival to the lows caused by language barriers, and then the joy of making friends, the similar fluctuations and resonant experiences depicted in their ECGs deepened understanding and consensus among group members.
The second session, titled "Emotional 'Traffic Lights': Coping with Stress and Conflict," guided students to identify their genuine feelings from the past week and deepened their understanding of different emotions through an "Emotion Undercover" game. During the craft segment, each member created their own "Emotion Cup" and learned three practical regulation techniques: the "3-3-6" breathing method, the "5-4-3-2-1" grounding technique, and the "Three Phrases for Emotional Pause."
The third session, themed "From Adaptation to Growth: Mapping My Social Support Network," involved members taking an MBTI test, interpreting and sharing their personality traits and career inclinations. They then created a "Treasure Chest" and "Support Tree," combining their internal strengths and external support systems. Finally, the three-week program concluded warmly with a "Relay of Blessings," as everyone held postcards with encouraging messages and gifts.
Through three consecutive weeks of activities, the first cohort of the "HeartLink Bridge" program showed significant improvement in emotional recognition and regulation abilities. They gained clearer self-awareness and career direction through MBTI personality exploration, and the trust and mutual support within the group became a warm pillar for their study abroad journey in China.
