Building a Haven for Students' Hearts - An Interview with the Elementary School "Starry Little House"

Starry Little House   A Haven for the Heart

Starry Little House Interviews ★

As soon as I entered the Starry Little House, I felt very warm. I would like to ask Teacher Zhou, is there any particular reason for this arrangement? ？

In the arrangement, we see more green. Firstly, green can relieve our stress, making us feel fresh and natural. Secondly, in summer, green will also give us a cool feeling. Other warm colors, flowers, toilet paper, and hot water are also used, creating a feeling of vitality and energy, thus giving a warm feeling.

Listening to you, I find that many people indeed have misconceptions about psychology, including myself. So, may I ask what problems most people come here to solve? ？

Almost all the visitors are students, with several types of problems: firstly, how to improve their studies; secondly, how to control their emotions; thirdly, interpersonal relationship problems; and fourthly, truancy.

Then What methods do you use to address these issues?

Different types of problems require different methods. There are many methods, including art therapy, sand tray therapy, ABC cognitive emotion therapy, systematic desensitization, etc. For example, art therapy and sand tray therapy are better for younger children because they are young and their cognitive level is not yet mature.

Can you share a successful case of psychological counseling?

The most impressive case for me is: Last year, a first-grade child had nightmares after the lunar holiday, waking up at four or five o'clock and unable to fall asleep. He shouted in the dormitory until breakfast, and then he was afraid to enter the dormitory during his afternoon nap. When he came to the Starry Little House, his teacher accompanied him, but he was still quite timid and could not speak clearly. First, I didn't directly ask him what happened, but asked him his name and asked him some other questions based on his name, thus relieving his tension and fear, and establishing a good counseling relationship with him. Then I guided him to talk about what he did at home, and whether he watched any horror movies. When he answered "yes," I used systematic desensitization. First, I asked if he dared to look at some scary pictures. He said no at first. Then I described the pictures, why they were scary, and asked if he would feel better looking at them with me and his teacher. When he said yes, I showed him some funny scary pictures and explained to him that these pictures were not that scary, and that they were impossible in real life.

What was his reaction?

When he could look at the pictures calmly, I asked if he could try watching a video. The video was silent, and we watched it together. When he said he dared to watch it, I played the video. During the viewing, I sometimes paused the video and acted it out for him, so that he wouldn't feel scared. When he had watched a large part of it, I asked him, "Have you noticed that when you run away, the so-called "ghost" chases you, but when you face it and don't run away, after a few minutes, the ghost runs away by itself, or someone else helps you, right?" When he agreed, I asked if there were "people" chasing him in his dream. When he answered yes and said he ran away, I said, "Now, do you still feel scared of these things?" When he said no, I encouraged him to face it and said that his dormitory roommates were his helpers, that he was not alone. When he left, I could see that the child's mood had improved a lot. Later, when I asked about his sleep, it was already much better, and he didn't have nightmares anymore. Of course, this child had what psychology calls "insight," and he understood quickly. Not all children are suitable for this method; it also depends on the child's personality.