Gannon University Student Counseling Services’ Relaxation Room.

Gannon University Student Counseling Services’

Relaxation Room

Meet the staff…

Dr. Steve Large

Dr. Jodi Giacomelli

Students have described therelaxation room as:

- an escape- “me time”- a moment of quiet- a place to slow down- a spa-like atmosphere- a peaceful place to rejuvenate

We encourage students to incorporate what they learn in the relaxation room into their daily lives

Purposes of the room…

- An adjunct to individual counseling(particularly helpful during busy periods of the semester, when students cannot be seen on a weekly basis)

- Can be used by clients and non-clients

- Potentially less stigmatic or threatening than counseling

- An opportunity to provide psycho- educational materials related to relaxation, stress, mindfulness

Procedure…

- Students are scheduled for 30 minute appointments

- Non-clients complete very brief paperwork, primarily assessing for medical conditions that may be contraindicated

- A practicum student or intern can coordinate the use of the Relaxation Room, including scheduling appointments and orienting students to the room

- Décor includes: stones, water, nature, earth-tones

- Focus on the five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, sound

Themes of the room…

Sense One: Sight

- Décor aimed at creating a calming and reflective atmosphere

- Students may watch DVD’s of serene visual scenes (beaches, forests, etc.)

Sense Two: Touch - Heated, reclining chair with built-in massage capabilities

- Area rug adds to the décor and gives the room a textural element

Sense Three: Smell

-Electric aromatherapy diffuser in which students can choose the essential oil that they would like diffused during their session

-Essential oils include: Peppermint, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, geranium and tea tree

-Each oil has different benefits/ purposes, such as: refreshing, relaxing or stimulating

Sense Four: Taste

- We have not yet incorporated this sense into our room; however, we are exploring the idea of including a “tea station”

- Students would be able to sip an herbal tea of their choice as they enjoy the room

Sense Five: Sound

-Students may listen to DVD’s and CD’s that play soothing, peaceful music or guided relaxation exercises

- Sound machine that plays simple nature sounds, such as: crickets, rainfall, the ocean

- Trickling water sounds from our fountain

Practical Considerations…- Heated/reclining /massage chair(La-Z-Boy brand):

$1,000

- Décor, such as: wall art, candles, stones, bamboo, fabric, fountain, lighting, plants (mostly from Ikea): $500

- TV, CD player, CD’s & DVD’s: $500

- Aromatherapy diffuser & oils: $50

Estimated total cost of the room…

$2000 +

In addition to the aforementioned furniture & accessories, you must also secure the room itself! We “got” our room by including it in the architect’s plans for our new office space whenthe university decided that Student HealthServices and Counseling Services would merge.

By the way…

Our relaxation room…

The focal point of the room is “the chair”…

The heated,

reclining massage chair

The view from the chair…flat screen TV to watch calming visualization DVD’s

Soft lighting…

Décor with themes of nature, stones, water…

Soothing sounds of water & nature…

sound machine

water fountain

An opportunity to learn & practice new skills…

CD player to practice

guided relaxation

exercises & various

handouts & resources

on relaxation

for students to take

One of our favorite book/ CD combos

Aromatherapy diffuser with various essential oils…

Conclusion…We hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our relaxation

room! Feel free to contact us at [email protected] (Steve) or

[email protected] (Jodi) if you have any further questions.

Enjoy the rest of your time at the conference!