**Suan Sunandha Joins Forces
to Empower Peer-to-Peer Support,
Training Bangkok's Inaugural Cohort
of Peer Counselors**
On June 22,
2026, the Student Discipline and
Wellness Department under the Student
Development Division at Suan Sunandha
Rajabhat University participated in the
**1st Bangkok Peer Counselor Competency
Development Project** for the 2026
academic year. Held at the Somdet Ya
Patronage Charitable Fund Conference
Room, Rajanukul Institute in Din Daeng,
Bangkok, the workshop was organized by
Mental Health Center 13, Department of
Mental Health under the Ministry of
Public Health, aiming to strengthen
networks of core student mental health
leaders across higher education
institutions.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Somsak Klaysung, Vice President for
Student Affairs, assigned Miss Anchalee
Kanju, Head of the Student Discipline
and Wellness Department, along with
department staff, to attend the training
and engage in knowledge exchange with
mental health network agencies in the
Bangkok area. The opening ceremony was
honorably presided over by Dr.
Pongsakorn Lengdee, Director of Mental
Health Center 13.
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**???? Key Objectives: Equipping
"Peer Counselors" with Vital
Skills**
The initiative focuses
on building essential knowledge and
capabilities for students to act as
"Peer Counselors"—a
critical mechanism in safeguarding
student mental health. The comprehensive
training covers:
* **Preventative
Mental Health Promotion:** Learning
proactive strategies to maintain mental
well-being.
* **Creating Safe
Spaces:** Cultivating empathetic
listening skills to allow peers to
express their struggles freely.
*
**Mental Health Literacy &
Healthcare Rights:** Understanding
essential psychological resources and
medical treatment privileges.
*
**Basic Counseling Skills:** Mastering
fundamental guidance techniques to
effectively assist peers and execute
proper referrals for students showing
high-risk mental health
symptoms.
Suan Sunandha Rajabhat
University places immense importance on
fostering both the physical and mental
well-being of its students alongside
academic excellence. By equipping
student leaders with active listening
and foundational counseling
capabilities, the university aims to
foster an internal culture of mutual
care and support.
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**???? Student Perspective: Fostering a
Supportive Community**
Mr.
Phatcharadanai Jaikonkaew, a Law student
from the Faculty of Law who represented
Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University at the
workshop, shared his
experience:
> "This
training gave me incredibly practical
knowledge and skills on how to be a
supportive friend and an effective
primary counselor. I can directly apply
these tools to look after, listen to,
and uplift my peers in daily university
life. It has also deepened my
understanding of how to take care of my
own mental health as well as
others'."
>
"Participating in this initiative
perfectly reflects Suan Sunandha's
unwavering commitment to shaping
students into high-quality citizens
equipped with crucial life skills, deep
mental health awareness, and the drive
to build a caring and happy
society," Mr. Phatcharadanai
concluded.