C3A Initiative to Build a Supportive Campus Through PFA Training for CoEME Students

The Centre for Counselling and Career Advisory (C3A) led a capacity-building initiative for students of the College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CoEME), aimed at strengthening their ability to provide timely, humane, and effective Psychological First Aid (PFA) to individuals experiencing distress within their academic and peer-support settings.
Building on C3A’s earlier Training of Trainers (ToT) on PFA for NUST Community Service students, this initiative translates previously developed skills into peer-led sessions that foster sustainable mental health support across the campus. To this end, a trained facilitator (a PhD student) conducted a 2-hour session, introducing students to the core principles of PFA and emphasizing its role as a supportive approach rather than professional counselling, through interactive discussions and experiential activities. Students explored PFA frameworks, identified common reactions to distress and learned ethical and sensitive facilitation of group discussions, recognizing when supportive assistance is sufficient and when referral to specialized services is necessary.