In February this year, the newly upgraded Psychological Counselling Centre of Shanghai Jiao Tong University officially opened. Beyond providing professional counselling services, the centre has also created multiple immersive therapeutic spaces, bringing light and strength to the hearts of every SJTU student.
A Quiet Place for Inner Dialogue: Individual Counseling Rooms
Entering the center, soft lighting and warm color tones help unwind tense emotions. The front desk is staffed by trained student assistants who welcome you with warmth and care. While waiting, you can interact with an intelligent robot or learn about your current emotional state through a facial emotion recognition system or skin conductance monitor — making invisible stress visible.
Along the corridor, nine individual counseling rooms named after The Book of Songs, Zhuangzi, and classical Chinese poetry quietly await their visitors. From “Mingxin” (Clarity of Mind) to “Luming” (Echo of the Deer), each name carries blessings of peace and comfort. Here, professional counselors accompany you as you explore your inner world and support emotional healing.
Discovering Treasure Spaces for Emotional Wellness
“Letian” — Positive Emotion Therapy Room
Stepping inside this light therapy room feels like entering a serene morning forest. Enhanced blue light at 480nm streams down like natural daylight from a skylight above. A smart color-therapy display shows ink-style animated scenery that flows gently through the four seasons.
You can select spring, summer, autumn, or winter scenes via an iPad. With color temperature intelligently shifting between 2700K and 5000K, nature’s rhythmic light changes unfold around you. Many students say that 30 minutes here feels like a spa for the heart — leaving them brighter and refreshed.
“Xiyun” — Sleep Therapy Room
With tatami-style flooring, the “Xiyun” sleep therapy space offers a safe and comfortable resting atmosphere. The dome-style lighting combines enhanced blue light with alternating warm tones to scientifically simulate circadian rhythm changes.
The walls are inspired by Japanese rock gardens, paired with calming ambient lighting to convey the wisdom of peaceful observation. Sit or lie down with soft music in the background and switch between Guided Mode or Sleep Mode via an iPad — allowing technology to gently guard your moments of rest.
“Zuowang” — Mindfulness Meditation Room
“Zuowang” may be the quietest corner of the center. This space fits up to 10 people and is fully covered with soft tatami mats to support mindful sitting and gentle stretching. Enhanced blue lighting and a dynamic aroma system work together to boost focus and ease anxiety. Soft surrounding lights create a deep, soothing atmosphere.
Settle into a cross-legged position while immersive audio flows around you and intelligent lighting slowly transforms, helping you slip effortlessly into a deep meditative state.
“Starship” Stress-Relief Capsule: Immersive Multi-Sensory Relaxation
The “Starship” stress-relief capsule integrates biofeedback, light modulation, immersive meditation, and massage into a 30-minute full relaxation experience that helps reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
Real-time radar tracking monitors heart rate variability and provides a personalized stress report — making stress measurable and manageable. The semi-enclosed cabin fosters a sense of safety, while natural acoustics and guided breathing lead both body and mind into deep calm. Many students say: “Just half an hour here feels more refreshing than a whole night of sleep.”
“Diechuan” — Sandplay Therapy Room
If creative expression is your way of healing, the “Diechuan” sandplay room is the perfect choice.
More than 500 carefully selected sandplay figurines — people, animals, buildings, landscapes — await your imagination. Touch the soft sand, arrange the pieces freely, and let your inner stories naturally emerge and unfold.
“Zizai” — Emotional Venting Room
Sometimes emotions need a more direct outlet — and this is exactly what the “Zizai” venting room provides. Equipped with an intelligent punching-and-shouting system, it monitors sound volume and impact strength in real time to offer personalized emotional-relief suggestions.
In this private and protected space, you can safely release pent-up emotions. Interactive guidance from the system helps negativity fade away through a fun and relieving experience. Many students say they truly feel “a weight lifted off their shoulders.”
Digital Mindfulness Hub: Emotional Detection + Sound-Based Healing
In the Emotion Recognition Booth, technology and warmth come together. With just a 30-second facial scan, the system interprets your emotional state and constructs a detailed “emotional map” across dimensions such as positivity, stability, and resilience.
Here, you can explore your inner world through interactive activities like Life Tree Drawing and Gratitude Recorder, play stress-relief mini-games, or study professional psychological courses. Earned “shell points” unlock exclusive classes and soothing music, while past reports are safely stored — making your emotional growth traceable.
Next door, the Sound-Healing “Chorus Booth” is ideal for those who express emotions through voice. Equipped with professional acoustics and vocal emotion analysis technology, you can sing, narrate, or watch clips to release stress through sound. The system provides real-time emotional feedback and recommends tailored healing content — from mindful guidance to music playback — supporting emotional well-being with care.
Beyond these specialized rooms, the center also offers various group counseling sessions. Here you can improve emotional management, interpersonal skills, or join mindfulness and stress-management workshops. Psychological health courses and seminars are also regularly available.
Seeking help is not weakness — it is courage, maturity, and an act of self-kindness.
Here, we listen to your story, and walk with you toward renewed strength.
Appointment Information:
How to book: Search “Psychological Counseling” on the My SJTU app or register at the front desk
Location: Area A, 4th Floor, Student Center
Service Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–9:00 PM
Author: Center for Mental Health Education and Counseling, SJTU Student Affairs Committee
Contributing Unit: Center for Mental Health Education and Counseling, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Editor: Shi Shujing
Translated by: Rebecca
Proofread: Zara
