Before even seeing a counselor, the calming effects of the newly renovated Trone Center for Mental Fitness can be felt.<\/p>\n
The walls are covered in soothing blues and off-whites, with some showcasing work by local artists. Large windows introduce natural light and integrate the campus\u2019s natural beauty. The new LED circadian lighting system can be adjusted to enhance the body\u2019s natural rhythms and promote alertness and serenity.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA beautiful, well-curated place creates a healing environment,\u201d said Allyson Brathwaite-Gardner, director of the counseling center, before the official dedication ceremony on Nov. 11. \u201cWhen you come to explore what\u2019s in your mind, you want a place that\u2019s aesthetically pleasing, calming, integrated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Aesthetics are the most immediately evident change in the counseling center, but the renovation \u2013 made possible by a $10 million gift from David \u201977 and June Trone \u2013 reflects a commitment to a deeper transformation, said Furman President Elizabeth Davis, during the dedication of the counseling center last November.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe space is beautiful, inviting and conducive to healing,\u201d she said. \u201cBut solving the growing demand for mental health care requires the center to serve as a hub of innovation in how we deliver care and how we educate our students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The gift funds positions, including a health promotions coordinator dedicated to providing programs, and education and support for students\u2019 emotional, social, spiritual, physical, financial, career, academic and environmental well-being. The facility also offers accommodations for students with sensory needs.<\/span><\/p>\n In April 2023, Furman launched Clearly Furman, the Campaign for Our Third Century, the university\u2019s $426 million comprehensive campaign. The Trones\u2019 gift supports the funding priority devoted to wellness, belonging and community. The gift also created the Hillel Endowment Fund to expand and enhance the Furman Hillel to foster a more vibrant Jewish life and offer students a welcoming place to form community.<\/span><\/p>\n In any given year, 25% of Furman\u2019s student body uses the counseling center.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to expand to that other 75%,\u201d said Tom Baez, retired director of the counseling center. \u201cNot necessarily because they\u2019re in crisis, but because of the idea of resilience. Everybody can benefit from developing your mental structure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to the renovation, which created several new rooms and offices, the counseling center can now offer group meetings and other expanded services, Baez said. And even the new name can reduce the stigma of seeking help.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Health\u2019 is a state of well-being, and we\u2019re all familiar with the need to keep up our physical health,\u201d said Davis. \u201c\u2018Fitness\u2019 can be seen as the activity required to achieve a state of well-being. We want students to be mentally healthy, resilient and adaptable to change in the face of adversity by being mentally fit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Besides counseling services, students also can take advantage of the online TAO Tools self-help platform and other support services, including a crisis hotline, said Baez. Students are introduced to mental fitness through the Pathways Program, and student organizations such as Paladin Peer Support promote well-being on campus.<\/span><\/p>\n Trone, an emeritus member of Furman\u2019s Board of Trustees, has made mental health a legislative priority as a member of Congress from Maryland, speaking candidly about his nephew\u2019s death from a fentanyl overdose. The family\u2019s gift included funds for the counseling center\u2019s renovation and established the Trone Family Endowed Fund for Student Mental Health and Well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFurman holds a very special place in my family\u2019s heart,\u201d said Julia Trone \u201912, the Trones\u2019 daughter and a school-based therapist in Maryland. \u201cWe\u2019re so glad to hear that this addition to the school has already started to make an impact on students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A $10 million gift from David \u201977 and June Trone supports mental health, community and belonging at Furman through a host of new offerings, including the newly dedicated Trone Center for Mental Fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":295,"featured_media":31422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2661,1963,2660],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-the-lake-spring-2024","category-furman-magazine","category-spring-2024"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30875"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32554,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30875\/revisions\/32554"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}