Though each eco-therapy event will be different, sessions have previously included mindfulness activities focused on breathing and learning about various plants and flowers, SACI volunteer and special education and learning disabilities senior Emma Bullock said.

“I thought it was cool,” Bullock said. “I can see how it would definitely be a good grounding technique to kind of notice and focus on your senses.”

SACI Community Outreach Chair Heather Nickels said the sessions are about being able to engage with things outside of trauma, including one's environment.

“The goal of eco-therapy … it’s kind of engaging with the things around you more so than what actually happened,” Nickels said. “With (other survivors) it would be more tailored to trauma-informed care, but just to be more connected with the things around you.”

With April being Sexual Assault Awareness month, SACI and the Center for Survivors are organizing an event on April 13 to highlight some of the key topics within sexual assault, such as violence against women and domestic abuse.

The event will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will feature a variety of workshops and speakers. Data science senior SACI President Sneha Sundar hopes it will be bring attendees new perspectives surrounding sexual assault.

“These speakers are going to bring their unique perspective, and also their research, to help the audience get a broader perspective in terms of the world and how (sexual assault) affects their lives.” Sundar said.

One of the featured speakers will be Soma Chaudhuri, an associate professor at MSU’s Department of Sociology. Her work in gender and social movements is linked by a shared interest in violence against women, particularly how institutional gender inequalities disadvantage women through the use of violence.

The event will have a space for organizations at MSU to speak about their missions and what they hope to accomplish relating to sexual assault awareness.

“People are welcome to find information about social justice clubs and other healthcare clubs, all in the realm of what they do for sexual assault awareness.” Sundar said.

SACI and the Center for Survivors also host volunteering opportunities for those who would like to get involved.

“The reason a lot of volunteers join is to really help survivors find their voice, and give them support,” Sundar said. “So if they don’t have anywhere in their life to go for support, we want to be the organization that gets them started to get support for the rest of their lives. So that’s how I see it, we’re really here to advocate for them.”