The benefits of positive self-talk will be discussed Monday in the Effingham Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

The workshop, entitled “Being Your Own Cheerleader,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. by Treva Anderson of Eastern’s Counseling Center.

Anderson describes positive self-talk as “the messages we give ourselves about why things happen in our life.”

The main theme of the presentation is to learn the use and power of positive self-talk, Anderson said.

She will use handouts as well as a hands-on activity to illustrate her presentation. She encourages any student to attend the workshop because self-talk is something people use in their daily lives and anyone can benefit from learning about how it works.

During the workshop, Anderson will help people identify their negative self-talk and challenge it by determining whether or not it is always true. She then hopes to help participants counteract their negative self-talk and improve their self-esteem.

The presentation is part of a series of programs the Counseling Center offers each semester. A total of seven presentations will be held.

Rebecca Calabrese, a senior family and consumer science major, attended a workshop last year about relationships and found it very informative.

“I would be interested in going to another workshop put on by the Counseling Center,” she said. “They’re interesting and they give advice that you can actually use.”

Lindsey Starwalt, a junior pre-nursing major, said she appreciates the programs the Counseling Center offers.

“It’s a good way for some people to get advice or help they may not otherwise seek,” Starwalt said. “This is a helpful topic because many people have negative thoughts and some may not know how to control those thoughts.”