A New Script: Time To Talk Day

A New Script: Time To Talk Day

Some thoughts from Relate NI CEO for Time To Talk Day

I’ve been at plenty of workshops; discussions and conferences about mental health over the years.  Few of them have had such a keen focus on ‘connection, solidarity & craic’ as part of the script to create a ‘new paradigm’ for how we think about mental health as yesterday’s event led by the Mental Health Rights campaign group facilitated by Participation and the Practice of Rights.

Yesterday’s event at The MAC was in equal parts uplifting, sobering and challenging as members of the Mental Health Rights Group told their stories of how very personal experiences of tragedy and trauma led them to want better. Better for themselves, better for their children and grandchildren, and better for their communities. Those inputs also brilliantly illustrated other key messages of the event – the therapeutic benefit of activism, the power of connection and knowing you are not alone.

Today is Time to Talk Day, and yes, talking about how we feel can support us to cope better and manage our emotions, but let’s also talk about the systemic issues which are the backdrop to many of the mental and emotional issues so many in our communities face. Long waiting lists for access to therapies; over reliance on a medical model which seeks to treat the symptom and not the cause; a focus on the individual without fully recognising the wider system around that individual – family, community, workplace; and a failure to join the dots on the wider system which affects our mental health such as inequalities, poverty, violence against women and girls.

The campaign is encouraging us all to think about what our ‘new script’ for mental health is and to let them know. They have set up a web portal to hear from people about what would really address the causes of emotional pain and distress and help with healing. You can add your thoughts by logging on to https://www.nlb.ie/take-action/new-script-mental-health.

I’ll leave with you with one of the thoughts shared on the day which has really resonated with me

“Hurt people can hurt people, and healed people can heal people.”

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The service was excellent, my counsellor was really good at getting us to open up and helping us to get to the root of our issues. We have definitely improved our communication since attending.Service Attended Adult Relationship Counselling for Couples
I found the Relationship MOT an excellent method of focusing on how we work as a couple and just as importantly, where we need to work. It was professional, insightful and well worth the time. It has reminded us of how much we have to be proud of in our relationship and why it is so important to occasionally review it with experts.Service Attended Relationship MOT
I would definitely recommend using the Relationship MOT service as a bit of a check in with your partner. I thought how the counsellor was able to steer the conversation was very insightful and nuanced. The MOT reminded us about why we are great together but also the importance of communication and respect.” “Our counsellor provided an outside perspective which immediately helped us to agree that we needed to stop and think with more kindness and empathy for each other especially when stressed or pissed off. We both felt that our counsellor’s excellent and gentle facilitation was quite invigorating. So many positives!Service Attended Relationship MOT 2
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I felt the weekly questionnaire, couples with the counsellor's understanding of my needs help contribute to my own understanding of my mental health and needs throughout.Service Attended Adult Relationship Counselling for Individuals
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I felt the weekly questionnaire, coupled with counsellor's understanding of my needs helped contribute to my own understanding of my mental health and needs throughoutService Attended Adult Relationship Counselling For Individuals
We had four funded sessions and cannot express how grateful we are for the help, guidance and knowledge. Our counsellor was incredibly professional, and her experience and obvious passion for helping couples like us was exceptional. She helped us to understand ourselves and each other like we otherwise never would have been able to.Service Attended Adult Relationship Counselling For Couples
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