Global Mental Health
the teaching & the wisdom
To better understand the intricate relationship between our global structural, environmental and cultural dynamics and how these dynamics impact my clients and community, I’ve spent the last two weeks immersing myself in the Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery program through Harvard Medical school.
The program was everything I had hoped and more... I think it will take me many months to really unpack it all.
Here are a few of my initial takeaways:
The Teaching:
Enormity problems such as structural racism, mass violence and climate change make us check out because they are so overwhelming.
The Wisdom:
We need to care for ourselves in a way that allows us to stay present and awake to continue to address these critical issues.
The Teaching:
The link between climate change, viral spill over, forced migration or displacement of individuals and mental health is stunning, as we have seen this year with COVID.
The Wisdom:
Spiritual practices are an essential component to stopping and reversing climate change. We need to seek the wisdom of first nations people to help us re-align with, and support the rhythms with mother nature again.
The Teaching:
The degree to which women are suffering across racial and ethic lines on a global level is heartbreaking.
The Wisdom:
My passion for supporting all women across the globe to be safe, healthy, free, and to be treated with dignity continues to burn bright.
The Teaching:
Mental health is the most important global health issue of our current time.
The Wisdom:
Mental health counselors and therapists are well positioned to address and support change around these key global mental health issues. However, you need context, understanding and specialized training in trauma in order to utilize your position within your community effectively to powerfully create change at a personal, community, AND global level.
Despite discovering that many of these issues are worse than I had feared, what I took away from the program was hopeful.
As therapists and clinicians, we have our work cut out and I truly believe we are up for the task.
If you’re ready to become instrumental in addressing these global mental health challenges, I’d LOVE to support you...
Learn more about my FREE guide to Embodied Healing for Therapists, where we dive into embodied practices for trauma, anxiety and depression.