Understanding & Designing your Mental Health Plan
Mental health has become more important than ever, with more and more human rights defenders facing intense adversity and stress. Many people have limited understanding of what mental health services are and the different pathways of healing that can exist. This is further complicated by cultural barriers, such as norms that prevent people from prioritizing their mental health.
Mathero Nkhalamba demystified mental health, helping individuals understand:
- The types of practices and methods available (therapy, counseling, mediation, etc) with an eye towards cultural and religious considerations
- How to create goals for your own mental health plan
- Why self-care and mental health is important to you and your work
Bio: Mathero Nkhalamba (she/her) has extensive experience living and working in various countries, from Malawi to Wales, allowing her to approach this discussion from a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. Mathero started her career as a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Malawi. She holds a PhD in Psychology from Rhodes University, South Africa and a Masters in Foundation of Clinical Psychology from Bangor University, Wales. She is also trained in trauma recovery. She provides consultations to various organizations working in high risk contexts, and works with survivors of violence, people living with HIV and university students. Her primary orientation is in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which entails helping individuals identify beliefs or thinking patterns that sustain their distress, while instilling healthy coping styles and building resilience to face challenges.
Resources from Session:
https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/mental-health-maintenance-plan.pdf
https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/self-care-assessment.pdf
