Therapist Primer
The following is background info to create the primer.
Research
RESOURCES
The following are resources that have been collected thus far. A repository of future resources will be made available on Glitter Meetup online space.
- What is the point of revolution if we can't dance *
created by urgent action fund, looks into mental health and sustainability. Created after 100 interviews with 40 activists.
English: https://urgentactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/06/WTPR-Final-Book.pdf
- How to stay outraged without losing your mind
Tips for activists. https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/how-to-stayoutraged-without-losing-your-mind-fc0c41aa68f3
WHAT THERAPY IS
- Therapy is useful for many people because it restructures how you think and how you interact with the world. You do not have to be mentally ill to go to therapy.
- Therapy is a long process, not a quick shot. You can't expect to repair any damage in just a couple of hours. Its also advisable to start therapy *before* you burnout. Therapy can also help you with things like post traumatic stress disorder.
- There are different types of therapy and you should do your research before you pick a therapist. For example, some therapists focus on feelings, and understanding how those feelings impact our actions. Some focus on learning new skills that change our unhealthy behavior. What type of therapist you pick is going to depend on your situation.
- Surprisingly, online therapy sessions are almost as good as face-to-face sessions. Right now, this service become popular for this and are available 24/7: https://www.talkspace.com/
- Regarding how to remain sane while doing digital rights work? Its good to remember that you can only do your best. If its not enough, its okay. Your goal is to "do your best" in your most optimal healthy state. Its also okay to ask for help or tap out from time to time, and only do the amount you can handle. Doing something, no matter how small you think it is, is better than doing nothing. Individuals should also try to lower your expectations of your work. You can't personally change global societal structures, but you can be really helpful to the people you are helping. If you feel like you are not doing enough, you may be carrying too much weight.
THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT
- Large percentage of folks have stated that mental health both of their communities and themselves is incredibly important. However, they are dealing with barriers to getting help:
1) It is difficult for some to identify a model of assistance that works. In addition, services are too pricey for some people to prioritize therapy. In some countries, therapists are hard to come by, and people look at other avenues.
2) There exists cultural specific misconceptions about therapy. In some places, people equate it with being mentally ill or associate it with upper class.
- Several people mentioned feeling as though they are put into a pseudo-therapist position, especially if they are serving as some type of "social interaction" node. This causes feelings of anxiety, as they dont know if they are making the right decision, struggle with understanding how to best help, or how to setup up healthy boundaries. For example, in trainings or risk assessment activities, things can some times become emotional, especially if individuals start sharing certain experiences.
- Many people get overwhelmed with the felling that they are not doing enough, and directly impacts their well being. This is because at times it feels as though we are fighting an uphill battle, with new threats always emerging, and not being able to gauge if things are actually getting better.
- Some folks that have gone to therapy, have had difficulty sharing their experience or explaining the context they work in. They also are nervous about therapist's lack of security/privacy protections.
- Folks want to know if there is a way to do a psychology audit/assesment when working with groups.
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