Conversation
Notes taken summarizing small group discussions.
What Mental Health Wellness resources are available in your area and/or to members of your congregation?
- There are centers owned by other religious congratulations.
- We do not have any yet.
- In many congregations, people are not accepting that they need help, and also suffer from depression.
- Regular sessions and availability of professionals.
- None.
- We have monthly webinars on mental wellness which is being delivered by a member of the congregation who is a renowned Psychiatric Doctor.
- We have Psychologists / Psychiatrists who work with our Sisters who need help. For more difficult situations, we have been sending them to St. John Vianney and Southdown.
- Health institutions located around where sister live.
- Association of Religious in Uganda (ARU) has opened a Counselling Hub. It has been running sensitization programs on Mental Health for congregations, and it is ongoing.
- Counseling services, but not much utilized in my congregation as regards mental wellness. Psychotherapy, alcohol and drug therapy, psychiatric units and rehabilitation centers.
- There are Sisters trained in counselling who can easily avail their services to the mental wellness of other sisters.
- Only one participant said they have Mental Health (MH) resources which are accessible to sisters. Some in the group shared that they have Catholic hospitals which have a psychiatry department but because of the stigma attached to MH they will not use those. Finding counsellors/psychologists is even more difficult.
- Being from Burma/Myanmar, hardly any resources are available
- My Congregation (Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus, has a team of trained therapists and counsellors who see to the mental health needs of the Sisters. Additionally, Sisters are also sent to mental healthcare facilities run by other congregations or orders, when necessary.
- I shared that for the most part Sisters seek private counseling / therapy / psych treatment through their primary care providers.
- In my experience in the Diocese of Oakland there are several priest psychologists providing therapy. I have worked with two of them on the Kairos Psychology Group team. I do nurse health survey for the clients, men and women clergy / Religious. The Team is composed of a psychiatrist (Male / secular), two priest psychologists, two lay female psychologists, two spiritual directors (one of whom is the Director of Kairos and the other an OMI English-speaking priest who also speaks Spanish). The clients are referred to us by their Bishop or Religious superior and on a rare occasion via self-referral. Referrals are made based on 4 way assessment: Psychological, (dpecific tedting done according to perceived need of individual. Psychiatric, Spiritual and General overall health review of systems, any current diagnoses / challenges. Review of labs, imaging, (ordered by GP / Primary care provider), ekg, medications, health style: diet, exercise, addictions. Each assessor does interview, writeup and recommendations. Feedback is shared to group and principal psychologist then shares results with the client and their superior. Kairos was an affiliate of Southdown in Canada while the founder if our group was CEO there. He now has returned to Munich but still participates in assessments where Spanish language is required or sexual concerns have arisen needing special testing.
- (I didn’t give all this information to the group, only the name of the group).
- Counseling / clinical psychology.
- In Paris, we have places where we can see doctors and psychologists and have access to Mental Health Wellness resources.
- Based on Sierra Leone, there isn't much resources on mental health so this is a great opportunity for greater awareness.
- Doctors, group therapy.
- Counseling network is available if money is available.
- Counselling center in Lilongwe by Sisters who did a counseling course.
- Members of my Congregation go to Chemichem in Kenya & St. Anslem in England.
- In general, as a country, we have mental hospitals, and in other hospitals, there are nurses who do psychiatric nursing who tend to mental disorders.
- The hospitals and health institutions around.
- Guidance and counseling, one-on-one conversation.
- En mi país, y creo que en el cono sur todo de América latina no hay lugares donde poder enviar a los religiosos para su sanacion.
What are the greatest needs in Mental Health Wellness and how might they be met?
- I find myself in a congregation where mental health is not given attention.
- Self-care -engage in life-giving activities, relaxing, and resting.
- Emotional need- get connected with other, counseling, prayers.
- We have some elderly sisters in Korea do you have a hub in South Korea?
- Need more sisters to be trained in counseling so that we can be able to help the people outside and in our congregation.
- Identifying and convincing people who need it.
- Administration has to take needful steps.
- Sharing concerns with a trusted person or companion.
- There are many needs in mental health wellness which I will say the greatest need is identifying and solving the problems that leads to mental health challenges.
- Depression, alcohol abuse, borderline personality, hoarding, lack of self-care, difficulty with boundaries, excessive spending. We have used psychologists/psychiatrists. Others we have sent to St. John Vianney and Southdown and had some live away from the community.
- Superiors and sisters in communities do not know to handle Sisters with mental health histories prone to mental health issues. All sisters need to know about how to relate to each other to reduce stress and avoid depression in others as well as encouraging those with mental health histories to seek medical care.
- Giving Workshops/seminars and individual counselling. The Counselling Hub has been offering individual counselling for religious.
- Expanded training programs for psychiatrists, nurses, Psychologists, creating awareness to sisters, address stigma and embark on support for everyone.
- A well-structured leadership to coordinate activities at the country level.
- Financial resources to cater for transport to the wider community for Mental health campaigns.
- With the over emphasis on work/mission sisters lack personal space. Having to be always on-the-go leads to burn-out. Poor screening at the initial stages results in having to cope with personality disorders in community.
- Counseling, psychotherapy for the members.
- "The breaking down of the silence and the dismantling of the stigma around it.
- These can be met through targeted sensitization campaigns.
- Great need for ongoing support for which now with zoom and other such media there are new opportunities.
- Meeting a professional in mental health wellness, when symptoms are noticed. By being kind and gentle with the affected person, especially with Kind Words. Show the person care, compassion and listening ears. By also administering self-car, be in touch with self. Share your burden with a reliable person or a professional.
- The greatest needs are to explain the problems of the patients clearly even if the patient will resist to the truth and to find a way to help the patients to close this chapter of their lives.
- Awareness of the fact that mental health is just as important as physical health. Awareness of resources available and connecting with groups and communities like this for networking and getting the help needed.
- People who are depressed, anxious…. Therapy.
- Finding meaning and purpose in life.
- Burnout and depression. Decreasing the work overload.
- Lack of company, lack of personal acceptance. encouraging generative listening & self-awareness sessions can help.
- The need to reduce stigma among sisters cannot be overemphasized. We should encourage sisters to share their experiences and problems to reduce mental burden.
- Being listened to.
- Being compassionate to each other.
- Hay un plus de stress que las religiosas estamos viviendo en cuanto al clericalismo fuerte y la postura de patrones de los sacerdotes y ntro rol de cuidar la comunion y a su vez escuchar el sufimiento de la gente y soportar el nuestro propio.
- We shared about low-grade depression in our community among sisters, probably from the changes in religious life that are occurring.
What did you / the group learn today that was particularly helpful in addressing mental wellness needs?
- The presentations were enriching to me, not feeling odd or shy to speak out when necessary or seek medical attention when necessary.
- As mental health wellness is a divine gift and treasure, I learnt the need to pay more attention to my emotions.
- I have learned that mental health is not just for elderly people but in all the stages of life. Sorry I had connection problems, so I joined already just before the sharing and after the sharing I had to leave the meeting.
- The group said that in our community we have this problem and many sisters they don't know until it becomes worse.
- Openness and sharing is as important as listening to others.
- It's ideal to visit the doctors for medical checkup.
- Listen to the communication of your body and seek assistance.
- The need for identifying someone trustworthy to talk to who could be of help. Also the various suggestions on practical things that can be done to promote mental wellness.
- The need for great compassion, patience and the need for educating Sisters about mental health.
- I learned about the look, listen and link. Share difficult depressing issues with others and seek early medical treatment. This is very helpful for every community member.
- Sensitization on Mental Wellness and individual counselling.
- Compassionate, support, listening. To pay attention to my emotions, seek help and assistance when in need.
- Being there for others.
- Having the ability to seek help from trained Sisters and to be able to share with others if any challenges.
- To be able to take leave in.order to create time to rest.
- It was good to be part of this space where we talked about MH, which is an issue we often gloss over in religious life.
- How to address and accept the member either they are suffering with mental health.
- The existence of The Treasure for the Women Religious in India and the existence of similar endeavors around the world. Also, the possibility of cooperation among them at least at country and regional levels.
- First of all, I felt we needed to be brave in front of each other. Who would take the lead? What was to be the process? I regretted that one Sister tried to speak but time was up while others spoke twice. I felt we first needed to learn who we were and to what communities we belonged. And we needed a scribe. Even learning in what time zone was important. We were from Pacific to Atlantic, I saw Ireland, and Africa’s two coasts were represented by Nigeria and Kenya. Part of the challenge for Religious today is moving in service circles alone where the challenge to feel a sense of belonging of connection …. felt even through Zoom …. can be confirming and supportive.
- To pay attention to self-care. To listen to one another. To pay attention to the needs of one another. To be compassionate in all aspects and not being judgmental or condemning to one another. To be able to talk to someone reliable, when the need be. To take regular exercises seriously.
- One sister was very surprised to learn that sisters would commit suicide.
- To be sincerely kind with our words. To look beyond the action, but the source of the action, that is, the motive of the action."
- The way of conducting the forum was very just.
- Look, listen and link.
- Remain compassionate and vulnerable to those around us who we observe to be going through a rough patch. Create time for self-care and get help before it's too late.
- It is so important to be compassionate.
- Having a positive center.
- Compassion and listening are fundamental to address this issue.
- Generative listening, Being non-judgmental.
- We should learn to look, listen and link our sisters up for help.
- Listening and linking, and seeking help. The importance of opening up and sharing my inner wounds with someone whom I trust.