Holistic Well Being (Counselling) Forum Events

Mental health Practitioner is a ‘powerful but vulnerable instrument in a caring process’ that requires attention and care in order to prevent not only the practitioner’s mental health but also negative consequences for the clients they serve (Butler, et al. 2017). Furthermore, mental health practitioners work in a culture of one-way caring that takes significant effort and energy placing practitioners at increased risk for negative outcomes such as stress, burnout, self-doubt and professional impairment (Skovholt & Trolter-Mathison, 2011; El-Ghorouty et al. 2012). Taking into account these facts the Department of MSc Counselling, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya Mangalore, hosted National webinar on Self-Care Practices for Mental Health Practitioners on 12th November, 2021, from 3 PM to 5 PM. The two hour session was designed with the objectives to underscore the importance of taking a proactive approach to self-care and to equip the practitioners with the awareness and evidence-based self-care practices that help promote practitioners’ well-being.

There were 43 participants (PG students, clinicians and mental health practitioners) across state. The modes of instruction were research-based presentations and discussions. The facilitator of the workshop was Ms. Vimarsha Jain, a practicing psychologist and certified professional supervisor engaging in private practice through a space called ‘Ritam’ in Mangalore. She is also a certified Remedial therapist for children with learning difficulties. The session was greatly appreciated by the participants and many expressed it as an incredible learning experience which they would look forward to have one in the future.