Queenstown and Central Otago residents urged to register for free Mental Health talks
Queenstown and Central Otago residents are being urged to register for a FREE talk about ‘How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World’ by Southern DHB Consultant Clinical Psychologist Henck van Bilsen.
The talks are response to the impact of COVID-19 on the health and wellbeing of people in Queenstown and Central Otago, and focus on teaching people strategies to help them deal with thoughts that lead to stress, anxiety and depression.
Henck has already presented his ideas on how we can look after our mental well-being at lectures in Invercargill during Mental Health Awareness Week, and feedback has been positive.
The Queenstown FREE talks will be held on Wednesday 21 October (two sessions: 2-4pm and again at 6.30-8.30pm, at the Queenstown Events Centre. To register please email ann.kingsbury@southerndhb.govt.nz
All the signs indicate that Queenstown people have been particularly hard hit by the impact of COVID-19 and the talks are a friendly, practical and useful reminder of how we can guide our thinking to cope when going through tough times.
“Things can and will go wrong for all of us sometimes, especially in these times of COVID. If you feel stressed, overwhelmed, depressed or anxious, or if you find you are not living the way you want to live, this will introduce you to new ways of how you can help yourself.”
During his 40 years of experience as a clinical psychologist Henck has learned that lectures and short workshops on mental well-being can have a huge impact on the resilience of people and communities. He previously worked in the United Kingdom where he used the facilitation of workshops and lectures to reduce waiting lists for psychological therapy.
“For example, there were 350 people on a waiting list who wanted to access therapy, and by offering full day workshops we found that about 60% of them felt that this met their need and they didn’t require further therapy. By doing a workshop they were able to access help faster and in a way they felt more comfortable.
“It just seems a sensible way we can reach out to our Southern community as people deal with the effects of the pandemic.
“The talks are open to everyone who wants to learn new ways of overcoming ‘mental misery’. ‘Misery’ encompasses all the emotional and behavioural problems we can be confronted with: anxieties, depression, consuming too much alcohol or drugs, shyness, hurt, guilt, shame and embarrassment.
“We have identified essential skills that, when we do not use them, create and increase misery, through thinking irrationally, not using emotional community, lacking compassion with oneself and not leading a meaningful life.”
During the talks Henck will introduce the audience to the ‘bubble model’ and participants will learn to apply this to their own situation.