It has been a busy period for us all at Counselling Corner. Over the last month our founder Aung Min Thein was invited as a speaker at the International Counselling Convention 2022 (www.icc2022.my) in Malaysia, we initialised with Mandalay FM radio regular talk about mental health and we finalished a first time ever research on depression in Myanmar using the international PHQ-9 method (if you haven’t done the test yet please fill it in here for future data research and for your own benefit: https://forms.gle/bHt8fXA5zabqtxBP8
Besides that, we trained almost 100 people during the last month in counselling skills including in remote areas in Rakhine and Kayah state, reached hundred of people through emotional and clay workshops and got these people to start talking about their emotions.
Our new website is starting to look better and better (www.counsellingcornermyanmar.com) and we initialised new research programs with the Dutch university of applied science in Eindhoven. In December we’re launching a series of free clay workshops in Mandalay and our gratitude journal is available in bookshops in Mandalay and Yangon.
We hope our newsletter helps a bit to mentally support colleagues, family and friends. During this challenging period we are open from Monday till Saturday (and Sunday’s on request) and operating online through Zoom application or face to face at our counselling centre on Bogalay Zay Street. Please do contact us if you need any help or have questions.
The Anxiety Cycle: How to Break Out of It
it’s important to know your emotional triggers (and how to deal with them).
The 4 stages of anxiety cycle
Stage 1. Feeling anxious and wanting to deal with it.
Stage 2. Attempting to avoid the situation.
Stage 3. Feeling a temporary sense of relief
Stage 4. Returning to a state of heightened anxiety.
Tips to break the anxiety cycle
- Being mindful and present
- Doing physical and breathing exercises
- Having positive affirmations
- Confronting your thoughts (e.g., “Am I leading with feelings or facts?” “What evidence do I have that what I’m thinking is true?”)
- Reminding yourself that what you’re feeling is impermanent
- Considering therapy
Remember, if you need help managing your anxiety, you can always connect with any mental health professional for more guidance.
Do you need a relationship detox?
Toxic relationships can exist in just about any context, from the playground to the boardroom to the bedroom. You may even deal with toxic relationships among your family members. Toxic relationships can have a damaging impact on people’s emotional and mental health, though these health hazards are often quite hidden. Common facts found in any toxic relationship are –
- Lack of support or communication
- Manipulative
- Abusive/bully
- Aggressive
- Dishonesty/Untrustworthy
- Disrespect
- Constant stress
- Lack of self-care
- Hoping for change
- Walking on eggshell
Unhealthy relationships may contribute to a toxic social environment that can lead to stress, depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Toxicity can exist in any relationship, including those with family, friends, or coworkers.
Coping With Toxic Relationships
- Practice healthy communication
- Focus on self-Love
- Find support and don’t be shy
- Repeat affirmations
- Allow some rest
- Seek Professional Help From a Therapist
A very powerful way to focus on your own thoughts and emotions
Do you know touching clay induces stimulating neural input from our sensory senses ? Our clay workshop mainly focus on giving participants the opportunity to describe any and every non-verbal modes of expression via a flexible object. In counselling, by using clay, it allows the counsellors slowly to unfold procedural, non-verbal representations, especially when it involves participants who have a hard time to talk feelings and emotions. On 14 and 20 Nov, Counselling Corner organised 6 clay workshops with Doh Eain and Myanmar Institute of Theology (MIT).
Memory Link – Clay Workshop at MIT
Memory Link – Clay Workshop at Doh Eain
Interested to organise a clay workshop for your staffs, family and friends? Get in touch with us!
Why it is useful to study Basic Counselling Skills ?
Do you want an opportunity for Self-Exploration and Self-Discovery in lifetime ? Sometimes, we don’t know about ourselves and we don’t think about our personality, values, and beliefs deeply. As a result, it leads to decrease self-awareness and insight into our own role in the problems we may be facing. The only thing we have to change is “awareness” It encourages us to embark on a personal journey toward personal growth. By studying the fundamental thing of counselling, you may enjoy a safe, non-judgmental, warm, and caring environment plus empathetic understanding, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness. If you’re eager to remove your insecurity about appearance, abilities, skills, or personality traits in your lifetime, register here : https://forms.gle/6HQwB22Hpv9gFrHz5
Please do share / like and contact us if you have any questions or suggestions on the above or want to know more about our services. We want to make it easier for people to talk about mental well-being and we need help from all organizations in Myanmar to discuss mental well-being openly with your team and work on improving it.
For enquirers please contact us:
Email : info@counsellingcornermyanmar.com/ talk-to-us@counsellingcornermyanmar.com
Phone : 09 785 074 173, 09 784 509 916