Counselling Corner newsletter – May 2024
Dear Counselling Corner,
| Read the Myanmar version of this newsletter on our website |
| The period after Thingyan is always the most difficult to be energic. It’s hot, the power cuts are worse then ever and somehow it feels difficult to get back into a rhythm after the holidays. In today’s newsletter updates on Counselling Corner activities, suggestions how to keep staff motivated and energised, how to get rid of procrastination and what to watch and read in the coming months. |
Topic of the Month (Men’s Mental health)
Every Tuesday, one of our counsellors presents Facebook Live, and the following day we hold a free Emotional workshop on the same topic for anybody interested. The whole month of May we’re talking about men, and that’s needed as they generally tend to be more shy, afraid or worried then women to talk about their feelings. And culturally, especially amongst the older generation, there have always been believes that men must be strong and able to face challenges. “Men don’t cry or talk about feelings”.
However, the current situation is not normal and therefore it’s very normal to feel strong emotions. The brain in the human body is designed to process these emotions and thoughts by talking about them, expressing them and share these with others. If one keeps all emotions cropped in, the limbic system in the human brain (the part that controls emotions) causes a blockage to the section of your brain that does the logical thinking. When this happens, people are not at their best to make well-considered decisions. And that’s what anybody wants to avoid!
It’s normal to feel sometimes stressed, anxious or depressed and if you feel like that, you’re more likely to believe that alcohol, drugs etc can help you to “calm down”. Be careful though; you might feel a bit jollier for a short period, but the emotions hit back afterwards, often stronger….
Therefore, a call for ALL MEN in Myanmar: start behaving as a real hero and dare to express how you feel. It helps you making the right decisions, make you more sociable and become a better family person. Try it and listen to our Facebook Live talks this month. No worries if you missed us on Tuesday Live: have a look at our video library for previous talks: https://www.youtube.com/@CounsellingCorner/videos
Reflection Journal – a good guidance for procrastination
Our recently published reflection journal has been received with great enthusiasm by people suffering from procrastination. Never heard that word? A procrastinator is a person who delays or puts things off – like work, chores or other actions – that should be done in a timely matter. It’s not laziness, as procrastination involves delaying unnecessarily, while laziness involves being reluctant to give the necessary effort.
The Reflection Journal of almost 300 pages is divided into 52 weeks and has a lot of space for the reader to make their own notes, plan the week ahead and also look back each week or each month to see what has been achieved on emotional level but also at a personal level, family or friends level and a professional level.
It’s ideal to continuously keep working on yourself and gives a lot of tips of things to do to stay mentally strong.
It’s an active, personal guiding mechanism to keep yourself mentally strong, motivated and achieve things; step by step, week after week.
Order the reflection book now for yourself, your colleagues or your staff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efCX8SmSZ08
Promotion till 31 May 2024: order at least 30 copies of the reflection journal for your team and you get a free webinar by one of our counsellors.
New Podcast: Your perspective – My perspective
Your perspective – My perspective is the title of our new podcast that will be launched on Sunday 19 May at 10 am. Podcast host Kenny asks each Sunday questions to a mental health counsellor about different topics that were discussed in the counselling room.
Follow us on www.soundcloud.com/counsellingcornermyanmar or on our www.youtube.com/@CounsellingCorner or www.facebook.com/counsellingcornermyanmar/
Enjoy listening, leave your comments, share with friends and let us know which topics you are interested in.
Individual counselling – who can benefit from it?
“I am not crazy, so I don’t need a mental health counsellor” is often heard as there is a huge stigma surrounding mental health in Myanmar. So allow us to unravel some of the myths….
- “I am not crazy”. That’s not the question for us; we don’t diagnose, we don’t judge. Nobody is the same and it’s good to accept who we are and to live according to our own wants, beliefs and capabilities. As long as you can handle your own thoughts and don’t get stuck in it, you’re perfectly fine. Counselling is not to heal from “craziness” but to keep your brain mentally fit.
- “Nobody understands me “It’s perfectly normal to have ideas and thoughts that are different from somebody else, the aim from a counsellor is to help you organise these thoughts so it can benefit you in your daily live.
- “Myanmar people don’t need counselling, we meditate”. Meditation is generally a very good way to stay mentally strong and it shows that “mind-fullness” is a very traditional Myanmar practise. We do see though that some people are not good at meditation or need some different tools and a bit of help from a counsellor.
- “How can talking help me”. The brain functions in a mysterious and much is still unknown. It’s clear though, that both sleeping as well as talking about strong emotions, helps you to stay mentally balanced and fit. During a counselling session we mostly use “Person-centred therapy” as a treatment modality. It was developed by the famous psychologist Carl Rogers and focusses on non-judgement and empathy while listening to a client and reflecting on the client’s thoughts. The counsellor helps to understand yourself and helps you find your own solution.
- “I am fine” – The question is, can you feel better then fine and achieve more in life? It’s normal to have extreme emotions at the moment and for some people, this can lead to anxiety, feelings of depression, sleepless nights, feeling easily irritated and angry, feeling hopeless or helpless and feeling daily that you need substances like alcohol, drugs etc to numb the inner pain. It might be good to start taking better care of your own mental health and a counsellor can help with that.
- “It’s too expensive for me” – Usually the biggest dilemma to overcome is not money but being brave. Counselling Corner has weekly free emotional workshops and accepts every Monday people for free consultation to ask questions. Counselling Corner also offers a “share cost system” so if you want individual counselling sessions, but can’t afford our regular price then we offer to share the costs with you. A shared cost session can be as cheap as 15.000 Kyats for a 50 minutes session.
The most difficult step is the first step to ask for help; don’t be afraid; call for an appointment: 09-784509916 (also Viber, WhatsApp)
Art and Clay Workshops
Every Saturday or Sunday we’re having in-person workshops in small groups that are an excellent introduction to mental well-being and start talking about your own feelings. Most people learn during the 2-hour sessions:
- That they are not alone in their emotions
- How to feel better by talking (and do this more often with friends or family at home!)
- That others might need more empathy and how to support them
- That maybe it’s time to start working more profoundly on their own mental well-being
Follow our Facebook page for dates for the next workshop
Books on Mental Health
Over the years, we have set-up a collection of books in English and Myanmar language that we happily share with others interested in mental health. The books are for sales at the reception of our counselling centre on Bogalay Zay street or online: Shop Corner – Counselling Corner Myanmar
Our own counsellors read a lot and have given their own reviews on some of the books. One of our favourites is “the body keeps the score” from Bessel van der Kolk who was recently named in the top 100 of most influential people in health according to Time Magazine. https://time.com/6968392/bessel-van-der-kolk/
Understanding Anxiety: watch this Netflix series
Understanding Anxiety: watch this Netflix series
Sayadaw Nandā Cāra – A Ph.D. student, revered monk, founder of Thismoment Zone, and prolific writer, bringing a wealth of knowledge in Buddhist psychology, counselling, and personal growth.
Aung Min Thein was happy to share his work as a person-centred therapist using mindfulness and from-here-and-now practice.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this enriching experience. You can watch the replay of the live event here. Let’s continue to explore the transformative power of mindfulness together!
Read the Myanmar version of this newsletter on our website
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 inquiries, please contact us:
Email: contact@counsellingcornermyanmar.com
Phone: 09 785 074 173, 09 784 509 916