In this two-hour workshop facilitated by Alicia Partee (Clinical Therapist) and Sara Pestana (Family Therapist), of Generation Mobility, the participants had the chance to share the personal, practical, and emotional struggles they face as a result of relocating to Norway for example, or just life in general. They got advice both from the facilitators and each other on how to approach and deal with those struggles. The facilitators’ warmth, openness, understanding and expertise very quickly created a safe space and the atmosphere of trust and community for the participants, which in turn allowed them to express themselves freely, deeply and without fear of judgement.
Alicia and Sara, both incredibly skilled in their work and practice, were able to evoke authentic and deep emotions from participants with a simple sentence. In the spirit of privacy, we will not share the details of what was said and the powerful guidance given by Alicia and Sara, but we can say that participants acquired valuable insight and left feeling a lot more seen, heard and healed than when they showed up.
Alicia and Sara stressed that none of us should go through the difficulties of life alone. Seeking and giving support are very important part of dealing with struggles we face. Herein, taking responsibility for and taking care of ourselves is a very important part of our mental hygiene, in which ever way that need manifests. In addition, while we can all continue to do the best that we can, defending our mental health by seeking professional help should not be a stigma. In fact, we should be proud of it and it should be a strong alternative to feeling isolated.
Each participant came to this workshop with the hopes of learning something about mental health. What they got was much more and positively so. Words cannot articulate or do justice to the healing that happened in a short time or the safe space that Alicia and Sara so magically created. We are certainly looking forward to having them facilitate future workshops on mental health and more.
In conclusion, if you need some support and guidance with your mental health, or know someone who does, we strongly encourage you to reach out and seek support. Support comes in many forms, from friends, community or an online platform. Also, reach out to professionals who are experts in the field as they are there to guide and support. For more information, please contact the amazingly brilliant, empathetic and knowledgeable experts at Generation Mobility at .
