The practice of psychologists is the one that most closely approximates so-called “Helping Behavior”. It gives us two of the most amazing abilities, namely: to impart our passion for it to others and to support the successful realization of the client in society, his personal growth and awareness.
Perhaps the most satisfying part of psychological counseling occurs when we look at the client and succeed in recognizing in him an independent, responsible, and coping individual who has found his sustainable place in society, realized his potential and weaknesses, and learned to live in symbiosis with these two aspects. What is the benefit to us of having been able to reveal the benefits of helping to at least one person? Besides the emotional well-being associated with the good deed done, we actually realize that we have reached someone’s core being. We have given them valuable information that, with our help, they have successfully read, extracted what they need, and charted a path to a better future for themselves and everyone they will help in some way.
“Each day, I am reminded of the immense value of the work we do when I see my clients grow and evolve, breaking free from the chains of their mental health issues. It is truly heartwarming to witness their personal growth and awareness, as they gradually overcome obstacles. Being a part of my clients’ transformation from feeling isolated and excluded to becoming integrated and empowered members of society drives my passion for this profession. The mission to support them in finding meaningful employment, equal opportunities, and social inclusion is a collective effort I am proud to be a part of.” – shares Vesselina Paskaleva, psychologist and mentor at Project L.I.K.E
Thus begins the struggle of the Hidden Likes Youth House specialists against the public court, which represents the part of society that accepts stigma but does not accept the different, thus isolating them and restricting them from their purely human rights. The stigmatization of people who present with mental disorders is one of the main problems faced by professionals in their clinical practice. Persons with mental disorders are one of the groups that are often approached with prejudice, leading to their excessive rejection by society, work and learning environments. For this reason, most people with mental health issues are left without education, work, friends and family. Many of the people who reject and stigmatize them, in fact, afraid of them or simply do not know what communication approach to use. In addition to ending stigma, the mission of Hidden Likes Youth House is to convey accessible and useful information to a broad audience regarding mental disorders and appropriate therapy. In order to give visibility to our cause and to make the public aware of the main aspects of mental illness and the possible therapies, we have gone through a number of ups and downs, but at the heart of it all has remained our desire to give support, resilience and empathy to guide as many young people as possible towards a world where they can be autonomous and successfully integrated, both in the labor market and in society.
The daily challenges faced by young people with mental health problems, depending on diagnosis and duration, are as follows:
- Imbalance of higher cortical functions (nervous system functions). Cognitive impairment and disturbed processes of human consciousness are predictors of the abnormal behaviors that youth with mental illness often demonstrate.
- Communication barriers. Speech limitations, inappropriate and inappropriate expressions are the primary antecedents of a complicated transition to employment.
- Demonstration of unconscious resistances. Maladaptive patterns of behavior, lack of motivation on the part of youth with mental health problems, and reluctance to engage in intended therapeutic activities, which create problems with therapist-client and client-community interactions.
In addition to the problematic aspects described so far, the main obstacles on the path to quality sustainable employment, equal opportunities and social inclusion are the following factors:
- The inability of conventional employment methods to meet the specific needs of employees with mental illness.
- The stigmatization and social exclusion of people with mental disorders.
In order to achieve our goals, we therapists at Hidden Likes Youth House use an eclectic method through which we are able to properly assess risk and develop effectively adapted therapeutic approaches tailored to the capabilities and cognitive abilities of the target group we work with. Therapy sessions with clients and parents are conducted both in a group format and individually. Some of the therapeutic approaches that we follow and implement in settings that include youth with mental disorders are as follows:
- Art Therapy: Through the power of the artistic arts, we are able to encourage youth to uncover and understand emotions, fears and thoughts hidden beneath the surface. Art therapy activities support self-expression and enhance the desire to seek solutions to problems.
- Animal therapy: Interaction with animals has the power to reduce feelings of isolation, reduce stress levels and stimulate physical activity. We have also witnessed the incredible impact interaction with animals has on the young people`s behavior. After a few animal-assisted sessions we found out that they become more concentrated and responsible. Having acquired control over the animal, NEETs gain confidence in their own abilities to look after and take care of something.
- Outdoor sports activities (yoga, soccer, etc.): One of the main benefits of this therapeutic approach is that it reframes feelings of isolation into a sense of community. Participation in different types of games and sports increases self-esteem and enhances engagement, social integration and improves overall physical resilience.
At the heart of our goal is our desire to create anti-stigma measures and to present young people facing mental health problems not in the light of stigma, but in the light of human beings who have the capacity to perform work activities and to develop.
And here are some of the main Anti stigma activities of our association:
- Providing career-oriented counselling. Through this type of counselling, we help young people in the following areas:
- To acquire practical job search skills; CV writing.
- To succeed in identifying their opportunities.
- To be able to identify their career goals.
- To start the process of planning and implementing their career.
- Actively promote equal opportunities through different types of activities:
- Organizing and carrying out Anti stigma seminars aimed at different audiences, in order to present accessible and useful information regarding people suffering from mental illness.
- Organizing and implementing open campaigns aimed at increasing cooperation from potential employers on labor market issues and providing innovative approaches to reduce unemployment for young people with mental health problems.
The fight against unemployment is a notorious problem in today’s society. It is viewed by state institutions from different angles and multiple perspectives. In the overall picture, employment is one of the most important components of a fulfilling life. It provides social interaction between members of society, a field for advancement and is the main means of earning an income. For people with mental disorders, at this stage, it is proving extremely difficult to find their place in the labor market. This problem is real and worrying because of the many stigmas and the general prejudice that those suffering from mental illness cannot be effective and useful to society. We at Hidden Lakes Youth House do not allow ourselves to be driven by prejudice and ensure young people with mental health disorders have access to education, training and employment support. We work to break down stigma and succeed in inspiring many people to become part of our mission. In the following lines, I will briefly but comprehensively share with you a truly inspiring story from my therapeutic practice at Hidden Likes Centre.
About two years ago, A.D., a 20 years old man came to the centre. He sought help from us at a difficult time for him, caused by the onset of a mental illness. In an effort to find employment and be accepted by society, heunequivocally and repeatedly faced prejudice. Through social media pages, A.D.connected with us and began to walk the path to self-acceptance, self-expression, and fighting fears. This happened thanks to his active involvement in various therapeutic activities, of which Art Therapy was his favourite. Through it he developed his communication skills. The results were not long in coming and after a year hewas able to find his place of work. I cannot describe the excitement and curiosity that was read in his eyes. His wish for a fresh start came true, but that didn’t stop him from attending the group therapy sessions. The main request for his continued attendance appeared to be related to a desire to support, encourage and inspire other members on their journey to change and finding the right workplace.
Prepared by: Loreta Stoyanova, intern at Project L.I.K.E
