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Building the resilience to cope

Daryna ZadvirnaNarrogin Observer
The Daring Way mental health support workshop group with facilitators Sue Crock and Julie Loveny.
Camera IconThe Daring Way mental health support workshop group with facilitators Sue Crock and Julie Loveny. Credit: Daryna Zadvirna

Locals received lessons in building resilience and self-care from the Mental Illness Fellowship of WA last week.

As a part of Mental Health Week and Carers’ Week, the two-day Daring Way workshop touched on topics such as vulnerability, courage, shame and worthiness and how it affected our lives.

Facilitators Sue Crock and Julie Loveny said the workshop was based on preventative measures outlined by renowned research professor, author and TED Talk speaker Brené Brown.

“People in rural and remote areas are more at risk, so that’s why workshops like this are really important,” Ms Lovney said.

According to Ms Loveny, the feedback received from the group was inspiring.

“Most courses tell you the ‘what’ part of mental health — this felt more like a vaccination against falling into mental health holes and I really believe prevention is better than cure,” one attendee said.

Another attendee praised the workshop and said more needed to be put in place.

“I feel it’s profoundly important for everyone, particularly people in caring or support roles to have opportunities to learn about the importance of self-care, self-compassion and support systems to prevent burnout,” they said.

MIFWA is a non-for-profit organisation which provides rural services to people with mental illnesses and their carers.

MIFWA carer support officer Trudy Young, who organised the event, said the majority of programs involved staff who had experience with mental illness or as carers.

“Today’s event particularly focuses on families and friends that are walking alongside a person with a mental illness,” she said. “We are their peers and we have walked the walk.

“I was a carer of a person with a mental illness for almost 20 years, and if it wasn’t for MIFWA’s support, I don’t think I would’ve coped — so I decided to join the organisation myself.”

Ms Young encouraged anyone struggling to seek support and consider attending the next workshop, held in Narrogin next month.

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