The objective was to pitch in towards Unit 2 of the course designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of mental health practices and strategies for promoting well-being. Delving into Mental Health and Wellbeing, Physical Health, Social Care, Safety and & Support protocol focusing on assessment, treatment care, follow up and ethics. The thrill of managing the session in Hindi was a bonus.

Each participant was joining online during work hours at 2.00 in the afternoon amidst the peak of work and yet had such pleasing smiles and eagerness to share experiences and ask questions too. I was more than clear that the only expertise one add is to encourage them to think with more awareness on how much of the intervention is already coming from a space of

Co-creation of knowledge, Strengthen of Skills, Facilitating collective support

When we plan any intervention for someone who we think and feel needs help, or propose to offer support to improve their quality of life, then; listen to their voices, observe their routines during the day and learn more, ask more questions, seek more understanding of their circumstances first.

Once you do that you will figure out more about what skills they already possess and which are the ones that need strengthening or accommodation.

Further to this, we can form a collective of different support systems so that it is not all on one person and we are reaching out to the collective knowledge and skills of all those significant others in their lives currently.

Some beautiful insights came up in the session. A client who could not sleep all night and would roam around aimlessly and be unmotivated took over gardening in the centre and caring of the flora and fauna with ease as the knowledge came from learning from their previous lifestyle of being a farmer and having the skills and interest to do the same.

Another client who showed significant gastric issues and difficulty using the toilet, the knowledge that they were anxious about darkness came by observing her routine closely and learning that they was not able to use the toilet only during the night and with some support they are now fully independent and physiological symptoms subsided too.

Another client who is obsessively into cleaning and rearranging everything all the time, even at night and unable to sleep also shows us the skills that they are diligent when it comes to cleaning and maintaining hygiene.

We discussed how we can explore further into each of these narratives if only we are convinced that more knowledge comes by including the client who we propose to support in the process of formulating an intervention. Including the client can mean, either what they say or if they do not voice, observing their patterns and learning more.

Nearing 25 years of association with The Banyan where I was lost and found again. A journey that began with taking baby steps being most vulnerable to being enabled to complete a Ph.D on the topic of vulnerability. Gratitude never ends...

Photos from a revisit to TB , the ones from when I started sadly has no clear pics thanks to not having smarts phones back then! Yeah that feels ancient!