On Friday 14 July 2023, Hornsey Vale Community Centre hosted a workshop on mental health awareness led by Haringey Talking Therapies.
Haringey Talking Therapies started a few years ago to raise awareness, tackle stigma, and increase access to mental health services for people who might find it difficult. It is connected with the Whittington Hospital and is available for Haringey residents or people who have their GP based in this area.
Elena Opie, a psychological therapist working for the Haringey Talking Therapies service, says the workshops have several goals: “One is to make sure people know who we are and that we exist. The second is to get people to start talking about well-being, recognising difficulties within themselves, catching things before they get worse; and encouraging people to sign up and do a referral for mental health therapy. The third is to understand who we’re struggling to be accessible for.”
Elena explains that the workshops can last between half an hour and up to two hours. Each workshop can focus on the following topics:
- A general introduction to depression and anxiety
- Exploring and breaking the cycle of low mood, depression, and worry
- Understanding stress and learning how to reduce its impact
- Working through anxiety with breathwork
The workshop at the centre on July 14 will focus on general mental health awareness. Sessions with Haringey Talking Therapies can also be tailored to audiences of different ages, cultural backgrounds, conditions and disabilities. “Some examples of specific groups we regularly work with include carers, perinatal parents, students, older adults, young people and many more,” Elena says.
If you’d like Haringey Talking Therapies to host a workshop at your organisation contact the administration team with the subject “Outreach” at haringey.talkingtherapies@nhs.net.