Mental Health Awareness Week

This week (11^th – 17^th May) is Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme being ‘Every Action Counts’. At YMCA Humber we believe that everyone deserves access to high quality therapeutic support for their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

To celebrate the importance of this week whilst supporting individuals with their mental health, our onsite counsellors are running themed sessions to both our residents and members of our youth club to encourage individuals to take action, removing the barriers that hold people back.

Kerry Davis, Wellbeing Manager at YMCA Humber said, “at YMCA we believe that everyone should have a fair chance to discover who they are and what they can become, mental health awareness and support plays a huge role in our organisation, but we appreciate that this is not the same for everyone; this is why mental health awareness week is so important- it is important for us all to take a pause and reflect on our own relationship with mental health and how we may be able to support others. 

At YMCA, mental health ‘action’ starts with conversation; by choosing kindness and speaking openly we can grow empathy and compassion for ourselves and others. Starting with conversations, we build on awareness and acceptance which leads to changing lives through support. We ask that as a community we choose kindness, we listen and together we can turn awareness into action.”

One of our former residents highlighted the vital role counselling and having these conversations about mental health had on her journey to independent living. During her counselling sessions, Anna, one of YMCA Humber’s counsellors, helped her reframe her thoughts and build her self-confidence.

She said, “Anna would listen to me, not turn it around, but help me understand that I am doing good and I am not being a bad mum, and to just be proud of myself and more confident in myself.”

We also spoke to a young person who regularly attends our wellbeing sessions at youth club because she was having problems with her own mental health.

These sessions have helped improve her mental health because from the moment she arrives at youth club the "atmosphere is happy and bright", which makes her instantly feel happier.

She describes the staff who runs these sessions as "kind and understanding", and they are honest in their responses, they don't say "it’s going to be fine", instead they help individuals understand "it’s going to take some time to recover but you are going to be alright.”

By having these conversations every day, not just during Mental Health Awareness Week, helps individuals of all ages to open up to someone they trust, and to start taking action earlier.