Mental health workshop outreach at St Thomas parish
A team from the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry (AMHM) conducted a workshop on the basics of mental health for the parishioners of the Church of St Thomas the Apostle recently.
Oct 26, 2024

KUANTAN: A team from the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry (AMHM) conducted a workshop on the basics of mental health for the parishioners of the Church of St Thomas the Apostle recently. The event was attended by 60 enthusiastic participants from both the English and Chinese language groups.
The event began at 9.00am with remarks from AMHM’s ecclesiastical assistant, Fr Philip Chua, who emphasised the importance of mental health awareness and its benefits for our communities, relationships, and daily lives. He also led the gathering in an opening prayer.
The workshop was divided into two parts, Understanding Mental Health and Building Resilience in Mental Health. The first segment focused on introducing participants to fundamental concepts of mental health, including its definition, comparisons with physical health, an overview of mental disorders, and the biopsychosocial-spiritual model for conceptualizing mental health. The knowledge gained in this initial session served as a crucial foundation for participants’ understanding of mental health.
Equally important, the second topic concentrated on developing skills to enhance both mental and emotional resilience. Techniques for building mental resilience were grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy, a gold standard in psychotherapy, and included methods like reframing thoughts and cognitive restructuring. Additionally, skills for emotion regulation and self-care were introduced to help participants strengthen their emotional resilience.
By the end of the workshop, participants were brimming with curiosity and enthusiasm to further explore mental health topics, including family relationships, early child care, traumas, and more. They were encouraged to attend AMHM’s upcoming webinars and workshops to deepen their understanding of mental health and learn effective management strategies.
Participants were provided with resources from AMHM’s services and encouraged to share them with those in need. The resources include:
Counselling/Therapy Services:
AMHM offers face-to-face and online counselling and therapy services. Those seeking help are encouraged to sign up at SeekCounsel.ArchKL.org or contact us via WhatsApp at 017-3586188 or 017-9156188.
SHALOM Careline:
The Shalom Careline is available for everyone, offering anonymous conversations. Call us at 03-2723 7272, available daily from 10.00am – 1.00pm and 7.00pm – 11.00pm. Services are provided in English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.
On behalf of the AMHM team, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Fr George Packiasamy, the parish priest of the Church of St Thomas, for graciously hosting us, as well as to the St Thomas parish community for providing this valuable mental health outreach opportunity. We hope and pray that all participants have been inspired to ignite their passion for mental health and become advocates for the cause.
Together, let us break the stigma and enrich our lives!
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