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PsySSA Commemorates World Mental Health Awareness Day 2023 – Privileging Mental Health: A Call to Action

by | Oct 10, 2023 | Community and Engagement, COVID-19, Mental Health Advocacy

Dear Esteemed Members of the Psychological Society of South Africa,

With October being declared as Mental Health Month, we are reminded of the abiding imperative to raise awareness of mental health issues and reduce the many forms of discrimination and stigma that continue to plague those experiencing mental health challenges.

As members of PsySSA, we have the opportunity to create a meaningful impact towards the mental well-being of individuals and communities in our country. As advocates for mental health and wellness, we have the privilege and responsibility to harness the resources of our profession to advocate for the kinds of multi-level interventions and changes necessary to foster mental health and well-being.

This October, the Psychological Society of South Africa is proud to present a high-impact social media campaign that centres around the theme of Fostering Mental Health: Uniting the Psychology Community in Action. Our focus will be on highlighting the vital role that psychologists and counsellors play – and are called to play – in supporting vulnerable individuals and communities across our nation.

The Power of Unity: Uniting for Positive Change

Mental health is an integral part of overall well-being, and our profession has the unique capacity to facilitate healing and growth. With the ongoing challenges posed by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic insecurity, and various social issues, the need for mental health support has never been more evident. This October, we aim to illuminate the collective strength of our community and the transformative impact that can be achieved when we work together.

Focusing on Vulnerable Communities

At the heart of our campaign is a deep commitment to serving vulnerable communities. As psychologists and counsellors we are positioned to address the mental health disparities that exist within South Africa. Our campaign will highlight success stories and contextually sensitive practices in providing effective mental health interventions to individuals and groups who are most in need.

A Month of Action: What to Expect

Throughout the month of October, we will be sharing inspiring stories, insightful resources, and thought-provoking discussions on our social media platforms. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can look forward to:

Webinars and Workshops: Engage in enriching webinars and workshops where experts from our community will delve into relevant topics, providing you with new tools and strategies to enhance your practice.

Individual Stories: Learn about the profound impact psychologists and counsellors have had on the lives of their clients. These narratives will emphasise the importance of empathetic care and context-based interventions.

Community Outreach: Discover innovative ways our colleagues are reaching out to underserved communities, spreading awareness about mental health, and delivering support where it is needed most.

Resources and Toolkits: Access a wealth of resources to assist you in your efforts to support clients and communities.

Join Us in Making a Difference

As members of the Psychological Society of South Africa, your expertise, compassion and dedication have the power to change lives. We invite you to actively participate in our October campaign by sharing your own experiences, insights, and stories on social media using the hashtag #PrivilegingMentalHealthSA. By joining forces, we can amplify our collective impact and create a more mentally healthy South Africa.

 

We are excited to embark on this journey with you, and we look forward to a month filled with meaningful connections, enlightening discussions, and a renewed sense of purpose. Let us stand united in our mission to promote mental health and well-being and make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.

 

Psychological Society of South Africa

The Unsettling Knowledge Project on Gendered and Sexual Violence

The Unsettling Knowledge Project on Gendered and Sexual Violence

by | Oct 6, 2023 | 27th Annual Psychology Congress, Crisis Intervention

At the 27th Annual Psychology Congress, the Unsettling Knowledge Project on Gendered and Sexual Violence shared its ongoing work, which includes a multifaceted exploration of gendered and sexual violence, emphasizing the perspectives of black women, activists, influencers, and researchers. Going forward, the project is shifting its focus towards healing within the studied communities, with plans for community-centered programs, advocacy for policy changes, empowerment initiatives, and education campaigns aimed at addressing and mitigating gendered and sexual violence while promoting resilience and survivor support.

Therapies for Healing Justice: Redressing Systemic Oppression and Intergenerational Trauma

Therapies for Healing Justice: Redressing Systemic Oppression and Intergenerational Trauma

by | Oct 4, 2023 | 27th Annual Psychology Congress

A diverse panel of practitioners – clinical, organisational, and counselling psychologists offered engaging presentations, all critiquing dominant constructions and discourses of therapeutic practice, but each providing a very different angle to exploring the implications of systemic oppression, historical and contemporary and the possibilities for collective healing. We questioned the extent to which a race-based trauma cycle might be ingrained into South African consciousness and asked what it is that needs to be healed, not only from the past, but in the current context of a neoliberal democracy. We were encouraged to examine language and relations of power by imagining psychology in our own African languages outside of the confines of English and questioning what harm we cause when we expect our clients to ‘meet us where we are’.  We heard of the generative possibilities at the interface of psychoanalytic praxis and African spirituality, where object relations include ancestral objects in particular ways and where Umoya (spirit) can be a diagnostic tool. Frameworks of working with trauma were reframed drawing on more contextually relevant ways of becoming more political in our psychological and psychosocial work within communities. There was rich storytelling in all presentations and some interesting questions from delegates.

27th Annual Psychology Congress. Conversations graphically captured by Roy Blumenthal

27th Annual Psychology Congress. Conversations graphically captured by Roy Blumenthal

by | Oct 4, 2023 | 27th Annual Psychology Congress

Roy Blumenthal

Roy Blumenthal

Roy Blumenthal is a visual artist who specializes in the creation of live sketchnotes during talks, presentations, and events. His unique approach involves simultaneously displaying his visual summaries on screens of the same size as the speaker’s presentation, allowing the audience to absorb both the live sketchnote and the speaker’s content in real-time. Roy’s work enhances the overall event experience by providing a dynamic and engaging visual representation of the subject matter, and he may also conduct recap sessions to explain his key visual takeaways.

Global Indigenous Psychologies: movement toward healing historical harms: Reflections from the presenters

Global Indigenous Psychologies: movement toward healing historical harms: Reflections from the presenters

by | Oct 4, 2023 | 27th Annual Psychology Congress

In the first Invited Panel, Global Indigenous Psychologies: Movement toward healing Historical Harms, Prof Peace Kiguwa, Prof Malose Langa, Dr Mmatshilo Motsei and Mr Anele Siswana explore the question of whose knowledge is considered existent or valid as central to the project of indigenizing and decolonising psychology. In this dialogue session, the panelists consider the question of ‘who knows’ in discussions around self-care, trauma healing and building healthy communities. Drawing on their own practice, the panelists explored indigenous epistemologies as critical responses to trauma in communities. Drawing links to the many political and social intersections that continue to proliferate in society, the discussions considered problematics of femicide and GBV, community fragmentation, emotional disconnect, trauma, homophobia, poverty as part of historical harm. In considering historical harm, the panelists cautioned against the dangers of ‘psychologising’ deeply political and social problems that are legacies of historical harms. Part of this caution is to attend to the ways that apolitical approaches to trauma inadvertently victim-blame and pathologise the very traumatized individuals and communities we seek to be of service to. In the engagement with the broader audience, the conversation extended to reflect on psychology’s roots in apolitical forms of thinking and practising, the pretense to objectivity and neutral value-free science, and its emphasis on western traditions of therapy and thinking that fail to really ‘see’ the human beings it attempts to help. Drawing on their own forms of practice, the panelists invited the audience to reflect on how we can do psychology differently and how indigenous psychologies offer us something that we have sidelined for a long time.