Developing constructive resilience: Workshops explore mental and spiritual health 

For more than eight years, an innovative collaboration has been unfolding In South Australia addressing specific needs relating to mental and spiritual health. 

The initiative started when several health professionals were invited to design workshops exploring domestic and family violence with the goal of reducing the stigma associated with these challenges. 

The hope of the workshops was also to increase individual access to support services, while allowing individuals to receive more informed and compassionate support from the Baha’i institutions.  

Learning objectives at the workshops included developing institutional capacity to interact with external agencies, such as emergency services. Workshops were offered annually and often in association with White Ribbon Day. 

Following the initial workshops, it became clear that many individuals in the community were keen to understand and learn how to appropriately respond to individuals experiencing mental health issues.  

Knowing that institutional guidance and individual support can make a difference, especially when coupled with professional therapy, another set of annually delivered workshops evolved. 

Gradually, the health professionals shifted away from operating in a mode of ‘experts giving talks’ towards providing sessions that were participatory in nature and featured learning through group consultation. 

Over time, other needs were identified. Tutors facilitating month-long youth camps needed to learn how to support individuals experiencing a crisis of some kind and to know when to escalate their concerns to camp leaders. 

In addition to workshops focusing on intervention, the team began exploring insights and practices associated with prevention. The Universal House of Justice’s praise of the “constructive resilience” of the Iranian Baha’i community, for example, led to a study of key Baha’i Writings which inspire a mindset of constructive resilience. 

Over the past 18 months, three new workshops series have been offered. Toward the end of 2023, a cohort of educators and health professionals met several times to explore current challenges which have arisen in their work environments. Noted were the high levels of stress some people experienced in complying with ethics which might be, or might appear to be, in conflict with Baha’i ethics. 

In May and June 2024, four workshops focused on mental health first aid were offered in collaboration with EQUALS International, a Baha’i-inspired dual sector institute offering VET and higher education courses. 

Finally, between September and November this year, three workshops were offered to study the book Call of the Divine Beloved which includes newly-translated mystical writings plus revised translations of The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys of Baha’u’llah. 

According to the team of facilitators, insights gained are leading towards a paradigm shift in the way people understand and alleviate human suffering.  

“It is our intention to open these workshops more widely and contribute towards the discourse on mental and spiritual health,” they reflected. 

One team member shared that “heath professionals often work in silos, thus it is an ongoing joy to work closely together in service to the community.”