Library

---

Written By Anna Mortimer, Therapist, Journalist and Co-founder of the Mind Field

Fat snowflakes floating lazily down outside misted windows, Dad throwing another log on the fire, smells of cinnamon and gingerbread floating thickly out of the kitchen while children scramble for another present under the tree, and laughter, glasses clinking as another round of charades is about to begin. Or not. 

Written By Helen Arthy, Therapist

On World Humanitarian Day 2018, the Overseas Development Institute held an event called Breaking the Silence: Promoting action on aid worker mental health. Two key areas were highlighted as particularly problematic for aid worker well-being; trauma, due to the environments and events they are exposed to, and; stress or burnout, arising from the particular cultures inside many aid organisations.

Written By Anna Mortimer, Therapist, Journalist and Co-founder of the Mind Field

My father was a war correspondent (killed in El Salvador in 1989). He used to call me from the American Colony Hotel bar in Jerusalem and I could hear the voices and laughter, the heavy clink of ice in glasses, and almost feel the heat sweeping in from the pool area, sense the relief in the abandon of all the journalists at the bar – they’d survived another day. 

Written By Written By Raquel Fontanés, International Development Specialist and Co-founder of The Mind Field

My aunt often tells us: “yo no estoy loca!” This translates into “I am not mad/crazy”, which is her response when we suggest she should seek professional help to deal with her chronic anxiety. Salvador Dali used to say the same thing and although we may be tempted to question the validity of that statement, the reality is that most people don’t want to hear they need therapy even if their daily lives have been crippled by stress and other mental health issues. 

Written By Elizabeth Reiter Dettmer, Aid Worker and Co-founder of the Mind Field

I recently wrapped up a project that I’ve been consulting on for over two years – a project working with Syrians displaced from their homes, their lives, their families, their futures. I know I’m not alone in working on a project like this where you spend time getting to know people, working with them, eating in their homes, seeing them get married and have children, demonstrating throughout it all this kind of hard core resilience that most of us will never have to exercise in our lives.

Written By Amy Chase, International Development and Human Rights Professional

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” –Mother Teresa

Written By Anna Mortimer, Therapist, Journalist and Co-founder of the Mind Field

The short answer: if you have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, let alone a catalogue of traumatic events, then to some extent – yes. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a huge collection of symptoms that might manifest as a syndrome, but very many of us are on the spectrum, if only to a small degree.

Written By Anna Mortimer, Therapist, Journalist and Co-founder of the Mind Field

The suicide of someone who appears to have everything the rest of us dream of is always particularly unsettling. There is a persistent fantasy in most of us that if we were impossibly rich and successful, beautiful and vibrant then we would, of course, be blissfully happy. 

Written By Anna Mortimer, Therapist, Journalist and Co-founder of the Mind Field

Greater understanding of your unconscious motivations can only be a good thing. There are simply no downsides to knowing yourself better even if that seems self-indulgent. So perhaps instead of asking why have therapy, the question should be instead “why not have therapy?” 

Written By Raquel Fontanés, International Development Specialist and Co-founder of The Mind Field

For almost twenty years, I have been striving to make the best out of implementing development programs. But at times this has come at a high cost.