Today’s article will be my own reflection. As you probably now know I am opening a Horizon Mental Health Clinic in Limerick City. This was a very spontaneous decision, but also one of the most important ones. Horizon is one of my biggest dream come true. However, I didn’t plan it to happen so soon. I am so excited about it!
The aim of my clinic is to empower people. I want to create a place where people will feel comfortable, welcome, and free. Free to be themselves, as there will be no judgment. I want a place where the environment itself will make people feel special. In Horizon Clinic people will be able to experience the next level of psychotherapy. And that is MY aim… to bring psychotherapy and the concept of mental health to a whole new level. By creating the Horizon Mental Health Clinic I want to show you that mental health doesn’t have to be stigmatized. I promise, to create a space where you and your issues will be welcomed. Nothing about Horizon Clinic is going to be the bare minimum. it will be the opposite!
Mental Health vs. Mental Illness
I want you to note, that I am using the phrase of mental health, not a mental illness. These are two completely different concepts. It is accurate to compare it like that: mental health = physical health; whereas mental illness = physical illness. Do you see the difference? Everybody has both mental and physical health. And those two have also different categories within themselves. Let me give you an example of what exactly I mean.
Example of different levels of health
When someone says “I need to look after my physical health”, it doesn’t necessarily mean “I need to go to the cardiologist because there is something wrong with my heart”. It could mean that they are going to change their diet, or that they have decided to join the gym… physical health is a broad concept and has different layers to it. And it is exactly the same with our mental health. When someone says “I need to look after my mental health” it doesn’t mean they have Schizophrenia, it could simply mean that they have decided to maintain more boundaries, or become more assertive. Looking after mental health also means self-care, and that could (and often is) linked to physical health.
Because if we solely would look at self-care.. it involves a variety of things, I am explaining self-care in much detail in my book but self-care is physical, mental, and spiritual. Self-care could be brushing your hair, taking shower, going for a walk, spend time in nature, but also self-care could be saying ‘no’ to somebody. Self-care can be self-respect. Our physical and our mental health often blend together.
If you had a broken arm, you would not wait until it would heal itself. You would feel the pain, you would go to the doctor straight away, looking for help. Can you imagine what would happen if you didn’t see the doctor? Your arm would take longer to heal, and probably the healing wouldn’t be healthy. Eventually, you would end up in the hospital, and get the doctors to fix it for you. Probably, they would have to break your arm again and put it together in the right way. So that means you would feel the same pain again, the healing would take much longer, and in the end, you would not avoid getting the cast and help. Do you see how this behavior and attitude are more destructive and painful?
Mental health
So, when it comes to mental health that is exactly what the majority of the population does. They avoid and procrastinate their emotional distress, hurt, and pain. They wait because there is that stigma of having mental HEALTH issues. And psychotherapy looks very similar to what I have described above (about the broken arm). Psychotherapy doesn’t have to be such a painful process but often is…
I don’t want people to associate mental health with hospitals, lockups, drugs, and something against their free will. Enough of that stereotypes. The world has developed, we have developed so it is time that we change the ‘common stereotype and stigma’ about mental health as well. Evolution resolution is well needed in this area. Horizon Mental Health Clinic will bring you to the next level of experience of mental health and psychotherapy. It is time to start looking after ourselves, in the wider concept of that idealization.
As you probably noticed, I have a huge passion for this work, and for helping and empowering people. I am doing it with my heart. I enjoy being and doing my work. So if I can enjoy it… I also can make you enjoy the process of therapy. As Rollo May said, psychotherapy is to set people free. So let it be our end goal! 😉
With love and best wishes,
