While recognising that someone is struggling with their mental health is important, knowing what to say to them is far more important. As part of your mental health training, you will learn a variety of practical tools to use in these types of situations.
Open Without Putting Them on the Spot
They learn to open up conversations in an ‘open’ way without putting the other person on the spot, as opposed to simply asking ‘are you okay?’ and receiving a ‘fine’ in return. The example of ‘You seem to have been feeling quiet this week, I just wanted to check in with you’ allows the other person to come in without them feeling put in the spot.
Listen Without Steering
Active listening: follow the person speaking, don’t take them down a route you’d like to explore. This means allowing silence between them, finding the words to express how they’re feeling, reflecting back what they’ve said, and avoiding problem-solving too soon.
Hold Silence Comfortably
We teach people to be comfortable with silence. Many people find silence of conversations awkward and therefore fill the silences with reassurance. However, this can actually ‘change the subject’ and therefore be unhelpful in exploring how someone is feeling. Mental Health Training Courses Swansea is worth getting right.
Know When to Refer On
Some conversations are better with others involved, good mental health training will help you to know when to refer on to professional help and signpost to relevant support.
Look After Yourself Afterwards
Many conversations leave the person on the receiving end of them feeling drained after they have finished. Trained staff are shown how to ‘decompress’ from such conversations, sometimes with a few minutes to ‘re-group’ with a colleague, and indeed a brief ‘de-brief’ can be sufficient. If you are looking for Mental Health Training Courses Swansea, see //www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/swansea.
Most people find that once they have completed a mental health training course, difficult conversations cease to be as difficult as they once were.
