My name is Thelma Chidamachaya from Harare, Highfields. I live with my parents in our family home. I am a mental health supporter under Friendship Bench, most of our services are available both online and physical.
While many of our clients access our services through the Friendship Bench WhatsApp Openline, there are times when we need to proactively engage with community members. As the youth chairperson at my church, I have been able to effectively mobilize young people. I informed the congregation about Friendship Bench mental health services, encouraging them to reach out if they or someone they know needs help. Many clients reach out to me because we are of the same age, making it easier for them to open up about their problems. As a young adult myself, I understand some of the challenges my peers face. My work is well-known in the community, and people often approach me when they need someone to talk to. Sometimes, they are even referred to me for mental health support.
You can sometimes identify someone who needs help by simply observing their behavior. For example, some people withdraw and isolate themselves socially, while others become easily angered, even by jokes.
The confidentiality and privacy policy have been instrumental in building trust with my clients. However, it all goes back to who I am as a person – my passion to help people and see them overcome depression. Because of this passion, I have come to understand that sometimes all a person needs is a listening ear, someone to see them through their problems, and someone to connect with. This helps them realize that even if everyone else seems not to understand, you are there to listen, and that trust builds a safe space for them to share their experiences.
However, as counselors, we do experience compassion fatigue. Sometimes, we can try everything to help a client, but there's a limit to what we can do. There are certain things we can and cannot control. As a result, we may try everything we can to help someone, but there are limits. This can be tough for a counselor, who might think, "What did I miss? What could I have done?" It's important to understand that we can't control everything. Thankfully, thanks to our mentors and supervisors, we can offload some of the burden and distress, allowing us to continue providing the best quality services possible. Self-care is also a very important aspect of my work. I love taking nature walks and listening to music. Sometimes people miss the important aspects of life because they are cooped up in their rooms. But when you take a walk outside and hear the birds chirping, all the sadness and negativity can go away.
Like any other job, we also experience challenges. Sometimes clients miss sessions. This worries me – I was ready to help, but the client didn't come. It makes me wonder what happened to them, or if their situation worsened. Additionally, some clients who reach out may not be forthcoming or willing to open up. But I keep encouraging them to do so and assure them it's a safe space. We also experience network connectivity issues during our sessions.
There's a huge gap in understanding mental health in my community. People often see mental health issues as mental illness. This needs to be addressed so that people can seek help before their situations worsen. There's a need for more mental health awareness. For example, if someone experiences heartbreak, people might simply say, "Are you the first one to get dumped or rejected?" But that person might need significant support. Mental health is a big issue, of course, but before problems escalate, we should learn to address smaller issues that society has normalized as unimportant. We should help people understand that bad days are normal, but you can still overcome the problems you're going through.
What I love about my job is that I'm driven by passion. I love talking and connecting with people. Even in school, people would come to me with their problems. Sitting on the bench with people and helping them overcome depression has been an amazing journey. I often ask myself how many lives I've impacted through my work. I love that my work is community-based and impactful. It's something within me, and it's my passion. I always tell people struggling with depression that it's okay not to be okay. There's someone willing to listen, and we are just a phone call away and ready to help
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