TABOO WITH THERAPY

My first counselling session was on my 18th birthday (wasn’t deliberate just the way it happened). I was a pack of nerves. I felt like the biggest freak ever. I felt stupid that I had reached a place where I could not help myself. I felt like the only person in the world who needed counselling and I felt angry that I was that person. 

Without making this a personal story, roll on 18 months later and I happily contacted an organization in Galway because I felt I needed help again. I knew in myself that I needed it and I was not one bit ashamed of it, unlike that 18-year-old secondary school girl I once was.

That organisation was Jigsaw and going there made me realise how normal it is to want or need to talk to someone. This was my third time going to counselling and it was my first time being completely open about it to the people around me. 

Jigsaw helped me so I hope through this chat I was lucky to have with Galway Jigsaw counsellor, Alacoque McGovern, it can help some of you too.

Who are Jigsaw?

Jigsaw is The National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Jigsaw wants to ensure that no young person feels alone, isolated or disconnected from others around them. Jigsaw provides support to young people around their mental health by working with young people individually and working closely with communities across Ireland.

Mental health and the importance of keeping it healthy is something our ears are well accustomed to. Exercise, sleep, meditate. They’re the favoured solutions. We have heard it all and it all works. But what happens when these so-called “remedies” are not enough. What happens when that 10k run, that 12-hour sleep or that 30 minutes of meditation did not make you feel one bit better. 

There’s no “one-fits-all” fix, but thankfully with the number of people talking about mental health and their journeys, it’s becoming a lot easier to find a remedy that works for you.

This gift of the gab and its power is what I want to look at today.

I want to talk about talking. 

“Depression session” seems to be a favourite phrase of our generation.

I say it all the time, it just rolls off the tongue. Now maybe this is nothing more than a phrase to fill awkward silences or maybe there is more depth to it but either way, mental health always seems to get a mention, but it’s never truly talked about.

In a society where having mental health problems is perfectly okay, I find it strange how people are still so closed off about opening up. That's why I am writing this article, I want to combat this notion that seeking help and going to counselling is an odd phenomenon, it most definitely is not. 

What are the aims of Jigsaw?

Jigsaw have many goals like getting the message out that Jigsaw are here to support young people when things begin to feel difficult or hard to manage. And that we can also help to link people with any other service that might be the right support for them. Also, to include young people, through our Youth Advisory Panel and through and feedback forms, in how the service is shaped and how it is delivered. Furthermore, they are a part of ongoing research so that we have the most up to date knowledge of what life is like for young people in Ireland today with regards to their mental health. And lastly, they use the evidence we have to inform policymaking and build communities with a strong understanding of youth mental health. 

Who can come to Jigsaw?

Jigsaw provides therapeutic support to 12 – 15-year olds in most hubs. In Galway and Donegal Jigsaw work with 15 – 25-year olds at present. Young people under 18 are met with a parent for the session. Jigsaw Community Engagement Workers are present in the community and work with schools, colleges, sports teams, youth groups, businesses etc.

What does the service offer young people?

Jigsaw offers a service where young people's involvement and support has helped shape the service we deliver today. Jigsaw’s therapeutic approach offers up to six sessions of support to talk about and help best manage difficulties and challenges in life. Jigsaw also offers workshops to groups within the community. 

What does a person expect to gain by coming to Jigsaw?

They can expect a safe and welcoming place to come and talk and think about how they are feeling. Young people can expect a space that is non-judgemental and that supports each individual person. Through their work, young people are invited to set a goal – something they would like to achieve during the time they come to Jigsaw.  

Where does the name Jigsaw come from?

Jigsaw reflects the coming together of a group of people from all different backgrounds to develop an organisation that wants to support young people’s mental health in Ireland and develop the understanding of what mental health is about and what will help from small communities to policymakers. 

Do you think there is a stigma surrounding counselling?

It can be difficult to make the step to seeking help or support around how we are feeling. Some of the stigma comes from within, we feel we should be better, we think we should or shouldn’t feel a certain way. In other ways stigma can be felt from what is around us; by the environment, we are in or maybe not knowing where to go for support. 

What can be helpful to remember is that it gets much easier after taking the first step to getting the support you need. 

Any advice for someone who’s afraid/nervous to reach out/ask for help?

Seeking support can be sharing how you are feeling with a person that you trust.

Reaching out can be the most difficult at the very beginning but going through that can allow you to talk about and to better understand why it is that we are feeling what we are feeling and a chance to build on our strengths. 

How to get in touch?

If you're a young person going through a hard time or worried about a young person in your life, Jigsaw can help provide support. 

You can go to the website jigsawonline.ie for information about mental health, how to best support people and for contact details on how to reach a Jigsaw hub in your area. 

Jigsaw Galway is based on Fairgreen Road and you can call us on 091 – 549252.