This seems to be a preventative approach in many ways, with the development of training for parents, etc. Perhaps another NGO could consider introducing group sessions to support young parents in the provinces, and help them develop healthy parenting skills.
Despite the severe mental health stigma in Cambodia, this psychologist won’t give up on locals
By: Cristyn Lloyd - Posted on: January 23, 2018 | Business
Combating the widespread problem of mental health stigma in Cambodia is something that clinical psychologist Paneth Sok faces everyday at TPO, a leading NGO providing psychological services in the country
Paneth Sok says there is no “magic rule” for helping every client she sees, but that challenge is part of why she enjoys her job.
Paneth Sok, a counselling coordinator and clinical psychologist for TPO, spoke to Southeast Asia Globe about the highlights and challenges of her profession in a country that often acknowledges her field of study as taboo.
Why did you want to become a mental health professional?
Originally I wanted to be a doctor, but when I finished high school and the subject of psychology was offered I was curious about what psychology is. Some people believe that it’s a kind of fortune-telling work where people can read minds, so I was curious and wanted to know more.
I finished the entrance exam, and it got more interesting, and I got more excited to learn. Every year there were new courses, new subjects to study about behaviours and why people behave in certain ways… I became very interested in learning how someone’s environment or family influences a person’s behaviour.
What does your day-to-day work look like?
My main job is to organise training because, after years of experience, I’m getting into a role where I have to design courses to offer to the public. The courses can help people work on their parenting skills, help their children develop, learn how to cope with stress and how to take care of themselves. And besides that we have to see clients.
What are the most enjoyable parts of your job?
It’s exciting to see the evaluations of the training courses , which methodology people learn from the most and things like that. On the other side, seeing clients is very interesting. People often have the same problems, such as depression or anxiety, but their stories are not the same. It creates a challenge for us, [because] there is no magic rule that we can apply for everyone. The interest comes from learning about a particular case and then working with the client [to find out] what the best solution is. Some people find that just talking is enough… but others need a lot of guidance and prompting to explore themselves so that they can move on and really live their life.
What are the main challenges in treating Cambodians?
In a Cambodian setting, there are understanding and stigma issue – people are not coming [to us] and openly saying that they want to express their feelings and can we help them understand their feelings. They will come and request help getting to sleep, help forgetting all those bad memories. So people present it as a physical issue, so the expectation is more of a medical cure. It takes us a few sessions to help them understand that counselling and mental health are more about looking at how we think, how we behave and whether there are any parts we would like to change.
What advice would you give to budding counsellors?
This profession is exciting. If you really want to understand human behaviour, it’s very exciting, because it will help you to reflect a lot.
previously, I'd made note of this article from Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/p ... -cambodian
Psychiatry prize given to Cambodian
Daphne Chen | Publication date 13 October 2017 | 02:21 ICT
Sotheara Chhim, a psychiatrist and executive director of the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO), was awarded the 2017 Dr Guislain “Breaking the Chains of Stigma” award on Tuesday.
The $50,000 prize honours Sotheara’s efforts to develop mental health services in Cambodia and his Operation Unchain initiative, which treats patients with mental illness who have been chained or caged by their caretakers.
Sotheara was among the first generation of Cambodian psychiatrists to graduate after the Khmer Rouge in 1998. Through Operation Unchain, TPO has treated 68 patients, some of whom had been shackled for 20 years.
“I’m honoured to receive the 2017 Dr. Guislain Award and look forward to expanding my work and bringing even more awareness of mental health issues in communities throughout Cambodia,” Sotheara said in a statement yesterday.
The award is sponsored by Janssen Research & Development and the Dr Guislain Museum in Belgium. The prize honours the legacy of Joseph Guislain, a Belgian psychiatrist who championed scientifically based treatments for mental illness.
With Indigo gone, is TPO the only organization/business helping locals with mental health issues?