FOLLOW US
Mental Health Day Discussion Focuses on Positivity
Written by Robert Bentele, UPF-Munich
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Munich, Germany—To commemorate World Mental Health Day, the Munich branch of UPF-Germany, together with the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an affiliated organization, held a “worship service with a difference.”
The program, which was held on October 13, 2019, in the UPF center in Munich, attracted an audience of about 30 guests and friends.
Magda Haugen, the president of WFWP-Germany, who has professional training as a special-needs teacher and works providing remedial services in a protected-living facility, gave the presentation.
She started by reporting about a recent conference in Berlin of WFWP Middle East on the topic of "Reconciliation," in which the senior vice president of WFWP International, Dr. Sun Jin Moon, played a very active role. Mrs. Haugen recounted Dr. Moon’s very personal testimony about experiences with bad luck and crises. Dr. Moon spoke about the special significance that yoga has for her and stressed the importance of inner healing and reconciliation for our personal life!
Mrs. Haugen reported about her work with mentally ill people in a therapeutic facility and pointed out a new direction in psychology called “Positive Psychology,” which is more concerned with encouraging people’s resources than with deficits and mental disorders.
She described the eight pillars of resistance development: e.g., we should not stay in a victim role but repeatedly keep active with hope and optimism! Using the example of “The Town Musicians of Bremen,” a famous children’s story from the Brothers Grimm, she showed us how a new start can succeed through new ideas, inspiration, courage and cooperation, even when things seem to have arrived at the "end station"! A community, building a network, finding purpose—these are further pillars in resistance building. Also mentioned was the importance of reconciliation as a path to inner healing.
With a picture of our inner child, which contains light and dark elements, the audience divided into discussion groups and tackled this interesting topic on a deeper level, recalling personal experiences.
Carmen Rizzi-Haugen coordinated the program, and Oivind Haugen inspired us to sing along with him Peter Maffey’s song Irgendwo tief in mir bin ich ein Kind geblieben (“Somewhere deep inside me I am still a child”). A lively discussion about the topic continued over lunch.
(Translated from German by Catriona Valenta.)
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
|
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation: Your donation to support the general programs of UPF. |
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS): Your donation will be used for service projects around the world. |
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects: Your donation will be used for projects in Africa. |