I had the pleasure to do an interactive training on violence prevention that applied active listening and art-based approaches to mental health at the Butabika National Referral Mental Health Hospital. Active listening can play a significant role in preventing or de-escalating violent situations. When individuals are able to empathetically connect, which means not only listening but also paying close attention to nonverbal cues, such as tone of voice or body language, they may be able to intervene before violence occurs. One of the key outcomes of the training was that not only can these skills also be applied in work settings but also in everyday life with their partners, child(ren), or community.
Since it was late notice, what was supposed to be a one-hour training for 30+ people became 100+ people for 90 minutes. It was overwhelming and exhilarating in the same breath. I am the kind of a teacher who wants to learn from her audience and invite them to engage with what is being taught in real time. In light of this, I invited 100+ people to engage in mini-simulations around what it feels like to be listened to and not listened to. I have never done this activity with so many people; however, from the feedback, it was a productive time that offered new insights; people were energized and ready to apply what they learned to their work and home.
After the large group training, I was asked to do a specialized training self/community care and mental health and arts-based approaches for some of the graduate students. I did some theory around self-care and community care and then moved directly into making an actual book/journal that could serve as their north star when they found themselves overwhelmed. Some drew pictures, while others did collages or wrote lists. They could do anything they wanted. The inside pages focused on themselves and what needs they needed to allow themselves to take care of themself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually (NIMH, 2021). The outer pages focused on community care, which helped them reach out to others for emotional support and/or practical help (NIMH, 2021). I explained to the participants that my hope is that this little book, which was created by you and designed just for you, can be helpful when you need it the most.