Prioritising Mental Health to Help Others Better

Themed “It is Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace”, this year’s World Mental Health Day focuses on the importance of mental health in professional settings and how it should be prioritised, protected and promoted across all workplaces.  

Work can play a huge role in one’s overall health and wellbeing. While your job can give meaning and purpose, it can also bring along different stressors that may affect your mental health.  

As we commemorate World Mental Health Day in October, let’s hear from Charmaine Jalleh, Senior Counsellor from TOUCH Mental Wellness (TMW), who shares three effective ways to care for our mental health at work.  

“Remember why you started – it will give you the strength to push on” 

Charmaine began her journey with TMW in 2018, where she started out as an intern as part of her Master in Arts (Counselling and Guidance) course placement, before converting to a full-time staff.  

Prior to this, Charmaine worked as a nurse in a fertility clinic – where she discovered her passion for counselling. At the clinic, many patients confided in the nurses about their personal struggles faced with their in-laws and husbands and found comfort in having a listening ear.  

“I was glad that I could be a pillar of support to these patients who may not have another outlet to share their personal struggles. It was very fulfilling for me to share in their joys and struggles while journeying with them,” shares Charmaine.  

She recalls a particular patient who returned to thank her despite being unsuccessful in her conception journey – this cemented Charmaine’s desire to pursue counselling in a greater capacity.  

As a Senior Counsellor at TMW today, Charmaine deals with a wider range of clients, working with families, children and youths from different backgrounds. She also specialises in dealing with individuals with trauma and high suicide risk. From managing family conflicts to behavioural and emotional issues, each case requires a unique set of interventions. 

“While working with families, everyone is going through as much stress as the one receiving counselling. As their counsellor, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or stressed. Taking a step back and remembering what made me pursue counselling full-time has helped me gain strength to keep going,” she shares.  

“Don’t blur the lines between work and your personal time – always set clear boundaries with your clients.”  

Charmaine recalls a case she received when she first joined TMW. It involved a mother and child with behavioural issues. Being new to the role, Charmaine answered phone calls from the mother even after working hours.  

“I realised that the client was becoming very dependent on me for emotional support. She would call me whenever she was struggling with something, and it was unhealthy for both of us,” shares Charmaine.  

From that incident, Charmaine has learnt the importance of setting clear boundaries and being upfront about her role as a counsellor. “Now, I always make sure to emphasise to my clients that I’m not available 24/7. My role is to empower them with coping strategies and a clear safety plan so they can deal with the struggles on their own after the case has closed.”  

“Find outlets to rest and recharge – you need to take care of yourself to take care of others.” 

Dealing with high-risk clients can be emotionally draining. Charmaine shares that she used to feel demoralised when cases were not going well or were abruptly closed due to the clients’ personal situations.  

“It’s important to process these emotions with somebody instead of keeping it to yourself. For myself, I’m grateful for my clinical supervisor and my TMW colleagues, who have been a big source of encouragement and moral support whenever I’m going through a down period,” shares Charmaine.  

Charmaine believes that rest should always be intentional. On days when she’s had to see more than four clients, she makes sure to balance it with something she enjoys. “I take my me-time very seriously. During weekends, I always make sure to do what I enjoy. It can be as simple as reading a new book or listening to music to calm my emotions – just give yourself space to rest.” 

“We are all wounded healers. Each of us has our fair share of ups and downs in life and we’re all in the process of growing and getting to know ourselves better. We cannot help others if we don’t take care of ourselves,” shares Charmaine.  

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TOUCH Mental Wellness (TMW) runs personalised therapy and counselling programmes to empower individuals to rise above their circumstances. An advocate of mental wellness, TMW has been organising mental wellness awareness mass runs, talks and workshops since 2015. It works closely with corporations to conduct mental wellness talks with an aim of equipping employees with handles to cope with stress and help them build resilience. It also specialises in mental wellness awareness and educational programmes for schools. 

Story published in 2024.