Any unanswered questions?
School administration & Teachers and Parents
With our workshops, we want to enable an open discourse about mental disorders, break down prejudices and sensitise pupils to the topic. To this end, we provide information about various mental illnesses and also give participants the opportunity to talk about their own experiences. Our aim is to help destigmatise people with mental disorders. We ourselves are psychology students, not psychotherapists, and therefore do not act in a counselling capacity for specific problems. However, an important part of the workshops is also to point out professional help services and encourage people to make use of them if necessary or to pass them on to those affected in their environment.
Our team is made up of psychology students. Each of us undergoes an extensive familiarisation phase and training so that we are optimally prepared to lead the workshops. The workshop is held by teams of at least 2 students from the respective Mind the Mind local group.
Simply write to us using our contact form. There you will find the direct contact persons for the respective locations If you have any further questions, we can also clarify them in a personal meeting.
Our workshops are primarily aimed at middle school students. Other requests can be discussed individually with the respective local group.
One workshop is aimed at one school class. If you would like to realise the project for an entire grade level, for example, we are also happy to offer several workshops for several classes, depending on capacity.
Other requests can be discussed individually with the respective local group.
A workshop is designed for a double hour (90 minutes).
Deviating requests can be discussed individually with the respective local group.
We offer our workshops exclusively on site at the school. (As no equivalent concept has yet been developed that can be carried out online).
Our workshops are free of charge – we work exclusively on a voluntary basis and there are no costs to you. However, we are happy to receive donations – please contact your local group specifically.
Our programme is aimed at the whole class. However, the participation of each individual in the workshop is voluntary. If individual students feel uncomfortable with the topics, they can leave the room accompanied at any time, both beforehand and during the workshop.
During the workshop, the teacher is in a separate room in the school building. This concept allows us to create a protected environment for the class to exchange ideas, while the teacher also acts as a ‘safe haven’ for pupils who do not wish to take part in the workshop for various reasons.
The workshop essentially consists of four parts. To begin with, we get the students up to speed on their current knowledge of the topic and clarify the basics. We then look at specific examples of disorders. The third part deals with how to deal with mental illness and finally we present concrete offers of help and how to reach them.
You can find out more on the ‘Workshop’ page.
For students
The term mental disorders refers to many different types of disorders. A few examples that may sound familiar to you are depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and so on. Similar to physical illnesses, which can be very different (flu, broken leg, …), the symptoms of mental illnesses are also very different. As a rule, those affected suffer greatly from the symptoms and usually feel very unwell. However, just like physical illnesses, mental disorders can be treated successfully. If you have the flu, it is important to go to the doctor to get well again soon. It is just as important to seek professional help, e.g. from a therapist, for mental disorders.
If you realise that you feel uncomfortable in the situation, you may leave the class. A member of our team will accompany you. You do not have to explain why you have decided to leave at this point. However, you are welcome to talk to us about it. You can decide whether you want to spend the rest of the workshop with your teacher in a separate room or return to class with our team member after some time.
In the workshop, we want to talk about mental disorders, listen to your opinions on the topic and reflect on them together. It is important to us not to give you a lecture, but to enter into an exchange with you and to respond individually to current topics and concerns. At the same time, we will provide you with background knowledge and tips on how to deal with mental disorders.
Nein, das musst du nicht. Jede:r darf selbst frei entscheiden, ob und wie viel er bei unseren Workshops sagt. Manchen Leuten hilft es vielleicht, in diesem Rahmen über eigene Erfahrungen sprechen zu können oder Fragen zu stellen, andere fühlen sich wohler damit, einfach zuzuhören. Das ist beides in Ordnung und du darfst entscheiden, was dir gut tut. Wenn du merkst, dass dir der Workshop zu viel wird, gibt es auch jederzeit die Möglichkeit, den Workshop zu verlassen (siehe Frage ‘Was mache ich, wenn ich mich während des Workshops unwohl fühle?’)
On the ‘For students’ page, under the tabs ‘Helping others’ and ‘Helping yourself’, you will find some tips for dealing with mental stress/illness. You will also find offers of help that you can turn to for support..
If it is difficult to talk to your parents, you can also confide in friends, your teacher or other people close to you and ask them to support you in the conversation with your parents.
Now to the answer to your question: Psychotherapy is a service provided by statutory health insurance. This means that statutory health insurance companies cover the costs of psychotherapy. Young people aged 15 and over can go to a psychotherapist without their parents. This means that it is possible to start therapy without your parents‘ knowledge, but as long as you have family insurance, they will be aware of this.
Source: https://www.wege-zur-psychotherapie.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BPtK_Elternratgeber.pdf
Yes, if you feel the need for help, then a call is exactly the right thing to do, regardless of whether you know exactly what is going on with you. You will also find support there if you are worried about someone close to you. You can find more information and specific telephone numbers and help centres on the ‘Helping yourself’ and ‘Helping others’ pages.
Do you still have questions? Then please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. Questions can be sent to us directly via the contact form.