What we’re about
Hello! RAINS Rotterdam is a community building initiative focused on: expat, immigrant, and migrant mental health, fostering connection and making friends, low pressure networking, and building intentional community. RAINS Rotterdam is under the umbrella practice, RAINS Psychology, run by Dr. Christina Winters, who is a psychologist living and working in Rotterdam. RAINS Rotterdam runs a series of workshops and community building initiatives in the Rotterdam region. Feel free to get in touch with Dr Christina Winters at drchristinawinters@gmail.com for any questions, if you wish to receive therapy, or if you are interested in joining or collaborating on any of the activities or initiatives below!
Making new friends/outdoor fun/exploring Rotterdam:
- Dystopian themed scavenger hunts (ongoing; sign up!)
Social Mental Health Support Groups:
- Eco-anxiety support group (still in formation)
- Domestic issues support group (still in formation; for adults facing problems in their household)
Expat Grief Support Group (online; operating for 2+ years):
- Free online support group (2x/month) for foreigners living in the Netherlands who lost a loved one in their home country.
What does RAINS stand for?
Risk Awareness - Identity - Narrative - Self-Continuity
Our focus is on Risk Awareness, particularly the eco-crisis, economic crisis, housing crisis, and pressures around migration, but also social risks (e.g., interpersonal risks to health and wellness). We hope to form coalitions with eco-conscious communities in Rotterdam and help community members combat eco-anxiety, increase community awareness of sustainability practices, and form alliances for neighborly emergency preparedness, including assistance with domestic issues, such as temporary pet fostering.
Our focus is on Identity, particularly the multitude of identities and 'hats' and the pressure of the 'hats' individuals wear as immigrants, expats, young adults, parents, working professionals, and multicultural identities. RAINS welcomes every identity!
Our focus is on Narrative, that is, the story that forms the building blocks of identity. Narrative about oneself is crucial to self- and social learning, fostering meaningful connection with others, and feeling seen, heard, understood, and valued. We hope to be involved in storytelling groups in Rotterdam. In her psychology practice, Dr. Winters involves elements of Narrative Therapy and Narrative Exposure Therapy (for treating trauma).
Our focus is on Self-Continuity. Self-continuity lays the foundation for narrative. Without it, we lose sight of identity and our risk of suicidality increases. The concept of self-continuity became an increasingly a popular concept in mental health circles, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused many major life changes (and thus, shifts in identity) for many people. Self-continuity helps individuals feel grounded in their social and cultural context, and accordingly, helps manage existential fears by linking a clear concept of our past, present, and future selves.
