Wiser Mental Health

[Event series by Art of Humaning]

How’s your therapy or spiritual path going so far?

Welcome, fellow seekers of wisdom. My name is Leanna. I’m a philosophical counsellor, a psychotherapist-in-training, an enthusiast of ancient and new age spirituality, and a Vipassana meditator.

A lot of us are seeking to cope with life’s challenges and improve our wellbeing through psychotherapy or committing to a spiritual tradition. Although mental health and spirituality are deeply interconnected, they are often approached separately. On one hand, professional mental health services by default neglect the spiritual dimension of our being and therefore are often incapable of addressing our spiritual struggles; on the other hand, the teachings of a particular tradition may not fully address the unique problems of modern life, especially in multicultural settings.

I created this group in order for us to explore issues or questions that somehow fall between these domains. These issues may range from the deeply personal to abstract and philosophical. Whatever is on your mind, let’s bring it to the table! I will facilitate our discussion using the "Socratic method” so as to make meaningful reflections possible regardless of our religious background or cultural heritage. To achieve this, I ask you to similarly practice “Socratic listening” - take a moment to withhold judgment and assumptions and take the courage to ask open-ended questions from a place of genuine curiosity.

Meeting Schedule

We will be meeting weekly on topics alternating in the following order (which does not reflect the actual week of the month)

Week 1 Unpacking Therapy: Share Your Story
Week 2 Discussion on Selected Topic (with light reading)
Week 3 Unpacking the Spiritual Path: Share Your Story
Week 4 Discussion on Selected Topic (with light reading)

Feel free to request a topic that you want to discuss!

Community Policy

• Due to the sensitive nature of our discussions, we ask that all participants treat one another with extra respect, kindness, and consideration.
• Our aim is to deepen self-understanding and the sense of shared humanity through open, meaningful dialogues that transcend cultural and ideological boundaries. It's possible you feel uncomfortable at time as your existing worldview or conditioning gets challenged, we however encourage you to consider an optimal amount of such challenge conducive to your growth.
• To facilitate this, we encourage all participants to practice "Socratic listening." Instead of reacting quickly based on unexamined assumptions, take a moment to honor the benefit of doubt, and take the courage to ask questions and seek clarity. There’s often more to what’s being said than may initially appear.
• Kindly refrain from sharing the identities and the specifics of personal stories to anyone outside of the group.
• You don’t have to share anything if you don’t feel comfortable :) Your presence and engaged listening are just as valuable.
• Please keep in mind that, these meetings are not official group therapy sessions hosted by a legally bounded professional. While confidentiality is encouraged, it is not guaranteed. So, for issues that should be exposed only in a protected safe space, please keep them to yourself. If you are in need of such a session, please talk to me privately.
• Everyone is responsible for managing their own emotions during and after the meetings. No one in the group is accountable for any distress or hurt you may experience. Again, if you feel that you need professional support beyond what the group can offer, please talk to me privately.
• If you disregard these guidelines repeatedly, I may need to remove you in order to protect the integrity of the group.

Thank you for helping to create a thoughtful and caring community!

Support the Group

Donation is much appreciated to keep this group running! 
This group exists because I think there should be a space for us to nurture ourselves where professional mental health services and spiritual traditions have left out. I consider this space sacred and therefore priceless! However, it demands time and platform fees to maintain it. If you find value in this space, please consider supporting us with a monthly donation of $5-20. One-time donation is also welcome!
(Donate via e-transfer: info@artofhumaning.co or via PayPal)

Enrich the Group

Lastly, if you have any feedback or suggestions (e.g. topics you wish to discuss) for enhancing the group for the benefit of yourself and other members, I’d love to hear from you! Also, if you are interested in co-hosting some events of your suggestion, feel free to discuss with me!

Further Information

Feel free to visit my website www.artofhumaning.co or view my blog