Sign Up | Mental Health Peer Support Group in Beijing

Moving to a new country, going through a breakup, losing a job, or living with mental conditions arevery challenging. Yet, there’s no reason to suffer alone when one can choose to join hands with others and let the power of connection and group support encourage and heal us.

In the absence of such social support in Beijing, CandleX established the peer support group in October, 2015, with the goal to provide psychosocial support to Beijing community. It provides a safe and supportive environment for people living in and out of Beijing to share personal thoughts and experiences in small, confidential gatherings.

To understand this project, or if you’d like to read our 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year support group review, please visit this link (or click on “read more”).

NOTE: If you are looking for information about mental health treatments or have a close friend or family member who is living with a mental health condition like depression or anxiety and you want to support them, our Pre-treatment Guidance Program is perfect for that. Please read here and sign up accordingly.

Key Information

• Peer     support group Participants: Our support groups are for people     living with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or suicide     ideation. The support group is especially effective for newcomers who are     in situations of lack of social support, experiencing shame and guilt of  having depression or people who present an elevated risk of mental illness.

• Date: every second and fourth Tuesday (both offline by default)

• Time : 19:30-21:00

• Location: near dongdaqiao (details will be communicated via a confirmation email after 4 pm, the day before each meeting)

• Language: English

• Max number: 7 people each session

• Fee: 50rmb or 30rmb     (income ≤6000rmb/month)

• Registration     via scanning QR code, or click on

  https://yoopay.cn/event/05475102

• Support Group coordinator will reach out via private message to confirm your registration after screening and payment.

Content and Approach:

During the meeting, the core elements are as follow:

• Share our stories and feelings, and let others  help you and give you emotional support when dealing with the difficult emotions alone.

• Help each other recognize the importance of tending to and promoting our own self-care

• The meeting is generally conducted in talking and sharing, but we offer other approaches to make sure that we feel  relaxed and comfortable to share, including some guided meditation, breathing exercises, etc. There is one facilitator to throughout the session, monitor the progress of each session and facilitate group interactions.

• Keep in touch with each other, as we have a WeChat group (that you may join after attending at least one meeting) where you  would be informed of Beijing community mental health events, other information that might be helpful for your recovery.

  Peer Group Principles
  

• We shall not be held  responsible for group member’s safety. We are all peers.  There are no professionals in this group. CandleX will not be responsible  for people engaging in self-harm or suicidal ideations. By signing up to the peer support group, I understand and agree to release CandleX and its staff or volunteers from  any or all liability connected to my own participation, including but not limited to any forms of self-harm or suicide.

• If you are in a crisis, please seek a professional  immediately at the same time. Your will find useful information on our  crisis page, visit: https://www.candlex.cn/crisis-support 

• All information shared with the group is  confidential. All new participants will need to register first for  eligibility screening.

• no graphic description of suicide, self-harm  and death as it may trigger some of the attendees.

• Please note that this is a Peer Support  Group, there will be no professional therapists attending.

• If you have any concerns or feedback of the  support group, we welcome you to let us know by emailing it to [e-mail]. The concern  would be handled sensitively directly by CandleX’s director.

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CandleX’s Resources

Access the CandleX archive on depression and mental health

Are you or a friend in a Crisis?

Pre-treatment Guidance for one-on-one sessions

CandleX Classroom

https://www.candlex.cn/classroom

Depression stories from our community members

CandleX Column | My Story with Depression

https://www.candlex.cn/my-story-with-depression

A CandleX production on Depression

Psychosocial Support Events

Support Group Sign Ups - biweekly

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