Minding Creative Minds announces an increase in its counselling session model, allowing the organization accommodate even more people from the sector who require a medium-term intervention or counselling care over a longer period.
Minding Creative Minds (MCM) is Ireland’s first 24/7 (32 county and our Irish overseas) wellbeing support programme for the entire Irish creative and arts sector. Since its launch in 2020, the organization’s offering has increased substantially but has always included counselling and advice services in association with Spectrum Life. This, includes a *24/7 dedicated phone line and text service for short-term intervention, together with secure video counselling, amongst other contact options.
In the first of a number of planned initiatives by Minding Creative Minds in 2023 we are very pleased to announce that we can now offer a twelve (12) session counselling model to the entire Irish Creative & Arts sectors. Speaking of this advancement, founder Dave Reid says; “Minding Creative Minds in association with Spectrum Life is delighted to now be able to offer a (12) twelve-session counselling model for anyone who works or is Involved within the Irish Creative or Arts sectors. A (12) twelve-session counselling model means Minding Creative Minds can now accommodate even more people from the sector who require a medium-term intervention or counselling and care over a longer period. This increase compliments our Enhanced Service launched last October which offers up twelve (12) free counselling sessions with a dedicated trauma counselling specialist for anyone who has suffered serious trauma or sexual abuse.”
This winter, Minding Creative Minds also enhanced its service to include specialist trauma and abuse counselling care. This primary advancement in our service offering was announced in collaboration with our creative partners at Screen Ireland, The Arts Council and Irish Theatre Institute as part of the Safe to Create programme announcement. We are able to do this, due to the continued support of Minister Catherine Martin and her team at The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, for which we are sincerely thankful. At its core; where short-term support intervention is identified this enhanced serviced involves a twelve-session counselling support with a specialist trauma and abuse clinician. If longer term or open-ended support is identified, a suitable referral pathway can also be arranged with navigation support also by Minding Creative Minds. (more details later in this document)
*The contact details for all our services remain as they have been since our launch in June 2020.
- 24/7 Dedicated Phone Line: ROI 1800 814 244 | NI / UK: 0800 0903677 | International: 00353 15180277
- Texting‘Hi’ to 087 369 0010 for SMS & WhatsApp Support (standard rate applies) with a qualified psychotherapist / counsellor.
Since launch over 1,200 people have contacted Minding Creative Minds and the service has facilitated in the region of 1,700 hours of support. In addition, during the last twelve months alone, our in-house mentoring service has provided over 1500 mentoring hours to over 500 mentees involving 80 mentors across all art forms; including music, dance, theatre, artist management, publishing, television production, life coaching, event management, label and project management, digital marketing and others.
Since its launch Minding Creative Minds has hosted, organised or participated in numerous panel discussions within the creative sector including at Galway Film Fleadh, Docs Ireland Festival Belfast, Ireland Music Week, First Fortnight, RTE Choice Music Prize. The organisation has also hosted Masterclasses with Irish Theatre Institute, Screen Ireland, Improvised Music Company, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art & Design. Minding Creative Minds holds a monthly online meet and greet session; The aim of this event is, quite simply, to share experiences and advice with each other. To support each other. More recently we have also commenced supporting well-being events and initiatives including singer-songwriter Maria Kelly’s Postcards In-between this spring, Molly Sterling’s Reclaim Project and this summer, Joy in The Park; a festival legacy in honour of Joy, which took place at Fitzgerald Park in Cork.
As referenced earlier, Minding Creative Minds also offers advice and support on practical day to day issues which have the potential to cause stress and anxiety. For example, legal and *financial advice, career guidance and life coaching. Our service offering focuses on the entire individual; whatever your need or question; if you work in any area of the Irish creative sector, contact us and let us help you; our services are free and confidential.
*When registered you are entitled to 30mins free advice per topic. If you need financial assistance but in a couple of different areas, you are entitled to 30mins advice on each. For example; Taxation (30mins), Mortgage enquiry (30mins) etc.
