Men can talk about their feelings too – and boy do we need to!
A three-hour interactive workshop that offers a safe space for open conversations about some of the struggles men face. Together we will explore topics such as men’s mental wellbeing, evolved masculinity, resilience and happiness.
Despite alarming statistics, men are unlikely (and often unwilling) to ask for help. One study found that 40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health, with many reporting that they felt “too embarrassed” to do so.
This is a 3-hour interactive workshop that offers a safe space for men to have open conversations about some of the struggles we all face as men. Together we will explore topics such as men’s mental wellbeing, evolved masculinity, resilience and happiness. The workshop aims not only to raise awareness of what contributes to chronic unhappiness in men but, more importantly, will focus on how we as men can cultivate more emotional balance, resilience and self-compassion. The session will have a flavour of evidence-based positive psychology, ancient contemplative wisdom, and some guided Mindfulness-based Resilience exercises. Full participation is welcome and encouraged.
The first part of the workshop will be an interactive dialogue between Dr Avinash Bansode and Robert Gebka and will be open to men only. The second part of the workshop will be with all three speakers and include Dr Rani Bora, a psychiatrist exploring, amongst other things, the role women can play in supporting men’s mental health and wellbeing. This session is open to all, including women, as we believe men’s mental health is everybody’s business.
Our intention is to create a community of support for men, so we hope to continue to offer a variety of workshops and events for the benefit of all men in the future. The event will include signposting of resources and support accessible via our Here for Each Other Enhanced Staff Wellbeing Service. Click here to learn more about the service.
Programme
15:00 – 15:10: Welcome & Introductions
15:10 – 16:15: Diving Deeper Into Men’s Mental Wellbeing, Evolved Masculinity, Resilience and Happiness – An Interactive Conversation with Dr Avinash Bansode and Robert Gebka (Open to Men Only)
16:15 – 16:30: Tea/Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:15: The Role of Women in Supporting Men’s Mental Health and Wellbeing – A Trialogue with Dr Rani Bora, Dr Avinash Bansode, and Robert Gebka (Open to All Genders)
17:15 – 17:30: The Joy of Mindful Self-Compassion (Interactive Exercise)
17:30 – 17:50: Sharing of Reflections and Q&A
17:50 – 18:00: Conclusion, Signposting & Closing
Facilitators
Robert Gebka (Moderator)
Robert is a Health & Wellbeing Coach with the Here for Each other Staff Wellbeing Service. He is a Qualified MBSR Mindfulness Teacher with the University of California San Diego Centers for Integrative Health, USA. Robert is a former Zen Buddhist monk who lived, worked and trained for five years at a Buddhist monastery in South Africa. He is also an accredited counsellor and the author of Managing Depression with Mindfulness for Dummies. He lives in Bournemouth with his partner and their daughter. He enjoys using his shared experience of having lived with anxiety, depression and trauma to guide other men in their journey to resilience, self-compassion and wellbeing. Robert enjoys sitting in coffee shops, watching the world go by.
Dr Rani Bora (Guest Speaker)
Rani is a holistic psychiatrist as well as a wellbeing coach. Rani worked as a consultant in the NHS as a rehabilitation and recovery psychiatrist and a community general adult psychiatrist. She is the author of “How to Turn Stress on Its Head: The simple truth that can change your relationship with work” She enjoys sharing her philosophy of “mental wealth” and is following her passion for sharing the principles of innate health and wellbeing with a wider audience through coaching. Rani has published articles and booklets on well-being, coaching for mental health recovery and empowering people. She is a mother, wife and entrepreneur living in Yeovil, Somerset. www.drsranisuraj.com
Dr Avinash Bansode (Guest Speaker)
After years of practising as a GP, Avinash decided to embark on a full-time mindfulness teaching role, as his interest has always been in preventative and integrative medicine. Currently, he works as an Honorary Mindfulness Chaplain at The University of Edinburgh and a visiting Mindfulness Teacher at Queen Margaret University, offering systematic training in mindfulness. He is a father, a husband and a man who navigates life's challenges just like any other man. He lives in Scotland and is passionate about supporting other men in maintaining their own sense of wellbeing and inner resilience, and let’s not forget he loves playing cricket. www.mindfullybeing.co.uk
