Listen Well Scotland launches Listening Time4U service at Nairn Community Arts Centre for people to talk about concerns and difficulties which could affect their mental health
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A service to help people from primary school age to adulthood talk about concerns and difficulties they face as a means of impacting positively on mental health and wellbeing has been launched in Nairn.
Scottish based charity Listen Well Scotland has secured a Listening Room at the Nairn Community Arts Centre where trained listeners will be able to offer their Listening Time4U one-to-one service in a safe and confidential setting, to explore issues which could affect their well-being.
Service Manager Maureen Wilson said: "It's important that people realise we are not counsellors or therapists.
"But we provide Registered Listeners who are trained and supervised by Listen Well Scotland to give people time to explore issues which may be impacting on their mental wellbeing."
Mrs Wilson who has 25 years of experience as a trained listener was also a physiotherapist and combined both when working in GP practice in Kent in the 1980s.
"It was a very forward-thinking surgery which recognised the value of having a listener on their team to support patients," she said.
"Listening Time4U helped to normalise people’s experience rather than medicalise it.
"My husband and I moved to Nairn in 2003 and I also provided the listening service for nine years at a GP surgery in Inverness.
"As well as providing our 1:1 Listening Time4U, Listen Well Scotland provides training in listening so people, both young and old, actually learn to listen to each other in everyday communication.
"Listen Well Scotland also provides listening training to schools from primary six pupils to adults. The aim is to teach people listening skills to be able to listen to others before a problem they are struggling with can impact on their mental health.
"Listening without judgement is about helping others talk through a concern so empowering them to make their own decision or find their own solution to their situation or concern so building resilience. Listening is about prevention and early intervention so reducing the possibility of more serious mental health issues arising.
"Our invitation is for schools to consider becoming a ‘Listening School’ - building a listening culture - where young people and staff together learn to listen well providing peer support."
Mrs Wilson said there was a lot of good work being done by mental health and suicide awareness charities which were under greater pressure than ever since the Covid pandemic.
"People who felt isolated before the pandemic inevitably have found it harder to cope since the outbreak of Covid," she added.
The charity has six volunteer Registered Listeners in the Highlands and Moray and the 1:1 Listening service to individuals is free.
"Due to confidentially, we don't provide a walk in service," she said.
"People can self refer and they are asked to fill in a request form and then a time will be made to meet one of our trained listeners in our ‘Listening Room.’
"We are also working in partnership with Nairn Citizens Advice Bureau. We are very grateful to have secured this facility at the Community and Arts Centre which will enable us to deliver the service to more people in a face to face setting although we will continue our on-line and virtual service which was a lifeline for many during the pandemic."
Nairn's Davidson Trust funded the refurbishment of the room which the service will use at the community centre.
Manager of the centre Sam Morrison said: "We are grateful to the Davidson Trust for their support and look forward to providing this service from the centre."
Leaflets with information on Listening Time4U are available at Nairn Community and Arts Centre, Nairn CAB or on Listenwellscotland.org.uk.
For a request form or further information contact maureen@listenwellscotland.org.uk or phone 07511 421309.
