MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
THE MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY HAS FOUND A NEW HOME IN THE ICA GROUNDS IN TERMONFECKIN
Nurture, the maternal mental health charity has just moved to a new base in the ICA grounds in Termonfeckin.
The charity, which provides support around the area of depression in pregnancy, fertility issues, post-natal depression and grief, was started by seven years ago by Irene Lowry, a qualified counsellor, at her home in Rush.
After a brief sojourn in Skerries, the charity has now established its nationwide base at the ICA lands in Termonfeckin and Nurture is now the ICA’s chosen mental health charity in Ireland offering immediate supports to all their members.
‘We’re absolutely thrilled that the ICA are accommodating us here,’ Irene told the Drogheda Independent. ‘Where we are is just beautiful, it’s just like a magical land.
‘ The locals walk by here all the time so there’s actually more footfall here than we had in Skerries. We’re only in five weeks but everyone has been so welcoming and kind. We’ve had people leaving post-its on the door wishing us well and even some notes saying: ‘I need support’.
The organisation marked their move officially last week with the opening of a new Worry Tree where people can write down their worries and leave them behind at the tree, and a Fairy Fort for the children.
‘Adults can sit on our reflective bench and share their worries with Nurture then pop them into our pretty postbox and if we can support them we most certainly will,’ said Irene. ‘Or they can write their wishes down with their kiddies as their is a little table and chairs for them too and hang their wishes on the tree. This Worry Wish tree is a symbol of HOPE for all who come and see it and it will be themed for Halloween, Christmas and Easter.’
Irene was inspired to start the charity following the death by suicide of two young mothers she had been seeing as a counsellor. Both had been waiting for months on the public waiting list to see a counsellor and Irene believed the long delay between seeking help and receiving counselling is a problem which urgently needed to be addressed.
‘ The most important thing for us is that our supports are immediate,’ says Irene. ‘Once anyone phones us they’ll be seen the same week. I wanted to do things differently. If someone needs help then they can get it straight away.’
So far this year, Nuture counsellors have seen 1,000 women and 250 men.
While the charity originally focused on post natal depression, Irene said the demand for services grew with women coping with the loss of babies or following miscarriages seeking counselling sessions while others struggle to deal with the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatment and IVF.
‘We deal with all of the life changes and events, from depression in pregnancy to those struggling with fertility issues. About 10% of men will develop post natal depression or they may also be struggling to cope after the loss of a baby or after a misscarriage.’
Part of the reason for the move to Termonfeckin was the skyrocketing rents in Skerries and Irene admits that securing funding and maintaining services is always a difficult battle for the charity.
‘I would describe it as pushing an elephant up a hill because it’s a tough road trying to manage a charity on a shoestring, it really is,’ said Irene. ‘We need extra funding and been talking to the HSE about that.’
Services offered by Nurture include one to one counselling at reduced rates, telephone support, skype counselling and facilitating support groups for post-natal depression, traumatic birth and grief as well as resilience skills for every day living.
The charity currently has 27 dedicated counsellors working in most counties throughout Ireland trained in the area of maternal mental health with further expansion planned for the latter part of 2017.