Mental Health

Service Awards for Courage and Vision

At the Southwest regional meeting we recognized a group of recovery mentors at the Magilligan Prison in Northern Ireland who have provided ear acupressure to their fellow prisoners. Before the pandemic, they also worked in the acupuncture clinic assisting Trish Cathcart, who introduced the NADA protocol into all the prisons in Northern Ireland. We made a service award for each mentor (Albert, Billy, Dessie, Eamon, Paul, Ryan C and Ryan T) and for Trish, recognizing their courage and vision.

Your Art Your Story

Hope and healing after suicide. Many suicide loss survivors have post-traumatic stress disorder and disenfranchised grief, and it is difficult for them to find help. In 2019, I was introduced to NADA and started training in the NADA protocol. Although I don’t yet practice the protocol in a clinical setting, I use it on myself and really notice the benefits. I believe the NADA protocol is a powerful tool for bereavement support and would like to connect with practitioners who have employed it–using needles and/or seeds and magnetic beads–in grief support settings.

Ear Acupressure Outreach & Education Tool

Ear acupressure helps people of all ages. This simple technique helps everything from trauma recovery and healing, to quieting stress and anxiety, to helping with headaches and general wellness. It provides a balancing effect – some people feel sleepy while others are energized, some feel relief of depression, some seem to get a peaceful sensation of relaxation, and some don’t feel anything. Michael Smith said that it “helps kick in the body’s own healing system. It helps what needs helping.”