Infinite Mindcare talk series continues at Next Chapter

Although it’s easy to associate Next Chapter with the latest books and great gift items, the Camana Bay shop also hosts a series of events that engage the community in various ways.

One such series of events is the Infinite Mindcare Talk Series. These free events have been held at Next Chapter since 2017.

Infinite Mindcare is a multi-speciality counselling centre, and the themed talks aim to make therapy more accessible and break down the stigma around mental health.

“Because the talks are informal, people can see a therapist’s personality, who they are, how they speak,” says Sutton Burke, owner and clinical director of Infinite Mindcare. “This helps people to realise that even if they don’t choose that therapist, they can easily connect with one. The talks normalise the communications and conversations about mental health in our community.”

The topics change for each talk and are focused on areas that could be helpful to people.

“Our first talk was on social media wellness and now every year we try to do something on this topic as social media drastically impacts our mental health,” says Burke.

Last month, Infinite Mindcare’s psychologist and psychotherapist Greg Miller provided a talk on “Breaking Bad Habits,” where he shared various techniques to help people to overcome behaviours that may no longer be helpful to them.

The talks have been well received by attendees, Burke says.

“The feedback has been great. Many people share with us that they attended a talk or saw the advertisement but didn’t actually make it out to the event but that’s what led them to seek counselling. It seems the talks are doing what they are intended to do, which is breaking barriers and the stigma associated with therapy so that people can feel more comfortable asking for help and support.”

Sydney Solomon, assistant manager of Next Chapter, says the store was pleased to host the talks.

"The talk series is a great introduction to a range of topics and is perfect for anyone who feels they may be struggling but is unsure if they need or want further guidance, or cannot afford therapy sessions,” she says. “Bringing greater awareness and understanding to issues that so many of us face is of the utmost importance if we want a healthy, happy, thriving society. That is why we at Next Chapter feel it is important to facilitate this talk series and to support the efforts made by Infinite Mindcare.” 

The talks, which generally take place monthly with a break during the summer, occur from 2-3 p.m. on scheduled Sunday afternoons.

This article was published in the May 2024 print edition of Camana Bay Times.