The SEJ Process is like brushing your teeth!

"Just like we teach children and young people how to brush their teeth, so we can teach them how to empower their mental and emotional wellbeing and in turn reach their true potential."

Jacqueline Mary Phillips

There is currently another pandemic in the world, affecting the mental health of many people of all ages. The charity MIND claims that 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England. I have heard school-age children saying they are stressed; it has almost become the norm that we get stressed…

The key is to provide education and empowerment to everyone before mental ill health becomes an issue. We teach children to take care of physical aspects such as nutrition and exercise. We visit dentists and opticians to maintain healthy teeth and eyesight. When I visit my dentist, they show me how to take care of my teeth and maintain a healthy oral environment. Therefore, I only need a check-up every 6 months, and rarely do I need further intervention. It is the same with our mental health and the SEJ; teaching and assisting with mental health is equally important. However, just like the dentist, showing our children and young people how to take care of their own mental health will surely mean fewer visits to the external agencies and the need for intervention. Giving them the tools to maintain their own wellbeing, without the need to rely on others is surely more empowering and long-lasting.

The success of integrating the SEJ Process as a professional and academic skill in universities and the equivalent in other educational settings is invaluable, and we have witnessed time and again its success (see research). Not only because of the need to address mental health and provide successful prevention training but also because it enables the student to acquire a lifelong transferrable skill, which they can take beyond their educational career into employment.

The time to just talk about mental health is over; now is the time to empower and equip our children and young people, providing prevention and empowerment through the life-enhancing tool, the SEJ Process. The Self Empowerment Journey (SEJ) Process is a simple, easy to learn process taught to children as young as seven. It aids in spotting the signs of mental distress and addresses the problems before they become overwhelming to the individual, and the need for external help arises.

I invite you to join me in sharing the SEJ Process with your children and students. An empowering tool where they can reach their full potential and keep their mental health in tip-top condition so this mental health pandemic becomes a thing of the past.

Dr M Howard-Kishi