Beyond Self-Care: How Collective Healing Support Mental Health
Let’s be real—self-care has been marketed as bubble baths, scented candles, and solo journaling with a warm cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, those things are great and I recommend them for my clients, but healing doesn’t happen in isolation. We aren’t meant to do this alone.
When we think about mental health, we often focus on individual healing—therapy, mindfulness, exercise, better sleep. And while those things absolutely matter, there’s a crucial piece missing from the conversation: collective healing.
Healing Isn’t Just Personal—It’s Social
Many of our struggles don’t come from within us but from the world we live in. Systemic oppression, witnessing multiples genocides, generational trauma, economic stress, and community disconnection all affect mental health. If the harm is collective, then healing must be too.
Think about it:
Have you ever felt instantly lighter after venting to a friend who truly gets it?
Or found unexpected comfort in a space where people share similar experiences?
Or realized that the weight you carry isn’t just yours, but part of something bigger?
That’s collective healing in action.
Self-Care vs. Community Care
Self-care is necessary, but it can only take us so far. Community care—showing up for one another, creating safe spaces, and fighting for a better world—is just as essential.
Some ways to practice collective healing:
Build support networks – Find or create spaces where vulnerability is welcomed.
Engage in shared rituals – Group meditation or prayer, storytelling circles, or even weekly check-ins with loved ones.
Challenge isolation – Reach out. Offer help. Accept help. We heal in connection.
Advocate for systemic change – Mental health isn’t just personal; it’s political. Healing includes fighting for equity, justice, and access.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Healing is not a solo mission. Yes, go to therapy or mental health coaching. Yes, set boundaries. But also: find your people. Lean into relationships. Remember that your struggles aren’t just yours to carry, and your healing is not just yours to claim.
Because when we heal together, we don’t just survive—we thrive.
