Mental health specialist

Fieldset

Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) mental health specialists work to provide psychological or psychiatric care to communities impacted by conflict, disasters, or disease.

Resilient, compassionate, and focused, their work is essential to helping people rebuild their lives. This can be through counselling, psycho-social support, or, in some projects, medication.

Our counsellors are often members of the local community, specially trained by MSF. They receive clinical supervision and support from highly qualified mental health specialists such as psychologists and psychiatrists.

Read the blog posts below to find out more about life as an MSF mental health specialist, or click here to find out more about applying to join the team.

Christian Falkenstein

Mental health specialist

Half-time in Minsk

As he passes the half-way point of his time working at an MSF tuberculosis project, psychotherapist Christian reflects on six months in Belarus…

04 Jun 2019 / 4 minute read

An MSF team member examines a patient with multidrug-resistant TB in Minsk

Christian Falkenstein

Mental health specialist

TB in Belarus: "Discuss, argue and take patients seriously"

Overcoming tuberculosis (TB) requires a lengthy and careful treatment. However, in Belarus, many patients are also battling another issue: alcohol addiction. German psychotherapist Christian Falkenstein writes about putting patients at the centre of their own care…

16 May 2019 / 3 minute read

Kayla Dawson

Mental health specialist

"What I observed was a great deal of compassion and willingness to support each other."

Sometimes, it's not just our patients that can need mental health support. Kayla blogs from India, where psychological first aid is helping healthcare staff cope with a traumatic event.

08 May 2019 / 5 minute read

Christian Falkenstein

Mental health specialist

TB in Belarus: Saturdays at the tuberculosis clinic

In Belarus, patients fighting tuberculosis often face another battle: alcohol addiction. The combination can be devastating, as tuberculosis can be deadly without a difficult treatment made only tougher by this additional challenge. Christian, a psychotherapist, is working to help people break this dangerous cycle through new insight and new hope…

22 Apr 2019 / 4 minute read

Kayla Dawson

Mental health specialist

"A better approach is to observe and learn in the beginning"

The first few weeks in India were a whirlwind. I was happy to connect with a fellow Canadian field worker during my first few days in Delhi, then I flew to Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and headed to Churachandpur - my new home for the next nine months!

17 Apr 2019 / 5 minute read

Christian Falkenstein

Mental health specialist

TB in Belarus: The team and the challenge

"The first three months are the most exhausting", someone warned Christian - a German psychotherapist newly arrived in Minsk. How right they were.

08 Mar 2019 / 4 minute read

Christian Falkenstein

Mental health specialist

TB in Belarus: “The blank spot on the map”

Knowing nothing about Belarus, German psychotherapist Christian arrives in Minsk for his first ever assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

28 Feb 2019 / 4 minute read

Kayla Dawson

Mental health specialist

A Deeper Look into Deciding to Join MSF

The time has come – I’m days away from leaving for my first MSF posting. I’ve decided that I wanted to write a blog while I’m on assignment because I’ve read so many MSF blog posts over the last year. I’ve found them to be inspiring and helpful in deciding/preparing to work for MSF.

26 Jan 2019 / 4 minute read