About The Solace Café
The Solace Café is an out of hours mental health support service delivered by Aware in partnership with St. John of God’s Community Mental Health Services and the HSE.
This café forms part of a wider national initiative to develop and expand hours of mental health support in line with the Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, and the National Model of Care for Crisis Resolution Services.
Our Approach at The Solace Café
The foundation of Solace Café is built on the recovery orientated approach. What that means is, we believe in creating an empowering space for people to grow and to flourish at their own pace, on their own journey.
We acknowledge that the person themselves is an expert in their own life, therefore we foster the ethos of person- centredness throughout our service.
We respect that each person’s story is unique to them and their experience. At the Solace Café we facilitate conversations where personal choice is respected and encouraged. We highlight the strengths of the people who visit us and understand when they feel they have none.
We listen compassionately and hold hope when people feel they are unable to do so for themselves.
Peer Support at The Solace Café
At Solace Café, most of our staff have their own lived experience of living with mental health and/or supporting a loved one who has these experiences. We use these lived experiences to support others on their journey. This type of support is called ‘Peer Support’.
Peer support is based on the transformative power of connection and relationships in the recovery process. In the peer support space, there is a mutual understanding of what it is like to live with overwhelming distress.
Through the sharing of similar experiences, meaningful connections are made, and emotional healing can follow. Many people find comfort and peace in this connection. By building an empathic trusting relationship, peer support creates a space which encourages empowerment and offers hope in the possibility of recovering from debilitating mental health.
About Aware
The Solace Café is operated by Aware, the national mental health organisation providing free support, education and information services for people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions.
If you need support with your mood or you’d like to develop skills and tools to proactively manage your wellbeing, we’re here for you. We also offer a host of supports for people supporting a loved one experiencing depression or bipolar disorder.
Click on the icons below to find out more about Aware’s Support Services.
