At The Collective Trust, our work is driven by the pressing mental health needs of our community in Manipur. We engage in a diverse range of programs and initiatives, often in collaboration with partner organizations and individuals, all aimed at making mental health care accessible, reducing stigma, and building collective resilience. Here’s an overview of our some programs and initiatives that we have been a part of:

Listening Circles & Peer Support

• Wakhong Listening Circles: Our flagship initiative, Wakhong – Meiteilon translation “bamboo grove” provides a safe, non-judgmental space for individuals to share experiences, listen without fixing, and heal together. Evolving from “Men’s Talk” – men’s mental health initiative which started in September-2024 to an inclusive circle across all genders and conflict-affected individuals (including survivors of GBV, armed conflict, sexual violence) from April 2025. Wakhong fosters real talk, real support, and collective healing, embodying our #KeiraakCulture. Sessions are held in Imphal and Moirang.
• Psychosocial Peer Support: We train volunteers to offer crucial peer support in relief camps and other crisis settings especially during the 2023 Manipur crisis alongwith our partners like Matai Society, Trauma Response Centre for Conflict Affected Children and Youth(TRC) by Matai Society and Tengbang Sintha Foundation (TSF). In this trainings and mentorship we build capacities for volunteers to be trauma informed, psychosocially aware, how to empathetically provide a listening ear, sharing experiences that would empower, introduce coping strategies with referrals to experts when needed. We also focus on the importance of Self Care as paramount in helping others.

Counselling & Therapeutic Services

• Accessible Clinical Counselling: We provide free or low-cost, confidential counselling, with a focus on marginalized communities, including women, students, childen in need of care and protection, queer, and trans individuals, delivered by experienced, LGBTQ+ affirmative professionals (supported under the MHI SPLGBTQ program).
• Affordable Therapy Initiative : We are committed to making therapy affordable, offering subsidized sessions (aiming for ₹800-₹1500 range) and innovative approaches like Therapy Coupons to ensure cost is not a barrier to healing.
• Trauma-Informed Care: Recognizing the impact of conflict, our therapeutic work is deeply rooted in trauma-informed principles, incorporating specialized techniques (like TIR and methods learned from experts like Victor Lyons) to support recovery.
• Specialized Therapeutic Approaches: We explore and integrate various modalities, including Dance Movement Therapy , Art Expressive Therapies (used creatively with children in homes like Punya Children Home in collaboration with Shared Grounds Foundation, Poirei Nawakon etc ), Mindfulness in Recovery (MIR), CBT, DBT, and others tailored to individual needs.

Community Outreach & Education

• School Mental Health Programs: We engage with schools (like Ramakrishna Mission, Maria Montessori, Imphal Valley, JJ Montessori etc) and educational institutions to promote mental wellness, focusing on teacher well-being, student support, inclusive education, addressing mental health issues, and navigating challenges within the education system.
• Community Awareness Campaigns: We organize and participate in events for World Mental Health Day, Suicide Prevention Day, World Alzheimer’s Day, International Men’s Day, World Infant/Child/Adolescent Mental Health Day etc., facilitating dialogues on crucial topics like workplace mental health, invisible labor, suicide postvention, caregiver support, and children in armed conflict (e.g., session with SAMVAD).
• Relief Camp & Crisis Intervention: We provide direct psychosocial support and facilitate community programs in relief camps and areas affected by conflict and crisis, collaborating with local groups like Laishoi Youths’ Club.
• Public Education: Through platforms like Imphal Free Press, our mental health related column “Mind Matters” and appearances on local radio and Cable TV networks (e.g., Radio Nongin, AIR, Impact TV, Elite TV, etc), we aim to demystify mental health concepts and provide accessible information to the wider community, including discussions on addiction treatment reform.

Capacity Building & Professional Development

• Workshops for Specific Groups: We design and deliver targeted workshops, such as the 3-day Queer Leadership Workshop (Oct 2024, with Matai Society, empowering young LGBTQIA+ activists) and Care for Caregivers (July 2020, with Ya-All).
• Training for Professionals: We conduct and participate in trainings on specialized topics like trauma resolution techniques (Victor Lyons), neurodivergence, ethical practice, and inclusive education (attending CRE programs, FDPs, RCI webinars).
• Peer Supervision & Learning: Our regular internal Tuesday sessions provide a vital space for peer supervision, case discussions, sharing challenges, and continuous learning among practitioners, sometimes featuring guest experts (e.g., Dr. Jina Heigrujam on Neurodivergence, Ima Bina on Shamanism).
• Webinars & Expert Sessions: We host webinars to share knowledge, foster dialogue, and stay updated on best practices. Few examples:
  • Workplace Mental Health with Dr. Gangmumei Kamei
  • Dr. Jina Heigrujam’s sessions on neurodevelopmental challenges faced by children and adolescents
  • Attended sessions like The Therapist’s Compass series on ethics

Advocacy & Awareness Initiatives

• Challenging Stigma: A core thread through all our work is challenging the stigma surrounding mental illness, suicide, gender norms, seeking help, and specific cultural phenomena like “lai nungshit”.
• Promoting Ethical Practices: We actively engage in discussions on ethics in psychotherapy and are part of networks like the India Mental Health Alliance (IMHA) to contribute to transforming India’s mental health landscape.
• Systemic Change: We advocate for policy changes, improved resource allocation, and community-driven solutions to address systemic barriers in mental healthcare access, including reforming addiction treatment models and addressing gender inequality (e.g., consultations with WAD/CSD).
• Amplifying Voices: We use social media actively and past initiatives like the “Thinking Aloud” online series to raise awareness, share resources, tell diverse stories (including survivor narratives), and foster open conversations. We also collaborate on campaigns, such as sharing insights on the effects of victim blaming with Girl Up Khonjel.

Special Projects & Collaborations

• MAHEI X iHEAR PROJECT: Two day mental health workshop under MAHEI X iHEAR PROJECT (January 13–14, 2025 ). Primarily focused on mapping the current mental health practices and addressing the specific mental health needs of the Mahei Centre’s team conducted at Moirang.
• Suicide Prevention Program: An ongoing one-year program (started Oct 2024) in partnership with Matai Society, supported by the Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI), focusing on prevention and postvention strategies, including rethinking narratives around suicide.
• Hope Fest: Celebrating Equality and Life (27th-28th December, 2024). The Collective Trust took a main part in this festival of inclusion and participation was organized by the All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association with the aims to promote equality, acceptance, and the celebration of life in all its diversity. With support from the Astrea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, SAATHII , Empowering Trans Ability (ETA) and All Trans Men Association (ATMA). Hope Fest offered a platform for individuals from all walks of life (Transgender in particular) to come together in unity and solidarity.
• Research Initiatives: Engaging in and presenting research on topics like AI-Assisted Mindfulness-Based Therapy (winning a Best Paper Award at APSPA conference) and teacher mental health in inclusive schools (presented at RCI/Spastic Society CRE program).
• Cross-Sector Partnerships: Collaborating with diverse organizations like Shared Grounds Foundation, Octave Foundation (Psychosocial programs, Hope through Sharing), Centre for Women and Girls (CWG), EENOT, Shinleima Communications, Ya-All, Matai Society, Trauma Response Centre, Young Transgender Collective, Tengbang Sintha Foundation (TSF), SAATHII, AMANA, ATMA, Transgender Health and Wellness Centre, legal services authorities, and others on specific projects addressing intersecting issues like gender inequality, substance use, child rights, LGBTQIA+ support, and community development.

Past Initiatives

To understand our journey, we also acknowledge our past work which includes:

• Thinking Aloud: An online live chat series (started July 2020) honoring mental health practitioners, activists, artists, and diverse voices from Manipur.
• Take 5 to Save Lives: Participation in the global suicide prevention campaign (Sept 2020).
• Hope Through Sharing: Online and offline listening circles building community (started Feb 2022 with Octave Foundation & Matai Society).
• Mind Matters: A newspaper column (circa 2014-2015) demystifying mental health.
• COVID-19 Response: Fielding distress calls and providing psychosocial support during the pandemic.
• Early Collaborations: Including psychosocial programs with Octave Foundation and consultations on gender inequality with WAD/CSD (2020).