The A Project invites you to break your daily routine and take some time to revisit and re-think the concept of mental health during a weekend retreat with lovely people in a lovely place away from the city :)

Our objective through this retreat is to provide a more nuanced view of mental illness and reclaim the narrative from an invalidating society on the one hand and the reductionist trend of medicalization on the other. We will explore difficult questions regarding the objectivity and reliability of the definition, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and the implications of each on the autonomy and agency of concerned individuals.

Each participant will receive a booklet containing book excerpts, academic articles, opinion pieces and personal stories before the retreat. Participants are invited to read the entire booklet and delve into one or two pieces in more depth, present them to the group and lead the discussion that follows.

Due to limited availability of resources in Arabic, most of the reading material will be in English. We will simplify the language as much as possible during discussions and will try to assign texts you are comfortable with.

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Dates: We will leave Beirut on Friday 6 October around 7 PM and return on Sunday 8 October around 7 PM.

Location: We will be hosted by the fantastic and welcoming people at Auberge Beity in Kfradebian.

Costs: Free of charge - The A Project will cover your stay at Auberge Beity, including meals.

Deadline: Monday 18 September – Please note that the sooner you apply the better your chances of being selected and the earlier you can receive the required reading materials.

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IMPORTANT: If you are a practicing psychologist or psychiatrist, we kindly ask you NOT to apply as we would like to create a safe and comfortable atmosphere for everyone and we expect that some applicants may be people who have sought treatment from a psychologist or psychiatrist (maybe even from you) at one point or another.

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IF INTERESTED, PLEASE FILL IN AND SUBMIT THIS GOOGLE SHEET.