An Non-Profit organization, in Greece, for the prevention and promotion of public mental health, free of charge, for all.

Social responsibility:

We fully understand the burden of responsibility that we bear towards improving the social conditions necessary for the well-being of all citizens, without exception.

SymperiliPsy places responsibility towards the beneficiaries and the society, in general, at the forefront of its actions.

Mental health promotion:

There is no health without mental health. The increase in crime, the rise in violence, the intensity and frequency of mental disorders, loneliness, sadness, addictions, the spread of social media addiction, all sound wake-up calls.

SymperiliPsy promotes mental health because we believe it is an integral part of citizens’ well-being.

Prevention:

The value of prevention has been known since ancient times. Indeed, once a serious psychosocial phenomenon has manifested itself, it is often difficult to be managed.

SymperiliPsy creates large and also smaller free primary prevention actions, in the form of lectures, workshops and individual psychotherapy sessions, to both vulnerable populations and the general population, in order to spread the importance of self-care and seeking mental help to all citizens, before they find themselves facing mental health challenges.

Equality for all people in access to mental health:

SymperiliPsy works for all individuals and especially for the most vulnerable populations. Thus, we are here to welcome, as beneficiaries, people from all backgrounds, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, disability, health status (mental and physical), economic status.

All our activities and services are completely free of charge, because we know that financial hardship is the most serious discrimination and we want the beneficiaries to have equal access to high quality mental health services. All our actions and services are accessible to people with physical and sensory disabilities.

Cultivating mental resilience in vulnerable populations:

It would have been ideal if social conditions were so favorable that vulnerable populations did not need to be resilient. Dystopian reality, however, requires us to help individuals who, for whatever psychosocial reason, are in a vulnerable position, to enhance their mental resilience.

SymperiliPsy organizes actions with a long-term and practically viable impact, so that, by participating in its actions, the beneficiaries gain mental skills for their whole life.

Solidarity:

SymperiliPsy stands in solidarity, next to any person in need. We believe, deeply, that in order to face the difficult reality of mental health issues and inequalities, we need, essentially, each other.

We respond, therefore, to every psychosocial need of the population, locally, nationally and internationally, and we can “travel” wherever we are asked, to help address humanitarian needs and crises.

Inclusion:

The key value of SymperiliPsy. After all, its name is the Greek word for inclusion.We strongly believe that society should be inclusive of all individuals, with all their needs and differences, and we work hard to achieve this.

All our actions, both prevention and research, are about equal representation and inclusion of all people, exactly as they are, without having to adapt or intersect to fit in.

Disability rights:

The founder of SymperiliPsy is a woman with a severe physical disability. Our core value is the defence of the rights of people with disabilities, their equal representation in all positions, their unhindered access to free, high-quality prevention and mental health care and their full inclusion in every aspect of life.

All our actions are fully accessible to people with physical and sensory disabilities. At the same time, the very essence and themes of our actions promote the empowerment of people with disabilities.

Gender Equality:

At SymperiliPsy we know well how everything around us carries a gendered aspect. We work firmly and persistently against gender discrimination and inequalities, against gender violence and the discrimination against women and LGBTQIA+ people.

Just as with disabled people, it is a core value of ours to defend the rights of women and LGBTQIA+ people, their equal representation in all positions, their unhindered access to free, high-quality prevention and mental health care and their full inclusion in every aspect of life.

Preventing violence:

SymperiliPsy sets as its main priority the protection of all individuals against violence. Whether on the street, in the family or at work, we believe that a sense of security is everyone’s right.

For this reason, we organize empowerment actions for abused persons and victims of all kinds of violence, as well as awareness and prevention actions, which are addressed to the general public. We place particular emphasis on domestic violence, gender violence, racist violence and violence at work.

Volunteering:

SymperiliPsy is an all-volunteer effort because we believe that giving makes us richer. The vision of volunteerism, the satisfaction of helping, the fulfillment that comes from giving, the sense of emotion when we see people benefiting, the warm relationships that develop between us and with the beneficiaries are our driving force. They give us meaning and purpose to keep going.

Teamwork and Creativity:

Our strength is our team and the relationships of solidarity and warmth that we create between us. Besides, this is exactly what we try to inspire in our beneficiaries: that as a team we can go further. At SymperiliPsy we build stable and long-lasting partnerships, we are all heard equally, we make decisions democratically, we have fun and enjoy teamwork, we meet each other’s needs.

At the same time, we think creatively. Creativity, in every area, unconventional thinking and innovative practices are our constant plan of action. We operate as we want the beneficiaries to learn to operate.

Ethics and Professionalism:

 SymperiliPsy is a purely scientific action. The scientific director of the organization is Mrs. Maria Sgourou, Developmental Psychologist MSc, Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Gestalt Psychotherapist, PhD Candidate at University of Macedonia.

All our activities are based on research results of the Science of Psychology. The speakers of our workshops and seminars are reputable and certified professionals in their fields. The volunteer Psychologists, who offer our free psychotherapy services, are certified Psychologists-Psychotherapists, licensed to practice or in training, in State University Departments.

All our research efforts follow the necessary ethical guidelines and comply with international research methodological regulations, imposed by reputable scientific fora (Universities, Scientific Journals). Scientific ethics is an unwavering rule of operation and our highest priority.

The privacy and confidentiality of our beneficiaries’ data are guaranteed by the European General Data Protection Regulation and the Law Enforcement Directive and by the Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Finally, we are bound by all ethical rules as described in the Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Interdisciplinary collaboration:

 The vision of SymperiliPsy would not be possible without interdisciplinarity. Harmonious interdisciplinary cooperation between all scientific disciplines lies at its core, with the sole aim of improving the quality of life and enhancing the mental health of all citizens, especially the most vulnerable.

International cooperation:

SymperiliPsy transcends national borders and can be present wherever there is a person in mental need. The fruitful exchange of knowledge, know-how, culture and selfless willingness to offer is a priority for us and we pursue it at every opportunity.

From transnational partnership in scientific research consortia, to inviting international speakers and providing our services to countries in need, SymperiliPsy is present to contribute to meaningful communication between nations.

Environmental sustainability:

We reflect deeply on the critical environmental situation in which our planet finds itself. For this reason, we reduce the environmental footprint of all our actions as well as our daily operations, in practice, by recycling, using recycled materials, using public transportation, contributing to the reuse of goods, limiting the use of paper, taking advantage of the possibility of videoconferencing in order to avoid commuting, preferring the “greener” means of transport when necessary. At the same time, we encourage and train the beneficiaries to do the same.

Empowering the local community:

SymperiliPsy’s actions take place in Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece, in the Northern part of the country, because we want to support this area. An area that needs its people; to uplift it culturally and mentally; to offer its citizens high value motivation; to familiarize them with mental health issues that will lead to an improvement in their quality of life.

Of course, SymperiliPsy can “travel”, wherever it is requested, but it can also organize online activities.

Civil society:

SymperiliPsy belongs to civil society, as it is, in its essence, an organization made by citizens for citizens. We take personal responsibility and become the change we want to see in the world, creating a community where mental health is a priority. In other words, since we believe that mental health is a right for everyone, we are actively working to make it happen.