Speaking at Raja Ali Haji Maritime University – Indonesia

In November 2025 I was invited to Indonesia to speak at Raja Ali Haji Maritime University (UMRAH – umrah.ac.id) at the Dompak Campus about mental health and emotional literacy. My good friend Sayed, the Dean of the University, organised the session and invited around 30–40 students to attend.

At the start of the talk I explained a little about my own background, working professionally in the mental health field for the past six years. I spoke about emotional literacy and how understanding our emotions can help people reconnect with their own inner life when things become overwhelming.

The talk wasn’t a lecture. I spoke openly and honestly with the students about anxiety, depression, pressure from society, and the importance of being able to talk openly about what we are feeling.

When I opened the floor for questions, two young men stood up at different times. One of them spoke openly about the fact that he had been struggling with thoughts of suicide. We spent time talking about it together in the room, and afterwards I stayed and spoke with him further.

Three young women also asked questions about dealing with anxiety and depression caused by pressure from family expectations, study, and public pressure.

Moments like that remind me why emotional literacy matters so much. When people are given a safe space to speak honestly about what they are carrying inside, the conversation can change everything.

That session wasn’t about having perfect answers.
It was about opening a space where people could speak honestly and realise they were not alone.

“That’s the power of emotional literacy. When people feel safe enough to speak honestly, the conversation itself can start the healing.”