Fight for a Cause: Issa Colmenares Fundraising for Mind You

Issa ‘Thrilla from Manila’ Colmenares will be fighting in her first amateur boxing bout at Corporate Fighter Sydney’s Charity Fight Night on March 2022. She is fighting in the ring to support Filipinos getting better access to mental health resources through her partnership with Mind You Mental Health Systems.

I am happy to announce that I am currently accepting donations for my fight this March in support of Mind You, a mental health startup that aims to create happier, healthier, and more productive people who live more fulfilled lives, break down stigmas, and make mental healthcare more accessible in the Philippines. They specifically offer access to preventive therapy sessions with licensed local psychologists and mental health resources to Filipinos.

I've decided to rally for this organization especially after seeing the impact COVID19 had on my mental health. Throughout the last 2 years, I sought the help of multiple psychologists and counsellors here in Australia to help understand and address the anxieties I was feeling brought about by the isolation and restrictions COVID19 brought. I found a safe space to openly communicate my COVID related fears and in the process, I began to explore past traumatic experiences I never sought professional help for due to stigmatization. The process of unboxing my fears/traumas/problems/illnesses in front of a professional has been difficult, confronting and outright scary but it has also given me clarity, peace, understanding and a new lease of life.

If you’re experiencing anxiety, stress or depression the sooner you recognize the problem and take steps to address it, the easier it will be to get on top of.

- Issa Colmenares

If nothing much is done about it, mental illness will definitely be the next pandemic. - Yuri Marshall, CEO of Mind You

The Rising Problem of Mental health in the Philippines

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that over six million Filipinos suffered from anxiety and depression in 2017, and these numbers may have doubled or tripled in 2020 due to COVID19.

During this pandemic, people have been forced to live and work under unusual circumstances, which has become a real and urgent challenge in the area of mental health. If we don’t band together as a nation and make a collaborative effort to get our people’s minds back on the right track, then the post-pandemic economic recovery will be nearly impossible to overcome

Mental healthcare access made easy

In late 2019, CEO of Mind You, Yuri Marshall, had bouts with depression due to the rocky ending of a long-term relationship. "I was fortunate enough to be in Australia at the time, where mental health awareness is well established,” he relates. Marshall admits that he was suicidal at times.

“Thanks to easy access to mental health support, I was able to seek the necessary psychological help to deal with my depression and suicidal thoughts,” he adds.

The Philippines is far behind when it comes to treating mental health illnesses because it still is very much a taboo subject. The phrase “mental illness” tends to be used in a derogatory manner: “She must be mentally ill.” But we don’t talk about physical health that way. No one ever describes someone else by saying, “She’s physically ill.”

Believing that talking about how to better care for yourself and your mental health shouldn’t be offensive hence why Mind You was built. To comply with the recently passed PH Mental Health Law, companies are now required to provide mental healthcare to employees. And so in 2019, the concept (Mind You) was initially introduced to cater to employees where access to professional help was subsidized by their employees. In the long term, Mind You wants to work towards breaking the stigma around seeking professional help as they start to cater outside the corporate workforce and provide programs for the average Pinoy.

Where Your Donations Go

The money I raise from this fight will be used to support individuals and families in low income urban communities in Manila. The fund will support initiatives like:

- Funding individual therapy session

- Mental health research in various understudied and underserved communities

- Development of educational and outreach materials

Please feel free to donate any amount you're comfortable to give to support myself and this cause. Any amount you donate is directly going towards improving someone’s well-being.

About Mind You

Mind You currently provides organizations with access to preventative therapy sessions with licensed psychologists, as well as data and insights that enable the management teams of its client companies to make informed business decisions. Included in its services are wellness webinars, mental health first aid certifications, leadership training and weekly educational campaigns, amongst others, with the objective of providing a comprehensive mental health care solution for companies of any size. Soon, it will be launching its services to the general public, where individuals can book sessions with psychologists in a few simple steps.

Mind You ultimately aims to transform culture and empower people to take control of their mental health and live more fulfilled lives. The organization takes pride in lifting away the stigma, lowering counseling costs and providing increased access for all Filipinos.

To learn more about Mind You, visit www.mindyou.com.ph.

Event Details

Corporate Fighter Sydney: Charity Fight Night

Friday, March 18th 2022 at 7:30PM

Livestream available on Corporate Fighter’s Facebook Page