Last week I shared some thoughts on how to support someone experiencing burnout – and it reminded me just how powerful it can be when we actually know how to help someone.
Since October is Mental Health Month, it feels like the perfect time to share a little more about Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training – and why I think everyone should do it.
When people ask what Mental Health First Aid training actually is, I often say:
It’s like a physical first aid course – but for mental health problems.
It gives you the tools to recognise the signs that someone may be struggling, the skills to support them appropriately, and the confidence to start a conversation that could make all the difference.
But what I didn’t realise when I first signed up for the MHFA training course was how much it would change me.
When I First Heard About Mental Health First Aid
A friend told me about the Mental Health First Aid training course, and said it was the best training she’d ever done in her life.
Life-changing.
She called it.
I trusted her judgement of course, but I didn’t fully grasp what she meant until I did it myself.
It was the height of the pandemic, and my mum (in New Zealand) was having a really hard time with depression and anxiety. I was doing my best to support her (from Australia) with daily 6am phone calls during my morning walks – one full hour, every morning, for months.
At the same time, I was in the thick of my own struggles with burnout. We were all going through a tough time back then, and that experience was what sparked my deeper passion for mental health – particularly in the workplace – which was where I spent the majority of my time and energy.
So together with a couple of colleagues across the globe, I co-founded a mental health employee resource group/community to create space for real conversations and sharing of mental-health-related resources at work. As one of the leadership team, doing MHFA training felt like the logical next step. I hoped it would help me support others more effectively – and, if I’m honest, I also hoped it might help me make sense of some of my own struggles.
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is internationally recognised training that was originally developed in Australia. It teaches everyday people how to recognise the signs that someone may be experiencing a mental health problem, how to respond with confidence and care, and how to connect them with the right kind of support. It’s like physical first aid – but for mental health. You don’t become a therapist, but you do learn how to be a calm, informed presence when it matters most.
There are a few different versions of the training – for adults, older people, younger people, and more.
This short video will give you an idea of the core “Standard” MHFA course:
The Day I Took the Training
When I arrived at the Mental Health First Aid course, I quickly realised I was the only person who had paid for it out of pocket. Everyone else was from HR or Legal, sent by their workplace. I was surprised – partly because I hadn’t heard of my own workplace offering it, and partly because it felt a shame that no one else had chosen to be there on their own, only those who had been ‘sent’ as part of their job.
Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to claim the cost back later through our education reimbursement program – but I would’ve paid for it myself either way. It was worth every cent and then some.
The training helped me understand the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, how to offer initial support, and how to guide someone to professional help. One section that stuck with me was on comorbidity – particularly how mental health issues often overlap with substance use. I learned that substance use disorder is in the DSM-5 – it is a recognised mental health condition. This part really hit home for me, given my own struggles with both.
I walked out of that room with a whole new level of understanding – not just about others, but about myself too.
The Training That Stayed With Me
What I didn’t expect was just how much the training would stay with me. So often you do a course and forget half of it soon after – but weeks and months later, this one kept coming up. In conversations. In how I supported people around me. In how I understood my mum’s experience, and even my own.
It gave me new language, new tools, and a quiet confidence I hadn’t had before.
It also opened my eyes A LOT – to how little understanding there still is around mental health. I couldn’t stop thinking about how important it is for more people to learn these skills.
So I decided to go further.
I became a Mental Health First Aid instructor.
Becoming an Instructor
The instructor training was a full-on week. We went through the course content twice – first as learners, with a master facilitator walking us through the material, and again as practice instructors, each delivering sections and being assessed on our ability to teach.
The group I trained with were all such lovely people, full of heart. We had many deep and very real conversations. We also laughed a lot. We were all there for the same reason: to help make our communities better equipped to support people who are struggling.
And somewhere in the middle of that week, something unexpected happened.
A Life Changing Conversation
At the time, I was doing a “one month alcohol-free” experiment. I’d tried to quit drinking many times before, but it never stuck. I was pretty sure I could make it through the month, but hadn’t committed to anything beyond that. Which really meant that I’d end up going back to drinking again, and the same old cycle would continue.
One day over lunch, I had a conversation with another lady in the course who had been sober for five years. We were discussing comorbidity – the way conditions can overlap – and talked about the loop so many of us get stuck in: drinking to manage stress, anxiety, or overwhelm, then feeling worse afterwards. We talked about the impact alcohol had on our mental health, and how hard it is to break that cycle. We used the words “feeding the monster” to describe it.
And somewhere between that morning’s training and our lunchtime conversation, something just clicked.
It was an epiphany.
At the end of that conversation, I said to her:
I can tell you right now – I’ll never drink again.
I know it’s different this time.
And I haven’t!
That conversation, that lunch – was in June 2023.
It was one of the biggest turning points of my life.
Why Everyone Should Do Mental Health First Aid Training
I genuinely believe Mental Health First Aid training is something every adult should do – not just for their own benefit, but for the people around them.
We talk a lot about mental health awareness, but awareness isn’t enough. This training gives you something better: real, practical skills. You learn to spot the signs, open a conversation, and respond in a way that’s genuinely helpful.
You don’t need to be a therapist. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to care – and be willing to learn.
And when more people in the community are equipped with this knowledge, everyone benefits. Workplaces, families, friendships, teams, schools. It all adds up.
What Format Should You Choose?
There are a few ways you can do the training:
- Two-day face-to-face course: This is the gold standard. You get real-time interaction, deeper conversations, and the energy of a shared experience. It’s more immersive and (I believe) more impactful.
- Blended online course: Developed during COVID, this version includes online modules followed by a virtual session. It’s a good option for remote or rural areas – but if you can do the in-person version, I highly recommend it.
If you can, try to do the training over two consecutive days so you can fully immerse yourself. It makes a difference.
What Happens After the Training?
Once you complete the course, you have the option to become an accredited Mental Health First Aider. It’s not mandatory, but I recommend it – especially if you’re planning to use the skills in a workplace or community setting.
Accreditation means you’re officially recognised as someone trained to offer this kind of support, and your name is listed (privately) on the Mental Health First Aid Australia database. It’s valid for three years. You are then on their mailing list, and are part of the MHFAider community.
Before the three years are up, you can renew your accreditation by completing a half-day refresher course, which updates your knowledge, deepens your skills, and extends your accreditation for another three years.
It’s a small investment of time to keep this important knowledge current – and to stay confident in your ability to help others.
Final Thoughts
Mental Health First Aid training helped me understand others better.
It helped me support my mother in her darkest moments.
It opened up a whole new direction for my work and purpose.
And unexpectedly, it gave me the clarity to walk away from something that wasn’t serving me anymore.
It’s not just training – it’s a ripple effect that can change lives.
If you get the chance, do it.
And if you’re in a position to bring it into your workplace or community – please do. You never know who it might help.
I’m now a licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor. I’m not currently running public courses, but I’m toying with the idea – it’ll depend on demand. I can absolutely offer the training to workplaces, teams, or groups of any kind. The official group size is between 6 (minimum) and 25 (maximum) participants.
I’m not trying to sell you anything – but if you’d like more info about me running a course for your group, or you’re simply figuring out how and where to do the training yourself, let me know. I’m genuinely happy to help however I can. The more people who do this training – however they choose to do it – the better!
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