Initiative delivers safe emotional support for families

The organizers of Dear Therapy 3.0 are celebrating the successful outcome of this year’s mini-conference, confirming that the event effectively provided the intimate, reflective setting it was designed to offer for parents, children, and their essential support networks. The event’s convener, Augustina Okpechi, emphasized that the core mission was to construct a safe, nurturing space […]

The organizers of Dear Therapy 3.0 are celebrating the successful outcome of this year’s mini-conference, confirming that the event effectively provided the intimate, reflective setting it was designed to offer for parents, children, and their essential support networks.

The event’s convener, Augustina Okpechi, emphasized that the core mission was to construct a safe, nurturing space where parents could confidently access professional mental health support. “Our primary goal was to create a safe, intimate space dedicated to care,” Augustina said. “We wanted parents to see professional support as one of the essential tools available to them.”

She further explained that the conference aimed to illuminate the parenting experience from a dual perspective: both for those actively navigating daily parenthood and for the support systems who observe and assist along the way.

While full participation targets weren’t met, both the physical and virtual sessions saw good engagement. Parents were candid about their experiences, and organizers noted several requests for follow-up with specific therapists who resonated with attendees during the conference. The KSH Foundation team recognizes that forging stronger partnerships with parent communities, educators, and therapists will be key to scaling the initiative into a major annual event. To maximize its impact immediately, the Foundation is extending free therapy sessions throughout December to accommodate more families at their convenience.

Augustina Okpechi identified communication and information recall as a primary planning hurdle, noting the widespread struggle with digital information overload. She also highlighted that timing, personal readiness, and emotional availability significantly influence an individual’s engagement with support programs. One parent’s feedback captured this: “You don’t know how much I needed a space and a time like this.”

A significant feature of the mini-conference was the screening of the short film, Support System. The film was well-received and successfully spurred reflection and conversation among attendees, validating the creative efforts behind its production.

Moving forward, the KSH Foundation aims to maintain stronger awareness and visibility beyond the immediate event period. They are also considering restructuring the virtual therapy component to offer multiple weekend sessions instead of a single-day window to improve accessibility.

In the long term, Dear Therapy is committed to fostering a substantial shift, normalizing therapy and seeking professional support within families, inspiring more intentional caregiving, and encouraging parents to prioritize their emotional well-being.

“We want families to see therapy as an act of care,” affirms Khalil Halilu, Founder of KSH Foundation. “That is the kind of social shift Dear Therapy is working toward.”