Oasis - Support Groups for Psychological Resilience
A new preparedness model for maintaining and strengthening psychological resilience in communities and organisations.
A new preparedness model for maintaining and strengthening psychological resilience in communities and organisations.
In a Oasis group, participants have the opportunity to be present and listen. The group leader/instructor/facilitator creates a confidential atmosphere, and everyone is given the opportunity to talk about any issues that are worrying them at that particular moment. The group also focuses on the coping strategies and sources of comfort that people have discovered, and participants share these with one another.
Research on the autonomic nervous system has shown that being in the company of others in a situation that is perceived as safe enough increases one’s ability to understand and make sense of events that have been experienced and their significance for oneself and others. This enhances resilience in challenging circumstances.
We are living in a time of multiple crises. Psychological resilience can be most effectively strengthened during normal times by establishing effective practices that can be activated during a crisis.
The groups are small-group dialogue sessions run by the organisations or communities themselves, for example in workplaces, neighbourhoods, hobby groups, civil society organisations and social networks of relatives. Setting up a group is easy. You can decide for yourselves who will participate, how often the meetings will be held, and where they will take place.
The group leader/instructor/facilitator receives orientation. The depth of discussion on topics is determined based on the group’s needs and the facilitator’s expertise. A member of your community who is willing to participate in the orientation and the semi-annual debriefing can serve as the group facilitator. Facilitators are supported by the Oasis guide produced by Dialogue Academy, as well as the orientation and debriefings.
The key questions we’ll start with are What concerns you? and What builds trust? The topics are determined based on what is currently meaningful to the participants. At the end of each meeting, participants can also explore ways to maintain and strengthen their psychological well-being.
Oasis is the National Dialogues’ preparedness model. When you register as a Oasis organiser, you’ll become part of the National Dialogues network and receive a copy of the Oasis guide.
Connection to society’s preparedness and response during normal times
Oasis groups are a form of preparedness that is part of the overall security framework designed to maintain citizens’ capacity to function. In the event of a potential crisis, the groups serve as a response mechanism, maintaining and strengthening citizens’ resilience and capacity to function—both among workers in critical roles and among individual citizens.
A similar initiative was the Lockdown Dialogues, which were jointly organised by civil society and the government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Security Strategy for Society 2025: 2.7. Psychological Resilience
Psychological resilience refers to the ability of individuals, communities and society to withstand the stress caused by crisis situations and to recover from their impacts. The foundation for psychological resilience is created in normal conditions, and it plays a key role in the maintenance of functional capacity during crisis. Good psychological resilience promotes recovery from crises.
Oasis is part of the National Dialogues, coordinated by the Ministry of Finance and the Dialogue Academy.
Janne Kareinen, Director, Dialogue Academy
tel. +358 45 631 6516, janne.kareinen (at) dialogiakatemia.fi
Katju Holkeri, Financial Counsellor, Ministry of Finance
tel. 0295 530 087, katju.holkeri (at) gov.fi