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Magdalena Kowalska, president and founder of the Mindset Institute, was the winner of the 9th edition of the “Competence Volunteering” competition organized by the Pro Bono Leaders Coalition and the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland. For the ninth time, the competition has rewarded people who, through their actions, prove that it is possible to change the world by using their knowledge, experience, and skills.

“Thank you for this award. Although it is an individual award, I treat it as an award for our entire volunteer team, for all the people who support children and young people in the healing process as part of the Mindset Foundation. This award is a proof that what we do is valuable and worth continuing.” said Magdalena Kowalska as she accepted the award at the awards ceremony on December 4.

Thanks to Magdalena Kowalska’s commitment to addressing the extremely important issue of mental health and her determination, a professional emotional support system for children and young people in psychiatric wards has been created. The Mindset Foundation is already operating in two clinical hospitals in Warsaw, training new volunteers and running dozens of creative and psychoeducational workshops. Its founder creates and develops the foundation’s projects, builds partnerships, and actively participates in educational activities. The foundation’s initiatives include support for parents and academic cooperation for therapeutic innovation.

The Mindset Institute is an organization that has been driven by volunteerism from the very beginning. Thanks to the work of volunteers, the foundation is able to continuously implement the “Kaleidoscopes” program in child psychiatry wards. The program is implemented by volunteers aged 25 and over who have the appropriate psychological and/or psychotherapeutic training necessary to support children and young people in crisis in inpatient psychiatric wards. The foundation is responsible for recruiting volunteers, as well as training them and developing their art therapy skills. This has resulted in the creation of a unique, specialized team that has the resources to support children and young people in their most difficult moments, providing them not only with creative activities but also a high sense of security.

For more information, visit: https://liderzyprobono.pl/
Photo report: Ahoj Media

Last week, we had the pleasure of participating in a campaign for the Las Na Zawsze Foundation organized by BioBazar Fabryki Norblina. This unique creative space served as a backdrop for us to create works referring to the need for closeness to nature as an important element of mental health and well-being.

The aim of the campaign was to build awareness of being part of nature, which is one of the most effective sources of inspiration and relaxation. Thanks to it, we are able to build and renew our well-being. Enjoying the benefits of nature is the cheapest ticket to happiness—each of us can afford to take a walk in the woods, lie down in a meadow, or listen to the rustling of trees or the singing of birds. In the rush of everyday life, we often forget about this. Nature is a fascinating space that invites us to stop and be.

The works were composed of simple and accessible materials. We used the method of content recycling, i.e., reusing existing poems, expressions, letters, and words to give them a completely new meaning. The main source of inspiration for our creative work was, of course, nature and the forest. Inspiring and simple art materials such as clay, photographs and newspaper clippings, as well as plant elements, helped us to visualize the potential. As a result, it was not only an encounter with nature, but also with ourselves.

The value of art therapy using recycled content:

• we learn something new about ourselves, we discover things that are not obvious
• it is also a form of self-therapy – a space to find answers to questions such as: what is important to me in life? what are my values? who am I?
• creative play, allowing us to gain distance from ourselves and the world
• a space for building community and bonds through group work
• stimulating the imagination and developing creativity
• training in divergent thinking – we can create completely new meanings from the same set of words and images
• no artistic or manual skills are required to create art using this technique

September 24 is Art Therapy Day in Europe. On this day, art therapists and art therapy organizations across Europe organize events aimed at raising awareness about art therapy and the profession of art therapist. The theme of this year’s Art Therapy Day is “THE ART OF CONNECTION.”

Connection is at the heart of art therapy—with oneself, with others, and with the wider social, cultural, and environmental context. In times of polarization and uncertainty, art therapy offers a space where dialogue, belonging, and meaning can take shape through the creative process. It respects the life experiences of art therapy participants – their voice, agency, and perspective – and recognizes the complexity of identity, including gender, culture, and community. Whether working with individuals or groups, art therapy encourages expression beyond words and nurtures relationships that support healing and growth.

As an organization that places art therapy at the center of its social activities to support the mental health of children, young people, and their parents, we are delighted to join this initiative! This week, we have planned a series of initiatives to promote art therapy and engage various communities in free workshops in Warsaw.

The well-being of our volunteers is very important to us. They support people experiencing mental health crises on a daily basis and, as part of Mindset’s activities, conduct creative workshops for children and young people in psychiatric wards. We know very well that in order to be able to support others wisely, you first need to take care of yourself and your own resources. Equally important is the development and substantive preparation of the team to conduct workshops in child psychiatry wards.

That is why our team took part in another expressive arts therapy workshop. The aim of this creative meeting was to spend time in nature, play with imagination, and let go of control. The meeting was also a space for reflection and rest. The workshop also provided an opportunity for volunteers to learn about and directly experience expressive arts therapy (EXAT) techniques.

The workshop was conducted by Dr. Joanna Wróblewska, a visual artist and art therapist collaborating with the Mindset Foundation as part of the “Kaleidoscopes” program. In her work, she combines a somatic and creative approach, using play, imagination, and various forms of expression, including art, in the therapeutic process.

* Expressive Arts Therapy is a flexible and interdisciplinary therapeutic method that places art at the center of human experience. It is a psychotherapeutic process based on the gradual integration of life experiences and related emotions through the use of various forms of expression, such as visual arts, movement, work with rhythm and music, narrative building, and even the experience of silence. In addition to therapeutic interventions, EXAT also works well in psychoeducational, workshop, training, and school contexts.

Expressive Arts Therapy is a therapy:

• resource-oriented (existing and new)
• recognizing that the person participating in therapy is an expert on their own lived experiences
• focused on the present experience of truth and beauty as universal values
• putting art at the center of experience
• using description rather than interpretation
• promoting a sensual connection with the body and feeling

We use EXACT elements as part of the “Kaleidoscopes” program. More about the program: https://mindset.org.pl/en/program/kaleidoscopes/

Development workshops for volunteers are co-financed by the Orlen Foundation.

The Mindset Foundation is looking for people willing to volunteer to co-run Kaleidoscopes—creative workshops with elements of art therapy for children and young people staying in inpatient psychiatric wards in Warsaw.

The task facing volunteers during these workshops is to ensure the safety of children and young people and to give them time, attention, commitment, and interest.

The workshops take place:

on Fridays, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the UCK WUM Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at ul. Żwirki i Wigury 63A in Warsaw;
and on weekends at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (IPiN) at ul. Jana III Sobieskiego 9 in Warsaw.

We are looking for people who:

– are at least 25 years old (UCK WUM) or at least 30 years old (IPiN);
– have a heart for children and feel comfortable around children and teenagers;
– are studying psychology (at least 2nd year of studies) or have a degree in psychology and/or psychotherapy;
– are reliable;
– have the time and willingness to get involved;
– are available at least once a month;
– are interested in art, creativity, art therapy, and playing a musical instrument – welcome, but not required!

We offer:

– experience;
– training in art therapy;
– online peer supervision (once a month, every second Monday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m.);
– becoming part of a supportive community of people with big hearts;
– the opportunity to complete student internships;
– references.

Interested candidates are requested to send their CV, cover letter, and information about their age (whether they are over 25/30 years old) to m.mazurkiewicz.skuza@mindset.org.pl by September 30, 2025.

We will respond to applications in the first week of October 2025.

The Mindset Institute has joined the Alliance Against Depression. This initiative is an informal alliance established within the framework of cooperating municipalities: Góra Kalwaria, Piaseczno, Lesznowola, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Prażmów and Tarczyn.

The Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw is the second hospital with which we have signed a permanent cooperation agreement to support the mental health of children and young people in mental health crises. As part of this cooperation, the foundation will be responsible for organizing and conducting creative art therapy workshops for patients aged 14-18 who are staying in an inpatient psychiatric ward.

Since 2024, our foundation has been developing the Kaleidoscopes program, i.e., a program of creative workshops tailored to the needs of patients in child psychiatry wards as well as to the working conditions in closed psychiatric wards. So far, the program has been implemented at the Clinic of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents at the Medical University of Warsaw and has covered nearly 500 young patients. Our workshops are appreciated by children and young people. Above all, they give them a space to safely express their emotions, build relationships, talk, and relax during their stay in the hospital.

We are very happy that we will be able to include even more children in the program, in cooperation with IPiN. Creative activity and expression through various forms of art have a positive impact on health, which is particularly important for psychiatric patients in the long-term treatment process.

More information about IPiN: https://www.ipin.edu.pl/

We invite you to a unique exhibition that opens up space for discussion about the mental health of children and young people. The exhibition presents artwork created by patients in inpatient psychiatric wards during creative workshops. Each painting is a personal story about emotions, experiences, and hope.

The aim of the exhibition is not only to present children’s creativity, but also to raise awareness about mental health and break the stigma associated with psychiatric treatment of children. In addition, we want to emphasize the role of art therapy in the healing process of children.

The event is organized by the Child Psychology Research Club of the SWPS University in cooperation with the Mindset Foundation.

Date: March 8-17, Location: SWPS University in Warsaw, 2nd floor, wing S.

Admission is free.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

Every year, the number of children and young people requiring psychological and psychiatric help is growing. A child’s illness puts a strain on the entire family system. Support from parents and significant adults is an essential element in the recovery process for the youngest. Unfortunately, Poland lacks systemic support for families whose children are facing a mental health crisis. Our foundation’s mission is to support children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis and their parents/guardians.

We want to accompany parents on the difficult and long journey of gaining knowledge, building awareness, and believing in their children’s happiness. We support them in seeking professional help and navigating the entire process of returning to emotional balance, emphasizes Magdalena Kowalska, founder and president of the Mindset Foundation.

This year, the Nienieodpowiedzialni Foundation (nno.pl) is providing us with support in collecting 1.5% of tax donations. Thanks to our donors, we will be able to continue our mission and reach more children and parents with our aid programs. The funds raised from 1.5% will be allocated to the further development of art therapy workshops in children’s psychiatric wards, financing psychoeducational workshops for parents of children in crisis, and permanent support groups for parents and guardians of children undergoing psychiatric treatment.

If you want to support Mindset’s activities, donate 1.5% of your tax. When filling out your tax return, enter the KRS number: 0000463497. For the specific purpose, add the name of the foundation: Mindset.

Thank you.

Last week, a Delight Workshop was held for a group of new volunteers participating in the Kaleidoscopes program, created and implemented by the Mindset Institute.

The workshop was a way to introduce volunteers to the world of visual arts, creativity, and art therapy. The meeting was led by Bożka Rydlewska, an artist and illustrator, graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Bożka is also one of the artists supporting the development of our “Kaleidoscopes” program, aimed at children and young people in psychiatric wards.

During the workshop, we moved for a moment into the surreal world of art, and then, using the collage technique, we prepared creative works using photographs and cut-outs from newspapers and magazines from different eras. We were also inspired by fragments of poetry and fresh flowers, whose symbolism we learned about during the workshop. This meeting encouraged reflection and a moment of contemplation on what we can perceive as beautiful, valuable, and awe-inspiring in the here and now.

Wierzę w moc sztuki, jej terapeutyczną wartość i zawarty w niej potencjał pozytywnego i głębokiego wpływania na życie każdego z nas. Sztuka pomaga nam w rozwijaniu wyobraźni i kreatywności, poszerza nasze horyzonty i inspiruje do patrzenia na świat ciągle nowymi oczami. Daje wytchnienie i prowokuje procesy zdrowienia i zmiany. To dzięki niej kształtujemy swoją otwartość na świat i wrażliwość. Twórczość może być źródłem prawdziwej radości, przyjemności i poczucia wewnętrznego dobrostanu – Bożka Rydlewska

The meeting took place in the exceptionally artistic and beautiful space of the ANG Group’s Warsaw office (https://angfinanse.pl/) and thanks to the financial support of the NNO foundation (https://nno.pl/).