Maria Immaculata is an educator and practitioner in therapeutic play skills, with a background as both a counselor and teacher in academic settings. Her primary concern lies in fostering people's emotional well-being, and she envisions a world where individuals thrive by maintaining a good state of mental and emotional health. Maria's empathetic approach has created a lasting and positive impact on the well-being of those she serves.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Trauma-Informed Community: A Pilot Project for Indonesia

Maria's project increased awareness and understanding surrounding the topic of trauma. To achieve this, the project produced a series of seven video podcasts which Maria directed, hosted and released. The seven video podcast episodes featured various guests who discussed their mental health journeys including the struggles, the support systems and the strategies to maintain well-being. These podcasts serve as a platform to generate meaningful discussions and bring mental health issues to a wider audience. Marias's YouTube Channel where she posted the podcasts reached 1,900 views by the end of the project, and each of the seven episodes reached between 64 and 655 views each.

The long-term vision of this project is to establish a thriving community centered around discussions on trauma and mental health. The initial seven video podcast series laid the groundwork for this community, encouraging individuals to find a safe space to share their stories and experiences related to trauma. Building on this foundation, Maria plans to produce more video podcasts and other content, steadily working towards sustainability. Ultimately, the aim is to provide comprehensive support and assistance to community members, empowering them with knowledge about trauma and facilitating access to resources for healing.

View The video Podcasts here

Behind the scenes of episode 1

Behind the scenes of episode 3

A snippet of episode 3. We had such a wonderful conversation talking about how to be a great support system for a friend who’s on a healing journey.

"Thank you, it means a lot for my life in 2024. Please keep on making great content like this" - Podcast Viewer

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Maria was a participant in the IVLP Project Strengthening Mental Health Social Policies in the Post-Pandemic Era, organized by the U.S. Department of State and World Learning.

Maria's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "Witnessing a good model of trauma-informed care in the U.S. inspired me to also develop a model that will work for Indonesia and that is why I initiated this IVLP Impact Award project."

U.S. Communities Visited

Sacramento, CA; Washington, DC; Akron, OH; Houston, TX

"Through IVLP, I met a lot of amazing people and organizations that develop trauma-informed care model that I can work together with to develop a trauma-informed care model for Indonesia." - Maria Immaculata

Country: Indonesia

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