Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

How Park Benches Became a Powerful Therapy Tool

A revolutionary mental health program that began with fourteen grandmothers in Zimbabwe is crossing continents to reach the United Kingdom this summer. The Friendship Bench project trains community elders to provide free therapy sessions on simple wooden park benches, creating safe spaces for people struggling with depression and anxiety. What started as a solution to Zimbabwe’s severe shortage of mental health professionals has now reached over 280,000 people across multiple countries since launching in 2007.

Brighton and Sussex Medical School will launch the first UK pilot next month, initially focusing on migrant groups and minority ethnic communities who often face barriers to traditional mental health services. The approach is beautifully simple yet profound—trained lay counselors sit with clients on benches under trees, offering compassionate listening and evidence based problem-solving therapy in community settings. Research shows the intervention is remarkably effective, with participants three times more likely to maintain better mental health outcomes compared to standard care. This grandmother-led revolution proves that sometimes the most powerful solutions come from the wisdom of those who understand life’s struggles and the healing power of human connection.

PrevPreviousThis Endangered Species Just Shocked the World
NextHow One Startup Just Changed Laundry ForeverNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

Team USA Brings Big Wins And Snoop Dogg to Light The Torch

February 9, 2026

Team USA is crushing it at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Italy and they brought along the coolest torch carrier you could possibly imagine: Snoop Dogg, who lit up the games both literally and figuratively before competition even started. The legendary rapper who became an unexpected Olympic icon was

Read More
Happy News

Scientists Are Bringing Dead Coral Reefs Back To Life

February 9, 2026

Coral reefs have experienced severe decline in recent years with global assessments showing a 14 percent decrease between 2009 and 2018, but groundbreaking restoration efforts using a technique called coral outplanting are bringing these vital underwater ecosystems back to life in remarkable ways. These magnificent structures not only support more

Read More
Happy News

Nature Just Dropped a New Ladybug and It’s a Banger

February 9, 2026

Nature just dropped a new ladybug species and scientists are absolutely buzzing about it because this tiny beetle was hiding in plain sight the entire time on a university campus in Japan. The mini insect named the pine dweller ladybug is just over one millimeter long which is smaller than

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.