KUCHING: As mental exhaustion, workplace stress, and multi-role burnout continue to rise across Malaysia, The Care Circle has expanded its psychological support initiatives to Sarawak, introducing a suite of programmes designed to help individuals rediscover balance, identity, and emotional resilience.
The Care Circle, founded on psychological principles and built by frontline mental-health practitioners, focuses on supporting people who “wear many hats”: caregivers, parents, professionals, frontliners and community leaders who often care for everyone except themselves.
Co-founder Farah Mohammad, who is a certified Psychological First Aid (PFA) Provider and Mental Health Consultant, explained that many individuals today are living in what she calls autopilot mode due to mounting responsibilities at home and at work.
“People are juggling so many roles: a boss at work, a caregiver to sick parents, a parent to young children. Eventually, they start asking, ‘Who takes care of me?’ That’s where our programmes step in,” Farah said.
This Saturday (November 22) marks the first Kuching edition of ‘Kembali Retreat’, a psychology-driven emotional wellness retreat previously held in Kuala Lumpur.
Farah said the programme is designed for only 12 participants, providing a safe, confidential space for individuals struggling with multiple life roles.
“Kembali Retreat helps participants rediscover the identity they lost behind their responsibilities. Many people forget who they are outside of being a worker, a parent, or a caregiver. We guide them to reconnect with that inner self,” Farah shared.
According to her, previous retreat participants, including single mothers, business owners, and working parents, reported significant emotional clarity after the programme.
Meanwhile, co-founder Rene Lau, who previously served as a psychiatric clinic staff and mental health crisis helpline responder, said the organisation’s work is shaped by real-world frontline experience.
“We’ve seen how high pressure can turn into exhaustion. That is why we created programmes not only for individuals but for workplaces too, because psychological safety matters everywhere,” Rene said.
The CARE Programme teaches emotional regulation, conflict management, communication tools, and burnout prevention, aimed at doctors, nurses, caregivers, and frontliners.
“We teach them how to care for themselves. Conflict doesn’t only happen with patients; it happens among colleagues, too,” she added.
The SAFE Programme focuses on leading with empathy without burning out and is designed for corporate leaders and HR departments.
It aims to strengthen employee morale, reduce turnover, and cultivate safer work environments by addressing harassment, bullying, and the fear of speaking up.
“Our programmes align with ISO 45003 and are HRDC-claimable,” Rene added.
For the record, ISO 45003 is a global guiding standard for promoting mental health and well-being in the workplace and addressing psychosocial risks.
Additionally, Rene says that one of The Care Circle’s defining philosophies is long-term support.
“We don’t just conduct workshops and disappear. We create circles with monthly meet-ups where participants continue to receive support because we believe circles change lives,” she shared.
Each circle functions as an emotional check-in, providing a consistent space for growth, accountability, and community healing.
Looking ahead, The Care Circle is exploring a community-based volunteer model inspired by systems used in the UK, where volunteers earn “care points” by helping caregivers, and in the future, those points entitle them to receive care themselves.
“It’s still in planning. But our dream is to relieve caregivers from daily burdens and create a cycle of giving that sustains itself.
“With burnout cases increasing nationwide, from workplace exhaustion to emotional strain among caregivers, The Care Circle sees it as a mission that is both urgent and long overdue.
“The pillar of society must be cared for, too. You cannot pour from an empty cup,” Rene said.
As the organisation anchors itself in Sarawak, it hopes to build a culture of empathy, community support, and psychological safety that extends beyond workshops and retreats.
“What we want is not just to change a person’s work life,” Farah said. “We want to help them change their entire life.”
