SLV are run by a bunch of likeminded and lovely people looking to promote positive mental health in many countries whereby the subject is often taboo and under-represented. I really enjoyed my time in Sri Lanka and as cliche as it is the experience was life changing. It was so inspiring to see the work that all of the volunteers are doing having a positive impact on the service users lives. A great way to experience clinical psychology work experience whilst experiencing a great culture and country!

With almost not being able to go on my trip due to a medical reason a last minute miracle enabled me to take my flight and go out to Sri Lanka for 5 weeks and it was the best thing that could have happened. From the minute I arrived we were greeted at the airport by SLV staff and taken to our homestay where we would stay while on the projects. The home-stays were basic but lovely, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves into the vibrant culture. There were peer mentors and supervisors living locally to ensure we never felt out of our depth. The range of projects allowed you to gain experience working with both adults and children in a variety of settings, helping those with mental health illness, disabilities as well as teaching English. Along with this great experience I also met friends of whom I will keep for a long time, the environment and energy is very positive and I never felt alone. The best bonus to a great placement was the number of places to explore in the country on the weekends of which we could travel with friends. From the beach to the jungle, going on a safari or releasing turtles, it was the most beautiful country of which I have ever been to and have since recommended it to many. I highly encourage anyone to take the opportunity to go to Sri Lanka with SLV and do a placement.

It took me month to apply for the 6 weeks placement in Sri Lanka and to get everything started because it’s a really big thing to travel to a country you’ve never been before and you don’t exactly know what you’ll be doing and who you’ll meet and what’s happening, plus you’re doing it on your own. But it was the best decision I could’ve made and the six weeks went by so fast. You meet great people (SLV staff, volunteers, locals and service users) and gain so much experience in working with people with special needs. That’s helpful for your future in the psychological area as well as for your personal life because I found it was such a formative time for myself! You have interesting and great weeks working with service users and exciting weekends, traveling with other volunteers and friends. And a lot of great workshops and presentations as an ‘extra’. I would recommend this placement for everyone who wants to experience an adventure and gain experience for their future! This was way out of my comfort zone but, in the end, clearly the best thing I could have done.

One month. Friendship like family. Priceless psychology experience. Memories for a lifetime. Couldn't fault a thing.

A very unique experience unlike any other I am aware of. If you are reading this then you are most likely aware of the SLV programmes. As a company, SLV offer absolutely all the support you could desire whilst working in mental health in a country such as Sri Lanka. From arrival day you are greeted with positivity - I was very impressed with the range of placements and other excursions available to the vounteers whilst on placement. My Sri Lanka placement was the single most inspiring thing I have ever done. To work on the ground with psychiatric hospitals and patients can be daunting and overwhelming yet with the help and support of staff and volunteers, it was made easy for me to step up to the role. It was honestly one of the if not the most rewarding thing I have ever done. To see a smile on the faces of service users is invaluable and I would not hesitate to recommend this programme to anybody.

SLV is truly doing its best work in the eastern countries. Being able to experience that culture so closely and intensely was a life changing opportunity. There are some things to not change but improve on which there is always room for improvement on anything. Overall, it was very rewarding work and I couldn’t have felt more blessed to be able to work with all these diverse and caring people.

A diverse placement that teaches so much about mental health in another culture. It challenged you to be confident, caring and creative; all skills useful for any career in psychology.

When I got on my flight to Colombo to commence my placement in Sri Lanka, I honestly had so many mixed emotions running through my mind - what am I doing? I do not know anyone -. It was definitely a huge step outside the comfort zone! The homestay: During my time in Sri Lanka as a volunteer, I was blessed with an incredibly supportive and welcoming homestay family, who I still keep in contact with today. They taught us Sinhalese, how to cook traditional Sri Lankan food, and always cared so much for us. I even had the opportunity to introduce them to my Mum who visited form home. They were so happy to meet her. The other volunteers in my homestay also became my family, and I think we had 10 different nationalities! Volunteers: I remember being so overwhelmed with happiness because I had never been surrounded by so many like minded people before! I made life long friends with the other volunteers from all over the world. I loved sharing every tough and rewarding experience with them. It is incredible how much we can learn from one another. Placement: Having 8 projects a week kept us all very busy. We did session planning as a homestay every night in preparation for the next day. We had so may ideas for every project! The placement provided us with experiences from a range of different populations, including aged care, special needs, English support and work in mental health facilities. Overall a fantastic widespread of experiences! SLV.Global: SLV.Global were there every step of the way, they are a fantastic organisation who provided immense support all the time. Our local team did a fantastic job ensuring our timetables were perfect, and organised extra curriculum's for us including lectures from international speakers and social events for all homestays to get involved with. I had the opportunity to be apart of one of the local teams, as i was a Peer Mentor on my placement. this job was very rewarding, I was able to be of extra support to my fellow volunteers in times of need, and also have the opportunity to be given extra responsibilities throughout the week. Weekends: Weekend time was travel time! We visited so many different areas of Sri Lanka across 14 weeks. We went far north and south and most places in-between! We hiked countless mountains including the famous Sir Pada (Adams Peak) and experienced this hike with thousands of locals during pilgrimage season. We released baby sea turtles into the ocean, bathed elephants, experienced so many sunrises, beach parties, swam with reef sharks, drank tea in beautiful tea plantations and we even fitted in a little trip to the Maldives! We definitely used our time wisely. Transport: Sri Lankan transport is unlike anything I have experienced before, the usual tuk tuk ride to work and being squished on a public bus to projects became normal. We would spend most weekends on trans and buses normally 5-10 hours! It was a great experience riding with the locals. We met wonderful families on our trips, who cooked for us on the side of the road. So many incredible experiences. Home time: When it was time to go home, I again had a head full of mixed emotions! However this time I couldn't believe I had ever doubted my decision in the first place. It was a great time for reflection, over my 14 weeks. Very hard to say goodbye. I recommend this experience to everyone looking to step outside their comfort zones. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity which I am forever grateful to have been apart of!

A culture of kindness, Bali and the SLV team were inherently kind to their core and really helped to facilitate a wonderful placement. The placement enabled me to grow as a person and professionally.

Slv global provided me with the most amazing and valuable experience, I have made friends from all over the world whilst also aiding individuals with a completely different culture and outlook on mental health. The homestay family that we stayed with were so caring and treated you like their own, really making you feel at home. I can thank SLV global enough for giving me this experience.