As a part of the RECOVER project, our team brought together fifteen young participants and five youth people for a unique, one-day workshop focused on exploring mental health through a participatory self-reflection approach. Rather than relying on traditional methods, the session offered a safe and creative environment where everyone could speak freely about their emotional well-being. We used the Healing Dragons manual, a playful and imaginative tool that encourages individuals to see their personal struggles as dragons and to find creative strategies to overcome them.

The facilitators arranged the space in a circle, placed all the supplies in the middle, and invited the group to co-create their own set of ground rules. From the beginning, the atmosphere was open and egalitarian; there were no lectures, no hierarchy, just shared experiences.

The day began with icebreaking activities that helped participants relax and feel part of the group. Everyone created a symbolic “shield” highlighting one of their personal strengths. Then, anonymously, they wrote down the dragon they were currently facing, ranging from academic pressure to self-esteem struggles, loneliness, or family expectations. As some of the notes were read aloud, a sense of connection spread through the room. Participants realized they were not alone in their challenges, and this fostered immediate empathy.

A guided visualization exercise called Meet Your Dragon followed. With their eyes closed, participants imagined what their inner struggle would look and sound like. They then expressed this vision through drawings or clay models. During a gallery walk, volunteers presented their creations: one dragon was wrapped in schoolbooks, another wore a crown of social media icons. These visual representations transformed private emotions into shared narratives and built a powerful sense of mutual understanding.

In the afternoon, the focus shifted from personal reflection to collective brainstorming. Mixed teams discussed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of youth mental health in Croatia. Peer support and growing public awareness were recognized as major positives, while stigma, academic overload, and long waiting times for counseling services remained pressing concerns. Participants enthusiastically suggested solutions like peer-led support groups, myth-busting content on social platforms like TikTok, designated “well-being days” in schools, and an online hub of youth-friendly resources. Youth workers complemented these ideas by introducing existing support options that many attendees had never encountered before.

To close the workshop, everyone was invited to reflect and make a personal commitment. Each person wrote a hero’s pledge with one small step they would take for their own mental well-being and one strength they had discovered within themselves. Some chose to share their pledges aloud; one young woman bravely revealed that it was her first time speaking openly about her depression. A quick sticker poll showed overwhelming appreciation, with nearly all participants rating the experience nine or ten out of ten.

What impact did a single day make? Participants said they left feeling more understood, more comfortable discussing mental health, and better equipped with coping strategies. Youth workers gained new tools they were eager to apply in future sessions. Facilitators emphasized the importance of staying adaptable, making room for breaks, and modifying the flow to meet the emotional energy in the room helped preserve an atmosphere of respect and authenticity.

This workshop in Zagreb showed that when young people are empowered to guide the conversation, real transformation can happen. RECOVER plans to offer similar workshops in other Croatian cities and is working on translating the Healing Dragons manual into Croatian to broaden access. Together, we can help young people see themselves not as victims of their struggles, but as the heroes of their own mental health journey.