Chongqing - Hidden behind a gas station and shielded by hedges, a small canteen with just two tables serves as a sanctuary rather than a typical customer space for its staff, all of whom face mental health challenges.

The Van Gogh Healing Canteen, founded by Luo Yuhua, director of Yukang Home, offers purpose and community to people with mental health challenges. Initially created to support the Wei couple, it is part of a local government-backed psychiatric rehabilitation program.

The Wei couple was devastated when their only son, who was 19, died. In 2022, Luo visited their home and found Mrs. Wei making Douhua, her son's favorite dish. Seeing an opportunity to help them cope with their grief, Luo suggested they sell the dish at Yukang Home. What started as a small idea quickly grew into a larger effort.

“Since the opening of the canteen, our menu has extended to include Jiaozi and other snacks. They are all contributed by individuals that we support and their families,” Luo explained. The canteen, serving customers from nearby gas stations and residences, offers a space for peer and family support while encouraging participants to engage in meaningful activities, aiding their recovery.

Jiaozi is the best selling food in the canteen. (Photo/Luo Yuhua)

One participant, Liang Yu, exemplifies the canteen's impact. When Luo first met him, Liang was extremely isolated, speaking to only three people annually—his parents, with whom he barely communicated, and a social worker who visited occasionally.

After attending sessions at Yukang Home, Liang was invited to join the canteen alongside his mother, who is skilled at making sweet rice balls. Since then, Liang has made remarkable progress, participating in activities, engaging with peers, and even playing African drums at Yukang’s Spring Festival gathering.

The canteen staff set up a stall to sell refreshing snacks on summer days. (Photo/Luo Yuhua)

Luo’s journey into mental health advocacy began in 2016, when she studied psychology to help her son overcome internet addiction. Inspired to use her skills to help more people, she founded Yukang Home in 2021. Through counseling, exercises, and tailored activities, Luo and her team have helped 19 out of 123 individuals successfully reintegrate into society.

Yukang Home is located in Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Luo Yuhua)

When Luo first started, her mother expressed concern: “Will they hit you?” Such stigma, Luo acknowledges, is pervasive. People with mental health issues face not only their conditions but also societal prejudice.

Luo's first case at Yukang Home was a woman in debt from a shopping addiction. Luo hired her to manage the home's finances, teaching her to budget and plan. The approach worked—she fully recovered, now works at a local foot massage chain, and even contributes part of her salary to support her father.

Luo makes regular visits to her workplace to prevent relapse, as she does for all her former clients, “She introduces me as her former colleague instead of her mental health supporter, and I play along. After all, prejudice and stigma are not easy to overcome,” Luo said, hoping to make progress, one step at a time.

(Wei and Liang Yu are pseudonyms used for privacy protection.)