At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, all of our usual meetings with therapists and mental health counsellors were on the verge of going online. This can be quite scary to people who are used to having a person to person contact, especially if being in the office was a safe space for you. Now we have seen a huge boost in more people seeking telehealth appointments for their mental health during the lockdown, including myself.
I’ve always been quite open about my mental health. I started to feel it deteriorating during the lockdown, starting with a recent death in my family, an overwhelming amount of anxiety about not knowing what to do in the future, and a major breakup; my friend reached out to me and sent me information for a counselling office that was doing online appointments.
It was sort of scary telling someone about my inner thoughts and sadness at the time, but slowly I built a bond with her; it also helped that outside of our meetings, we didn’t really know each other, so I could be more open about what was going through my brain. I had an appointment almost every week for 4 months straight, yes, I did run into some connection issues or my phone possibly dying during the sessions, but other than that, she had my full attention.
I want to share a few tips for finding a good therapist and counselling clinic online, because most of the time, it doesn’t always work out on the first person you meet, but don’t give up! First, I would say asking friends and family for recommendations is a great start. If you feel weird talking to your family about your mental health, reaching out through Instagram can help find a good match because people can anonymously answer your questions. Next, “shopping” online for someone you feel matches your needs is a great way to find the perfect therapist; https://www.ementalhealth.ca/ is a Canadian online platform with a thorough database that you can filter through to find mental health programs and counsellors that don’t have fees.
Another tip to finding a good therapist is considering the gender you want to work with. I chose to stick with female counsellors because I felt like I could connect on a better level. Also, I found having a therapist of the same ethnicity as I am to be way more helpful than I thought. They can connect to you on a level that can be hard to get with someone who hasn’t gone through the same experience.
An example of searching for a therapist based on ethnicity is the Black Therapist’s Fund located in Vancouver http://vancouverblacktherapyfund.com/. This fund was created during the pandemic because of the Black Lives Matter movement and the lack of black therapists’ representation within the mental health community.
Continuing on, take advantage of those complimentary consultations over Zoom or on the phone; they will usually ask you why you have come in today, what you have been feeling like recently and just getting to know more about you and a bit about themselves. Notice how the therapist makes you feel… calm? Or rushed? These are important gut feelings to determine if you will work well together for the future.
Women are being hit the hardest by the mental health effects of the pandemic, starting with how Canada’s economy is much harder for women jobs, creating a “she-cession.” The burden also comes from women working in the service industry, which got shut down at the pandemic height. And also, women having to take on more responsibility at home. Deloitte’s business consulting firm published their impact report that stated more than two-thirds of the jobs suffered throughout the pandemic were held by women; the report also states, “Women are the epicenter of the human impact of COVID-19.” The report explains that Canada will have an influx of mental health issues post-pandemic, with disproportionally affecting women. They suggest that the Government of Canada put more funding into mental health services.
I know Tok-tok and Instagram can be hard to get away from during the boring days of quarantine, but it’s a fact that social media can affect your mental health. Girls are at a much higher risk of harm and lower self-esteem from Instagram. The beauty standards have become unrealistic, with many people turning to plastic surgery and face tune to get their perfect appearance. CTV reported, “Girls, who generally have higher self-harm rates and are seeing more drastic increases in self-reported depression, appear to be at greater risk for negative mental health impacts.”
Influencers over the lockdown have been a big culprit of pushing the idea of “using this time to your advantage,” from starting a side hustle clothing business or only eating a clean, zero sugar all-vegan diet and working out every day. The pressure of feeling like you have to do “something” is a casualty of capitalism’s effects; you shouldn’t feel pressured to do anything; we are all going through the biggest pandemic in about 100 years. But as much as I can state that opinion, yeah, I struggled with the pressure of trying to be productive at the beginning of quarantine; I went through a workout phase, a painting phase, a sewing phase, and a short-lived reading phase. I finally accepted that I don’t need to do anything unless I am doing it for myself (with my therapist’s help.)
Lastly, I’m going to go over some free online resources if you want to explore options for counselling in BC:
Child & adolescent program (CAP)
http://www.vch.ca/locations_and_services…
BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
HeretoHelp BC – Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorder and Mental Health Help http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca
Family Services of the North Shore, Jessie’s Legacy Eating Disorder Support group, for Family, Partners and Care Takers.
http://www.familyservices.bc.ca
Mood Disorders Associations of BC
Stella’s Place is a charitable organization that offers clinical counselling through video chat for people ages 16-29 in Toronto.
There’s also a free mobile app Beanbag Chat that connects you with a peer supporter or professional counsellor. http://www.beanbagchat.ca/