Tag: <span>counselling</span>

counselling toronto doug
Counselling • By HarmonyBlogger 0 Comments

Counselling for COVID fatigue necessary, says Premier Doug Ford

The endless lockdown measures are having an immense negative effect on the mental health of the citizens of Canada. And Premier Doug Ford is taking notice of it.

During one of his press conferences, Ford expressed his concern for the mental wellbeing of his constituents. The press conference was about giving an update about the state of the province’s health crisis to the residents.

However, the psychological impact of the grey-level lockdown was also a matter of discussion. The Premier adds that a lot of counselling is necessary for the people who are undergoing lockdown fatigue due to the pandemic.

Ford said this as a response to a reporter. The reporter mentions the case of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Apparently, the federation has started training staff to counsel business owners and entrepreneurs who lost their business during the pandemic. The loss of business for small business owners means the potential loss of entire livelihood.

The reason behind the COVID fatigue

According to Ford, the main reason why many people experience COVID fatigue is bankruptcy. Many small business owners put everything into the enterprise, but the pandemic lockdown shut it down. This means that many entrepreneurs now face the challenge of meeting their basic needs, including food and paying the rent.

As a direct result, there is a drastic effect on mental health. Although measuring the health effects is not easy, Ford also suggests measuring every aspect of the health of the population.

Effects of the COVID fatigue

Due to the fatigue of the pandemic lockdown, the following negative effects are taking place.

  • A rise in the statistics of domestic disputes
  • Increase in the case of addictions
  • Increase in the rate of suicides all over the provinces

What else is on the horizon?

Premier Ford also took time to talk about the Covid-19 vaccine, which will be available within a few months. Getting COVID-19 vaccines to as many people as possible is important for the overall wellbeing. In addition, the vaccination drive will also have a positive effect on the economy and restore the normalcy that has been missed for a long time. The much-awaited normalcy is expected to bring a sigh of relief, especially in areas that have been designated under the red-level lockdown zone.

However, the Premier also does not rule out the possibility of extending restrictions in the virus hotspots. The virus hotspots in Canada include Toronto.

Help.org Substance Abuse And Addiction Resources 1
Counselling By HarmonyBlogger 0 Comments

Help.org Substance Abuse And Addiction Resources

We know that right now people are more isolated than normal, which adds another layer of complexity for those struggling with addiction. Social frameworks that usually exist to provide a supportive presence or accountability are crippled. Meanwhile, COVID-19 related life changes and stresses are compounding, likely leading to or furthering substance abuse and addiction.

In order to provide support during these challenging times, we put together a series of guides that provide comprehensive information on the various faces of addiction and how to get help. It is written for both individuals who are struggling with addiction at any phase, as well as concerned friends or family members that are looking for information to educate themselves or to share.

You can learn more about some of our guide here:

Workshop on Community Safety in Kenora 2
Teenage Family Counselling • • By HarmonyBlogger 0 Comments

Workshop on Community Safety in Kenora

On October 18, 2019, a good number of community stakeholders attended a workshop under the banner “Community Safety and Well-Being.” Ever since the legislation of Ontario made it compulsory for municipalities to develop community safety plans, Kenora has been on the forefront by making a lot of changes in the community.

This was noted by the MD of Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention, Felix Munger, who also facilitated the workshop. Kenora’s Community Safety and Well Being Plan was introduced in 2015, way before the mandatory law was introduced.

What topics are discussed in these workshops?

Kenora’s community members are proactively trying to identify the root causes of crimes in the community. In these types of workshop and forum, a wide range of problems and social issues are discussed at length. In this particular workshop, community members focused on these issues:

  • Mental health and addiction – Mr. Munger comments that up to 80% of calls made to the police are related to social disorder. The calls that are crime-related almost always are a result of addiction and/or mental health issues.
  • Youth – Sheri Norlen from the Creighton Youth Centre in Kenora emphasizes the need to connect with young offenders on a personal level. Ignoring their individual needs has a direct link to criminal behaviour. She suggested different measures, which includes child counselling, connecting with family, anger management classes. Through these programs, she hopes to get to the bottom of their criminal behaviours.
  • Housing and poverty
  • Human trafficking/sexual exploitation
  • Violence/victimization

Why does traditional criminal justice not work for young people?

According to data, the traditional criminal justice system is not effective for the young folks. It is because the traditional system primarily involves punishment of some sort and trying to correct the criminal behaviour.

It does not attempt to get to the bottom and isolate the reason behind the criminal activity. Ms. Norlen, who is a manager of services that works with young offenders in the age group of 12 to 18, says that understanding the needs of these erring youngsters as people is the best way to correct the behaviour.

She is of the opinion that most criminal activity has roots that can be traced to family problems as well as poverty. Along with her, the entire community of Kenora hopes to keep their youth in a stable environment through prevention programs as well as workshops. These can be a solace for young offenders to stay sober, regroup and make changes in their lives.