A Message from the Managing Director on the COVID-19 pandemic

We know how disrupted and ambiguous our lives are now as a result of the spread of COVID-19 globally. As we struggle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Board and therapists want you to know that we are here for all of our existing and new clients in need of support.  All of our clients have suffered a significant loss and we can’t think of any more impactful a loss then the effects COVID-19 are having on all of us and our daily lives.

For grievers the daily challenge of reducing feeling of isolation and loneliness is a struggle. A grief experience is isolating and lonely enough and now coupled with the protections in place and need for many to shelter in place, loneliness and isolation for all of us increases exponentially and so does the risk of experiencing depression.

Our agency has transitioned to a virtual or e-therapy counselling modes and we are open for one on one counselling and support groups.

The new normal for us as we work through COVID-19 impacts and increasing restrictions, is that we have moved all of our practice to online.

We have over the past 15 years been using e-therapy modalities such as email, skype, telephone conferencing and text chatting; however this has always made up approximately 10% of our client population. We understand that this is another change but we think it promotes an avenue to continue to work with existing and new clients in need. As an aside, our professional training classes and courses have been on line for over 12 years so that does not change.

So the need to go virtual will help keep everyone out of harms way, therapists and clients alike and reduce the spread of COVID-19 for the greater good. It is the right and only thing to do.

Typical things that we would suggest to our clients to help reduce symptoms of the onset of depressive behaviors are not available, e.g. meet up with friends, go to a movie, go to the gym and workout, and so on.

There are however things that you can do to help interrupt the slide into a depression, such as:

• Write in your journal daily, as often as you like. A journal can be your very own personal counsellor. Just dump those thoughts and feelings and go back to them in a reflective way to gauge recurring themes, fear, anxiety or stressors you need help with;
• Set up chat times (in isolation) with friends or family. Use facetime or visual models when possible to increase the feeling of connection. Text and chats can enhance feelings of destress over not having “real” contact;
• Try a walk using social distancing with a friend or family member in a park or area with some type of natural environment.
• Try to limit your information sources and news feeds to designated but few periods of each day, for example, morning news- mid day and evening;
• Meditation or mindfulness practices can be very helpful and reduce feelings of anxiety or anxiousness; if you don’t have any idea of how to begin ask a friend or use good old Google.
• Maintain a regular routine of life in a very uncertain world at this time. If you are in self isolation you have ultimate control on how you spend your day so try to make the most of it;
• You are not alone and our LTLC Team is prepared to assist in anyway we can
• Lastly, contact your therapist at Living through Loss for support and help and to set up a session in our virtual counselling environment; or, if new to our agency let us know that you would like some support and we can explore with you setting up a session with one of us here.

We encourage any one who needs support to use our confidential email (ltlc@shaw.ca) and let us know how we can help; or call us on our confidential phone line at 1-604-873-5013; or, if you are on our webpage drop us a note using info@livingthroughloss.ca and we will respond.

On behalf of the therapists, volunteers and Board of Living through Loss Counselling Society of BC,

Sincerely,
Dr Cheryl L Bucar, RCC, Managing Director