E-counselling: on the path to resilience
UNICEF ECA partners with the OECS Commission, PAHO/WHO and USAID and offers free e-counselling services during COVID-19 pandemic
E-counselling: On the path to resilience
COVID-19 has had a profound effect on the mental health of people from all ages and walks of life, as they are left to cope with a new and often anxiety-ridden reality. To help address some of these mental health issues, UNICEF and partners are supporting Eutelmed in offering an e-counselling service.
Patricia Ncube, a Psychologist and Counsellor has worked on the free and confidential programme and talks about her experience.
The benefit of e-counselling is that it's private and confidential. It creates a safe space where people can share difficulties without fear of judgment.
Everyone has been affected by COVID-19. For some, it’s fear of the unknown. It’s about learning to live with the unknown and trusting yourself to get the resources, both internal and external, you need to get through. The e-counselling platform is one of those resources.
We need to concentrate on the things we can control and let go of those that are simply beyond our reach. It’s coming up with coping strategies to help with these feelings of inadequacy and stress and isolation, exploring new ways to stay in touch with our loved ones or colleagues. Counsellors acknowledge the distress of the people calling. It is important to validate their feelings.
We try to give advice to help people reduce stress. Sometimes people can write. We’ve all heard about gratitude journals. They’re quite important because in the midst of this crisis so many things seem so negative. They are negative. We need to acknowledge the reality of the situation but then people should also think of the things they’re still grateful for. We must cultivate resilience and positivity.
For many, therapy is the first step to understanding oneself and it can be the path towards healing and living a more fulfilling life.
Users can log on to the portal, which has counsellors available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian. at caring.eutelmed.com using access code UNICEF-ECA.
The e-counselling service brings together UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area (ECA), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has also been a partner.
