Text therapy

All too often, we have heard the stories of young people who commit suicide. All too often, these individuals have spent a great deal of time suffering in silence. All too often, the stigma surrounding mental health has contributed to whether or not someone will seek help.

This is a subject that is very near and dear to me. Every time I hear another story about suicide in the news my heart aches. Today, I want to talk to you about a news article a co-worker recently shared with me. I hope that this will help some of you that may be having a difficult time to reach out and get help.

A CBC news article has been released discussing Kid’s Help Phone’s new advancement called “Text therapy” as a form of counselling for youth. This type of counselling allows you to live chat with a counsellor using your electronic device. You are able to engage in a counselling session in the middle of a crowd and to anyone around you it looks like you’re just chatting with a friend.

Why is this so great? There are so many reasons. Sometimes it can be hard to physically get to a counsellor. Sometimes you may not want to tell your family and friends that counselling is something you would like to try. I hope that one day you are able to, but if you can’t, this service allows you to access a counsellor without having to do that. You can talk to someone at your leisure, and you don’t have to physically verbalize what you’re feeling if that’s something that worries you. Whatever your reason may be, I hope this new service helps you move beyond that obstacle. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to need help. Please don’t suffer in silence. If you know someone that needs help-a friend, a sibling, a fellow student-please share this service with them!