kelsey-dugas-counselling

How to Support Someone's Sexual or Gender Identity Journey

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 17:57:39 GMT

Do you have a friend or family member struggling with their mental health or sexual/gender identity? Do you want to help them but are unsure how?

Here's what you can do.

Just know that you are already helping by accepting and wanting to be a part of someone’s journey. The recognition of love and caring is one of the first things that someone needs when they are struggling.

The best thing that you can do as an outsider looking in is to give them someone to talk to. It is best to be able to listen to support them and not necessarily listen to fix all of their problems. You can leave that to the professionals! Ask them what they feel like they want or need that will improve their situation. Most people who are experiencing a hard time have often held this in for a long time and just need to let it all out! Once they do, then it is time to connect with the professional.

Encourage your loved one to reach out to their family physician if they have one. Another great step would be to get them to connect with a mental health professional in their community. If they are shy or uncomfortable, this is always a stage you can help with. Be there for the first phone call or e-mail. There are many professionals like me out there who just want to help, and our loved ones just need a little guidance and support through this hard step.

I think my biggest piece of advice when it comes to the topic of helping a loved one is DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS! Being curious is simply another way to show that you care and that you want to know exactly how they are feeling.

A s a person in their life, you know that you cannot solve all of their problems but encouraging them down a path to someone who can, is the best thing that you can do!

Rainbow Camp/Welcome Friend Association

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 13:28:12 GMT

Is there anything cooler than these people in our community? I have had the wonderful opportunity of joining forces with the Welcome Friend Association and providing my services to some of their members.

Community Support

They have worked hard to be able to pay my fees for their clients! This type of selflessness has allowed for multiple youth in need to access services they may not have been able to afford on their own!

This amazing association has dedicated it’s time to servicing an at risk population that I am very passionate about. They were recently the recipients of the Governor General’s Award, and something I would say was much deserved.

Services like these need to be brought to our smaller cities to prevent youth from moving away in search of what they feel they need. I am so grateful to these individuals and love being a part of their team!

C heck them out here and see how to access my counselling services!

Self Care During the Pandemic

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 13:28:12 GMT

We all know the importance of self care however this topic seems to be more important than ever now that we are living through a pandemic. COVID-19 has affected the lives of everyone in one way or another. It has isolated many people from those they love, it has trapped us in our homes and has made even an outing to the grocery store a little more anxiety provoking. The simplest things we all had to do have been changed. The change in our world has created a change in each and every one of us.

So why is self care important?

It has been noted to me on many occasions that people are feeling “stuck” and “trapped” and that they are feeling more sad than usual. Self care can be the simplest task that we often may not even recognize. It is important to notice that we are all experiencing a new kind of burn out and need to focus on what will make us feel better.

Something as small as a walk outside, a hot bath with a nice book or playing games with your family in your home.

The important piece of self care is recognizing WHY we are doing what we are. It is important to ask ourselves the questions such as, “what will make this day a little bit better for me?” I strongly believe that even 30 minutes of self care every day will improve our quality of life and give us something positive to focus on in a time of need.

We take so much time to care for those around us, why shouldn’t we take some time to do the same for ourselves?