New Possibilities

Previously, there was a myth that virtual counselling wouldn’t work, but the last year and a half has proven that to be false. Hybrid work and virtual counselling have opened opportunities for flexibility, accessibility, and more inclusive digital environments that in-person visits weren’t able to accomplish. The pandemic has influenced people’s mental health. If we look at 2019 and 2020, the key mental health concerns have been depression, anxiety, couple or martial issues, family relationships, and stress. They continue to be the same. However, the pandemic has been an added factor influencing people’s daily lives spanning from the ongoing anticipatory grief of what is next, impact of COVID on finances, family life, and schooling of children to name a few. Hybrid has improved access to our resources and mental health services when it’s been most important than ever in uncertain and isolating times.

With virtual counselling and the use of Microsoft Teams, counselors pay close attention to non-verbal cues and focus on creating a safe space in a virtual room. A virtual environment has also been more accessible by putting clients at ease. There is no longer a need to commute to our office and sit in a waiting room surrounded by strangers, which can actually cause anxiety. These barriers have been completely removed with a hybrid environment. The biggest advantage has been that our clients feel they have a greater ability to focus on their mental health amongst their busy schedules. With hybrid, our clients can prioritize themselves because now it takes just one hour to sit in a private room, shut the door, and speak with your counselor over Microsoft Teams. Virtual therapy has even become the preferred method for our clients since they have more flexibility to spend an hour in a virtual session rather than two or more hours driving to and from our physical location.

Hybrid work has also opened opportunities to maximize growth and development. We are Western Canada’s biggest institute for training students, and by leveraging Microsoft Teams, we’ve been able to maximize the number of students we can train virtually, with no physical space limitations. It also encourages participation within training and work as the digital spaces are more inclusive. For students and workers who are uncomfortable speaking in a large group, there are options to speak without camera on, or to engage using the chat and reactions feature. Hybrid has improved engagement and communication which empowers people to have bigger and better ideas while leveraging inclusive collaboration tools.

Beyond the workday, hybrid has also enabled counsellors to prioritize our own mental health and work life balance. I can prioritize my own wellbeing and routine with a more flexible schedule and working environment. Like our clients, we each have our unique struggles and added stresses because of the pandemic, so it’s been beneficial for us to have more flexibility in our lives to manage added stresses. It’s been important for me to spend time with my family, dedicate time to physical health, while still being competent and efficient at my job. My quality of relationships has also improved because I can be present for my kids and my family.