Mental Health is a Community Effort

Mental health is a public health issue.

As a psychotherapist, I believe that recognizing the profound influence of our cultural context (influenced by systemic racism, patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalism) is crucial for developing effective mental health strategies.

Offering psychotherapy without acknowledging the context in which we live would be “like trying to teach someone the best winning strategy without mentioning that the game is rigged”.*

As Audre Lorde poignantly stated, "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." Acknowledging the impact of systemic issues on mental health is a vital step toward fostering a society that prioritizes the well-being of all its members.

With this in mind, I encourage you to get to know the community in which you live, and make use of the resources available to you. 

*Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Ballantine Books

If you, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.

Chat & Phone Support

  • 1-800-667-5005

    Chimo is a provincial helpline that offers both French and English speakers free mental health support (thoughts of suicide, loneliness, depression, etc.) 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. They also offer their intervention services through live chat from 5pm until midnight every day.

  • Canada Wide:1-833-456-4566

    Text services available - 45645

  • Kids Help Phone’s e-mental health services are available 24/7 across Canada. This means that we’re here for kids, teens and young adults from coast to coast to coast

    Call 1-800-668-6868 for immediate support

    Text CONNECT to 686868

  • Call 8-1-1 any time of day or night to receive support from a nurse and get a referral to additional services in your community.

  • Mental Health & Substance Use Support

    • To talk with a counsellor: 1-866-585-0445

    • Indigenous tailored support: 1-855-242-3310 or online chat at hopeforwellness.ca

In Person Resources

  • Tracadie Sheila

    1-506-395-6677 - acstefam@nbnet.nb.ca

    Accueil Sainte-Famille offers housing to women and their children who are victims of sexual, psychological and/or physical violence. The housing services are available 24/7, 365 days per year. A social worker is always present to support the residents.

  • Crisis line: 1-844-853-0811

    Administration: 1-506-857-8028 option 2

    Email: admin@crossroadsforwomen.ca

    Crossroads for Woman offer various services such as the Family Violence Crisis Center (crisis interventions for victims of violence available 24/7), a crisis line for victims of domestic violence, a transition house for women, trans and non-binary individuals who are victims of domestic violence, and an affordable housing program for survivors of domestic violence.

  • Distribution Centre: 330 MacNaughton Avenue, Moncton, NB

    Phone - 506-800-0803

    Food Depot Alimentaire: Ext 1

    info@fooddepot.ca

  • 86 Ringwood Drive, Unit 24 Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario L4A 1C3, Canada

    905-591-4443

    Proof of residency is required.

Land Acknowledgement

Whilst most sessions with me will take place in the virtual world, I acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional, unceeded territory of the Mi'kmaq People.

I recognize that my presence here today is a result of a history marked by colonization, dispossession, and the imposition of systems that have adversely affected the Mi'kmaq People and their way of life. I acknowledge the deep impact of historical and ongoing injustices, including the legacy of the residential school system, missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, forced relocations, and the erosion of Indigenous languages and cultures.

In the spirit of reconciliation, I commit to making efforts in understanding and addressing the historical and contemporary challenges faced by indigenous people in Canada.

I commit to listening to, learning from, and uplifting Indigenous voices and wisdom both in the field of mental health and in my daily life.

May this acknowledgement serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to contribute to the process of reconciliation and to build a society that respects and values the contributions of all its people.

-Val