Elpizo Connect Magazine Issue 01

ISSUE 01

FROM TRAUMA

TO WHOLENESS

RUTH BAAH-GYEBI

SHARES HER STORY

DIVERSE

WOMEN IN HEALTH

& WELLNESS

UNDERSTANDING

DEPRESSION

Editor-in-Chief - Ruth Baah-Gyebi

Managing Editor - Sandra Gabriel

Elpizo Female Therapists

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Ruth-Baah-Gyebi

Tala Barrage

Mary Lepage

Bibiana Law

Samantha Campbell

Kayla Quinn

Malathy Praveen

Sue Neild

Julian-Bell-Grant

Ellis Palmero

Cecilia Jaramillo

Joline Hanna

Contributors

Kristen Drozda

Dr. Yewande Fadojutimi

Yvonne Rodney

Alison Mclean

Stacey Palmer

Maki Fukushima

Table of Contents

Elpizo is a counselling and teaching practice. Let

me explain; we don’t only provide counselling to

individuals, couples or families in Ontario; we also

provide training and supervision for those starting

out in the psychotherapy field. My husband Elvis

Baah-Gyebi and I are passionate about

exemplifying the qualities of the biblical story on

“The Good Samaritan”; that is (according to Elvis

and I) getting off your donkey and serving those in

need. Though a for-profit practice, it is part of our

philosophy not to turn anyone away from receiving

assistance for lack of financial ability. Counselling

can be a privileged service due to the financial

obligations that come with it.

Elpizo connects and gives back to the community

through volunteering our services at a local prison

providing life skills to inmates; we offer a sliding

scale and sometimes free limited sessions to those

unable to pay, and we offer our Elpizo Community

Connect support groups free to those that need

and want it.

Letter From The Editor

Women’s day or month is celebrated all over

the world in many different ways. Essentially,

it is to recognize and celebrate women’s

contributions to history, society and culture.

International Women’s Day was first

celebrated on March 8, 1911, and in 1975 the United Nations

began sponsoring the event, and cited the following

reasons: “To recognize the fact that securing peace and

social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and

fundamental freedoms require the active participation,

equality and development of women; and to acknowledge

the contribution of women to the strengthening of

international peace and security.” (Women’s History Month

2021 - HISTORY) Countries around the world honour this

event by celebrating political, social, educational, successes

and all types of achievements contributed by women.

Whilst other countries chose to celebrate women in March,

Canada also specifically celebrates women in the month of

October. In 1992, the Government of Canada designated

October as Women’s History Month, marking the beginning

of an annual month-long celebration of the outstanding

achievements of women and girls throughout Canada’s

history (2020 Women’s History Month theme (cfc-swc.gc.ca).

At Elpizo Counselling Services, we love celebrations and so

when our PR Manager, Sandra Gabriel presented us with an

initiative to produce a magazine we jumped on the idea and

decided to launch the Elpizo Connect Magazine in March to

coincide with International Women’s History Month. We were

excited to have the privilege of honouring the women in

our practice, community, other colleagues and friends that

contribute to the field of Mental Health and well-being.

If you are a philanthropist or simply want to help

others receive mental health services because you

have been helped in the past, you can contribute to

our Elpizo Community Connect (ECC) initiative so

that many more grateful people can be served.

In this issue of Elpizo Connect Magazine, you will

read my story, “From Trauma to Wholeness”, as well

as articles from some of our female therapists,

other colleagues, and friends in the field on various

topics from Understanding Abuse, Depression,

Perinatal Issues, Parenting support, Work-Life

Balance, Resilience, the Correlation between

Movement and Mental Health. So much has been

packed in this first issue that will not only have you

crying, laughing, celebrating and rejoicing with

us but also inspired because we are overcomers,

achievers and resilient.

I want to thank all our female therapists, other

colleagues, and friends for their knowledge,

expertise, collaboration and contribution. Sandra,

thank you for bringing the idea to us and

encouraging us to use our creative sides in

producing Elpizo Connect Magazine.

As we enter into the season of Spring, take time to

reflect and enjoy what it brings with it, such as new

growth, transformation, light, warmth and beautiful

array of colors. Remember the Proverb, “No matter

how long the winter, spring is sure to follow”, we

have the guarantee that we don’t remain in one

season or life cycle indefinitely. Change eventually

comes and your change is coming if not already,

hold on! Elpizo is here to offer you hope.

Ruth Baah-Gyebi

Contributors

Mary Lepage, Therapist,

Elpizo Counselling

As a woman juggling a career, family obligations, and

running a household, I understand the importance of

work-life balance. As a therapist, I understand the

importance of self-care. I remind myself daily to practice

what I preach and take time out for myself, however brief,

to ensure I am strong and healthy, both physically and

mentally. When time permits, I love to get out on my

paddleboard and enjoy the serenity of a calm lake or the

excitement of big waves. Getting out in the fresh air and

rediscovering my inner child keeps me young at heart and

appreciating the small things.

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Samantha Campbell,

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying),

Elpizo Counselling

I understand that my voice has value and it can be a source

of healing to others. Therefore, I celebrate being a firsttime

author with my husband. Using our gifts and talents

to make a difference.

Sue Neild,

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Elpizo Counselling

Mental health, wellness and helping people achieve

that, is my passion. I am a life-long learner and absorb as

many podcasts, webinars and other training

opportunities as I can. I am an animal lover and my cats

are a huge part of my emotional wellness plan. Being in

nature, reading, and spending time with loved ones are

my other go-tos to stay healthy and balanced.

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One of the women I admire most is my mother. At 80

years of age, she continues to have the curiosity of a

child, always wanting to learn more. Perhaps, that is

where I got my unquenchable thirst for knowledge. She

is willing to try new things, even if they make her

uncomfortable (her first role in a play at the age of 77).

Her kindness and thoughtfulness bring so many others

joy and comfort, from a simple phone call to dropping

off a meal to a friend, to volunteering at the local theatre

and blood drives. She truly is someone to look up to. I

feel very grateful to have such an inspiring role model.

Ellis Palmero,

Registered Psychotherapist

Elpizo Counselling

I’m a Registered Psychotherapist. I am originally from

Cuba and came to Canada in my teens. I enjoy spending

time with family, traveling as much as I can even if it’s

on short road trips and walking on trails as I find nature

very calming. In my free time, I also enjoy watching TV

and have a passion for constantly learning new things.

The person that I admire the most is my mom as she has

given up so much for us and has always been supportive

throughout our good and bad times.

Tala Barage, Therapist,

Elpizo Counselling

My love of cultures and different ways of living led me

to travel to over 20 cities on 5 continents. Similarly,

my own experience with yoga and mindfulness led

me to pursue my Yoga Teacher certification in 2016

in order to be able to help others integrate a healthy

body with a healthy mind. I strongly believe that

regular yoga and meditation practices lead to many

holistic health benefits including reducing stress,

enhancing mental functioning, regulating emotions,

and creating greater self-awareness.

Joline Hanna,

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying),

Elpizo Counselling

I am a wife and a mother. I love to travel and see new

countries and experience different cultures. Prior to

getting in to Psychotherapy, I trained as a Project

Manager and for pleasure I enjoy creating sweet

desserts and novelty cakes for weddings. My children

are my life and they help to keep me grounded.

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Kristen Drozda, Registered

Psychotherapist, PACE Counselling

I have been working for my entire career with the

most precious clients of our lives- our kids. Coming

from an attachment focus, where relationships

between caregivers and infants, children, and

adolescent is the foundation and is inclusive of the

family. I am passionate about working with parents

in the perinatal/postpartum time and supporting

families embarking on parenting for the first or

managing the change of a growing family and the

difficulties that can come with that.

www.pacecounselling.ca

Maki Fukushima

Maki Fukushima and was born and raised in Montreal,

currently resides in Toronto. Maki runs a consulting

business in event management and has been in the events

industry for the last 15 years. My goal is to continue

promoting daily movement and helping people stay

consistent with their fitness routines. Not everyone’s goal is

to come out with a six-pack. Most just want to feel healthy,

happy and supported. And that’s what I’m here for. Find Maki

on Instagram @makikosarah and @just20mins

Julian Bell-Grant

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Elpizo Counselling

I am a wife and a mother. In my leisure time I enjoy

fitness-related activities and working out. My mom has been a

huge influence through my upbringing and I aspire to be the

mother and professional that she is today. I enjoy counselling

my clients and seeing the growth at the end of each session. I

embrace every challenge that comes along and find ways to

improve daily so I can serve my clients even better.

Ruth Baah-Gyebi

Registered Psychotherapist &

Co-Founder of Elpizo Counselling Services.

As a female entrepreneur juggling many hats such as

career life, managing a thriving practice, family obligations,

running a household and trying to balance all of that, I am reminded

every day that if I don’t take care of me, I cannot take

care of those I am responsible for. So, I eat healthy (most of

the time), I love to travel to foreign lands when possible, hang

out with my family goofing around and competing in various

games and dances in the privacy of my home. I love to cook

and entertain. There are many women that I admire and have

impacted my life in positive ways but I want to shout out to my

only daughter Benita who challenges me and inspires me to

be the greatest person I could be. She has tenacity, confidence,

she’s funny, classy and possesses a no-nonsense attitude that I

wish I had as a young person growing up.

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Diverse Women in

Welln

Resea

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Dr. Nekessa Remy

Dr. Nekessa Remy specializes in injury

prevention and posture improvement. She

is a firm believer that healthy living and a

healthy lifestyle is a right for everyone to

obtain. Dr. Remy hosts workshops, does

public speaking and currently runs The

Chiropractic Office. Right now her work is

especially focused on her Better Posture

Program launching this April. As the 2017

Patient Care Award winner by the Ontario

Chiropractic Association, it’s clear how

important she is to her community.

Dr. Remy has done many features on the

CHCH Morning Show, Global TV’s Morning

Show and the CP24 Breakfast Show talking

about the importance of posture, injury

prevention and providing easy tips to

implement into everyday lifestyles. She is

very open about her work on social media,

making her content specifically focused

on providing posture improvement and

prevention tips with real life clients.

Dr. Nekessa Remy is definitely doing some

amazing things in health and wellness in

Toronto, Canada.

Amy Deacon

Amy Deacon is an entrepreneur,

public speaker and the founder of Toronto

Wellness Counselling. For the past 10 years,

Amy has specialized in providing treatment

for mood disorders, various forms of trauma

and anger management. She is an advocate

of making purpose out of pain, as it

strengthens both resilience as well as

compassion.

Health &

ess

rch

At the moment, Amy provides

unique weekly content discussing

common themes that come up

in her client sessions. They range

from 2-10 minutes, with the

intention to help normalize

therapy, mental health

conversations, and various topics

that people commonly struggle

with. Whether it’s wellness tips or

talking about self love habits, her

conversations provide a unique,

safe and open space for everyone.

By helping destigmatize mental

health issues and provide free

education through her content,

Amy Deacon is definitely doing

some wonderful work in the

Toronto health and wellness

community.

Julia Glowinski

Julia Glowinski is a social worker, certified sleep consultant and

founder of Glow Sleep Services. After spending 8 years working

in the Crisis Service at Youthdale Treatment Centres, and

realizing the strong connection between sleep and mental

health, Julia dedicated her social work practice to the area of

sleep, as a Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and a

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

clinician. Glow Sleep Services works collaboratively with

individuals and families to improve sleep, and Julia works very

closely with a team composed of a neuropsychiatrist, child

psychiatrist, neurologist and respirologist, making her work

incredibly unique and impactful. Julia, who is also a therapist at

Straight Up Health and was recently featured on Get the Gunk

Out podcast, has spoken at many mental health events. Julia is

another female to watch as she is making huge strides in health

and wellness.

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Anika Castañeda

Anika Castañeda is a local faith and

wellness blogger who openly shares her

current mental health journey online in

an honest way. She started as a certified

makeup artist with a goal to help women

heal from toxic and abusive relationships

through self-love and self-care. Now,

Anika often speaks from her personal

experiences on the trauma she faced while

in the dating world and how it led to her

mental health diagnoses of severe anxiety,

depression and PTSD. Her story has given

her strength, and after her deep internal

healing through faith and wellness, she

wanted to openly share that with others in

hopes to help anyone else struggling in a

similar way. Anika is dedicated to

being open and honest about her journey

to help change the narrative and stigmas

attached to mental health in any way she

can. She certainly shows the everyday

battle of healing in an inspiring way. Her

blog and social media content make a

conscious effort to grow and support the

Toronto health and wellness community.

Dr. Olivia Rose

Dr. Olivia Rose is a naturopathic doctor, founder

and CEO of ReLiv Organics Skincare and O Rose &

Co. Inc, manager of Fertility Acupuncture

Services and the director of Rose Health Clinic! For

over 13 years, Dr. Rose has been a practicing

registered naturopathic doctor in clinics within

the Greater Toronto Area. She has built a thriving

private practice centred around evidence-based

and traditional naturopathic medicine, helping

hundreds of patients reach their optimal

well-being through effective natural health and

therapeutics. She has a special interest in

digestive and immune health, infertility, weight

loss, skin rejuvenation and chronic disease.

Dr. Rose has been featured on Global News,

Reader’s Digest, Woman’s World, Livestrong.com

and more for her naturopathic work. Her skincare

brand has specifically been featured in ELLE and

HuffPost as well. Dr. Olivia Rose is definitely an

astonishing female leader and taking the world by

storm with her innovative work.

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Coura Niang

Coura Niang is a Child and Youth Care Practitioner with a specialty in Behaviour

Analysis. She also teaches at Humber College and runs the Kidswork private

practice. Kidswork serves families who have children with autism spectrum

disorders, mood disorders and learning disabilities by providing a range of

services, which focus on the individual, family and community. She is also the

president of The Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care (OACYC), which is the

professional association representing Child and Youth Care Practitioners (CYCP) for

the province. As an advocate for proper child and youth care, she also has

extensive experience working within the public school board and various other

community settings. Something incredible about Coura is how she is currently

working towards a national certification in the field of Behaviour Analysis! It is clear

that Coura Niang’s work is both unique and making incredible steps forward.

For Mental Health

By: Tala Barage

Exercise

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When people think about

exercise, they typically think

about the physical aspects

such as weight loss,

aerobic capacity, muscle size,

improved sex life, and even

living longer. It is important

to also recognize that

being active also provides the

added benefit of providing

an overall improved sense of

well-being. This includes

feeling more energetic

throughout the day,

sleeping better at night,

having a sharper memory,

and feeling more relaxed and

positive about yourself and

your life. Regular exercise can

also be powerful medicine

for many common mental

health challenges as well as

the high risk of chronic

diseases associated with

serious mental health

concerns and medication

side effects, including

diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and

cardiovascular disease.

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Benefits

Research indicates that even

modest amounts of exercise can

be a powerful tool to deal with

mental health problems,

improve energy and outlook, and

get more out of life.

Engaging in physical activity on a

regular basis can have a

profoundly positive impact on

mental health issues such as

depression, anxiety, ADHD, and

PTSD. This can be explained by

the fact that exercise promotes

changes in the brain, including

neural growth, reduced

inflammation, and new activity

patterns that promote

feelings of calm and

well-being. Additionally, not

only does physical movement

serve as a distraction, but it

also releases endorphins and

boosts the brain’s

dopamine, norepinephrine,

and serotonin levels,

powerful chemicals that

energize your spirits and make

you feel good. In this way, it

not only helps in treating

depression but also in

preventing relapse.

Exercise also relieves tension in the

body and improves concentration,

motivation, memory, and mood. In

short, since the body and mind are

intimately linked, when your body

feels better so, too, will your mind.

So even if you’re not suffering from

a mental health problem, regular

physical activity can still offer a

boost to your mood, outlook, and

overall mental well-being. Other

beneficial effects of physical activity

on mental health include being less

distracted, improved self-efficacy

and self-esteem, increased social

interaction, improved sleep, weight

loss, reduced cholesterol, improved

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cardiovascular fitness, increased energy and

stamina, stronger resilience, increased mental

alertness, and sharper memory.

How to Get Started

When some people think about exercise, they

think about devoting hours out of their busy

day to train at the gym, sweat buckets, or run

mile after monotonous mile to reap all the

physical and mental health benefits of exercise.

Research has shown that just 30-minutes of

moderate exercise five times a week is enough

to reap the benefits, and this can be broken

down into two 15-minute or three

10-minute exercise sessions. The important

thing is to start somewhere so beginning with

just 5 minutes of movement and gradually

increasing your time is beneficial. The more

you exercise, the more energy you’ll have, so in

committing to any sort of physical activity on a

regular basis, the benefits will eventually begin

to pay off. While it may seem impossible to start

a regular exercise routine due to feelings of

exhaustion, lethargy, overwhelm, hopelessness,

low self-esteem, or even physical pain,

remember that exercise is a powerful energizer,

mood enhancer, and stress reliever. Below are

some other practical tips to help you get

started:

1. Start small. Set realistic and achievable

goals to begin with and build up from there

2. Schedule workouts when your energy is

highest. Notice times in the day you feel

your most energetic, and plan to exercise

then.

3. Focus on activities you enjoy. Any

activity that gets you moving counts, so

even gardening, dancing, throwing a

Frisbee with your dog or friend, walking in a

mall window shopping, or biking to the

grocery store are great ways to get started.

If you’ve never exercised before or don’t

know what you might enjoy, try a few

different things.

4. Be comfortable. Wear comfortable clothing

and choose a setting that you find calming

or energizing such as a quiet corner of your

home, a scenic path, or your favourite park

5. Reward yourself. While simply completing

an activity and how much better you’ll feel

afterwards is rewarding in itself, promising

yourself an extra treat for exercising such

as a hot bubble bath after a workout, a

delicious smoothie, or watching an extra

episode of your favourite TV show can be a

powerful motivator as well.

6. Make exercise a social activity. Exercising

with a friend or loved one, or even your kids,

will not only make exercising more fun and

enjoyable, but it can also help motivate you

to stick to a workout routine.

Creative Ideas to Incorporate Exercise

into Your Life

The benefits of exercise discussed can occur

through a high-intensity exercise like running

or some other cardio and aerobic workouts as

well as low-intensity exercise sustained over

time like yoga, tai chi, and walking. As

previously mentioned, the recommended 30

minutes of exercise of moderate intensity do

not need to be continuous, three 10-minute

workouts are believed to be as equally

beneficial as one 30-minute workout. If you

find it difficult to dedicate the time to exercise

in your busy schedule, think about physical

activity as a lifestyle rather than another task to

check off your to-do list. Look at your daily

routine and consider ways to incorporate

activities such as moving in and around your

home by cleaning, washing the car, gardening,

or mowing the lawn. Choosing to walk, bike,

or use the stairs as you go about your day, and

getting active with your family by going on

a bike ride, playing tag, fruit picking, having

a dance party, stretching while you watch tv,

doing some family yoga, or going bowling are

all great ways to get you started.

The New Parent

HANDOUT

By: Kristen Drozda,

Pace Counselling

About 80% of new mothers

experience “baby blues” and

21% of mothers experience

postpartum depression

1 in 10 fathers experience

postpartum depression

1 in 7 mothers experience serious depression

or anxiety during pregnancy

and/or postpartum (although the

numbers may actually be higher due

to underreporting, misdiagnosis, as

well as a lack of awareness.)

Did You

Know?

19.2% of women with PPD

endorsed having thoughts of

harming themselves

Rates of perinatal mental

health disorders in pregnancy

are just as high as rates

postpartum

Suicide is one of the 3 leading

causes of maternal death

The following are some key pieces of information to support new parents who are

struggling with mental health or wondering if the way they are feeling is normal.

1. You are not alone. You are not to blame.

ANYONE can become depressed or anxious,

there is a lot happening and many stressors

compound during pregnancy and postpartum.

Many women develop depression or anxiety

because of changes in our hormones, our

feelings, our relationships, and sometimes in

stress about work, housing, or money. No matter

how sad or scared you feel, you can get through

this with help.

2. Even great mothers can experience pregnancy

mental health or postpartum mental health

disorders. Depression can make women feel

bad and afraid about motherhood. They get

afraid that they will never be happy. But that

is the depression, and when it gets better, you

will feel better about being a mom.

3. Fathers and non-birth parents are also

susceptible to perinatal mental health

disorders. They should be assessed and

check-in alongside mothers.

4. Postpartum mental health disorder peaks

around 4-6 months postpartum. This is long

after the midwife, doctor, or care providers do

regular screeners. If you do not feel yourself

check in with someone.

5. Stigma is a barrier to seeking the help you

deserve. Unfortunately, the misconception that

mothers should endlessly radiate joy and

happiness actually result in women holding

back in getting help and as a result, they tend

to struggle on a longer-term basis.

6. You NEED regular breaks from caring for your

children. Breaks will help you care for

yourself which will help you care for your

children. You deserve self-care. Wanting and

needing some space does not make you selfish

or a bad parent. It makes you a valued member

of the family, feel energized and more able to

take on the challenges of parenting.

7. Postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety

does not go away fast or on its own. You CAN

and WILL feel better if you take care of your

mental health. It is really hard at the beginning,

and with support, gets more manageable.

8. Reach out! Women who go through depression

without help are more unsure about themselves

as mothers. Talking to other women who have

recovered will help you a lot. It is normal to feel

shy and embarrassed at first, but it will help you to

talk to someone who understands.

9. Overgeneralizing is a mental trap. If we gauge

things on “good” or “bad” and sum up entire

days or experiences on this binary code, we fall

into the trap of generalizing things as negative.

Trying to see positives, successes, and

feel-good moments will help bring balance and

energy to keep going.

10. Go outside! This is excellent (even in our cold

winters) for mental health. This applies to both

you and your children. Regular moments and

fresh air can support wellness, reduce anxiety

and boost mood.

11. Trust yourself. You are a great mother, continue

to care for your children the best you can. Your

thoughts or feelings cannot hurt your children.

How you act matters. It is normal to cry and feel

mad, frustrated, scared, or to feel nothing inside.

But try to focus on what you are doing on the

outside. Children feel good when you look in

their eyes, let them know they are safe with you,

hold them and smile when you can. Take breaks

so that you will be more relaxed when you are

with them.

By: Dr. Yewande Fadojutimi,

ER and Telemedicine Physician

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From Empty to Fulfilled

My Journey Through Burnout

I am looking to get clarity on some of my strengths. I value

your opinion and would appreciate if you could send

me 3 - 5 of my best qualities. What are some of the things

you come to me for, or things you believe I am good at?”

From the outside, things looked perfect!

I had a great career, a loving husband,

a beautiful daughter, and another little

one on the way. We owned our home

and were surrounded by a community

of supportive friends.

But one day, I remember leaving the

Emergency Department after an

overnight shift, and before the double

doors had a chance to close behind

me, a stream of hot tears began to run

down my face. Well into my 3rd

trimester, I power-walked to my car and

sat behind the wheel, careful to make

sure that the on-coming staff didn’t see

me breaking down in the parking lot.

• A feeling of numbness at work

• A lack of creativity

• Decreased performance

As someone who didn’t even recognize

burnout for what it was until I was well

out of it, I would like to share some

steps that were instrumental in getting

me to where I am today.

Reflect on the Past

One of the significant exercises I did

was to contact about 10 of my closest

family members and friends to ask them

about my strengths (and not weakness).

I sent them the following message:

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It had been a long, draining shift,

and I knew I hadn’t given my best to

my patients. At the time, I attributed

lack-of-fulfillment to sleep-deprivation

and hormones. Now that I’m on the

other side of it, I realize that what I was

feeling went far beyond third-trimester

tiredness. I was burnt-out.

What is Burnout?

Although there is no agreed-upon

definition of burnout, it is generally

accepted to be the result of ongoing

stress due to high demands. According

to the Institute for Quality and

Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG),

burnout leads to:

• A decrease in physical energy

• Emotional exhaustion

“I am looking to get clarity on some of

my strengths. I value your opinion and

would appreciate if you could send me

3 - 5 of my best qualities. What are some

of the things you come to me for, or

things you believe I am good at?”

They all gave similar answers, and upon

reflection, I realized that I wasn’t

spending any time exercising my

strengths.

Other things you might want to reflect

on are:

• What activities did you love to do

growing up?

• What are some hobbies you had

that have been long-forgotten?

• What did you always want to be

growing up, especially if life took

you on a different turn?

While reflecting on these questions and writing them down, you may begin

to see a disconnect between the tasks you perform on a daily basis, and the

things that bring you fulfillment. This type of disconnect is a major cause of

burnout.

Look to the Future

If someone asked you, “where do you see yourself at age 80”, would you be

able to give them a clear answer? A year ago, I certainly couldn’t. I couldn’t

see a vision for my life beyond getting through the next shift!

I invite you to ask yourself the same question: What is your 80-year-old self

up to? How is she feeling? What are the things she is telling you about how

you’ve lived your life?

Having a vision for your future helps you choose opportunities that will

bring you closer to that goal while discarding activities that will take you

further away from it.

Listen to your Body

In general, women are gifted with a sense of intuition. We know when

something is off with our bodies, we know when our loved ones aren’t quite

themselves, and importantly, we know when things aren’t right with our

emotions.

If the symptoms of burnout feel familiar to you, I encourage you to take 5

minutes a day and reflect on the exercises suggested. And perhaps you feel

overwhelmed by the thought of navigating the work that comes with

burnout. If so, then please seek the support of a professional counsellor.

By: Mary Lepage

A Word on Worklife

BALANCE

Can work-life balance exist in a

world where we are told we can

have it all? And, at what

expense does ‘having it all’

entail?

It isn’t a new ‘headline’ that women can

have meaningful and growing careers while

juggling the demands of parenting, and

sharing in the running of the household.

But with only 24 hours in a day, is it realistic

to believe that we can excel in our careers,

the time she needs to be reflective,

rested, and strengthened can’t give to

her children, partner and parents what

she herself doesn’t have. In the same

vein, a couple who does not prioritize

their relationship is not a strong unit

that can withstand the ups and downs

that life will inevitably throw at them.

Taking care of oneself and prioritizing

the relationship is also setting a good

example for children as our job is not

to give them the best life but to teach

them how to live.

So, how then do we continue to have

successful careers, be good parents and

partners, and take time to put our own

needs first? Achieving work-life balance

is about recognizing that you can’t do

it all and that is ok. In fact, it’s realistic.

Take the time to prioritize what is most

important to you and schedule your life

around those things.

PAGE

24

be a perfect mother, a perfect partner, and still

look after ourselves; taking the time to truly

nourish our minds and our bodies?

This last part is most often the first thing to be

compromised. In our efforts to seek perfection

in all other aspects of our lives, we sacrifice our

own needs, allowing little time for self-care. For

some women, it’s the relationship with their

partner that gets deprioritized. It is important

to recognize how both can have long-lasting

consequences that are not optimal for the

family unit.

A woman who doesn’t fill her own cup, taking

My personal list of priorities starts with

my health, (both physical and mental)

because, without it, everything else is

challenged and at risk. This is followed

by my relationships, my partner, family

and close friends. My work is very

important to me and so this makes it

into the top three as well.

Once a priority list is set, live by it. If

spending time with friends is more

important to you than a clean kitchen

floor, then invite your gals over despite

the dust bunnies. Do the things you will

remember, value, and cherish when you

are old and grey. For everything else,

commit to settling for imperfection and

get used to saying “I’ll get to it later, or

not”.

Productivity

Over Busyness

How Minerva Saddler Gray is Living Her Best Life

PAGE

25

Minerva Saddler Gray is many things. A Chritian. A

Black woman. A wife. A mother. A business owner.

A social justice advocate.

Minerva co-founded Kuinua Consulting Group, a grant writing and

business strategy firm, after struggling to find job opportunities. “I

experienced a couple of years of precarious employment and

unemployment and grew incredibly weary of being told by recruiters

that I ‘made it to the top 2’ or ‘you’re so qualified but…’ and ‘you’re

over-qualified.’ I possess three university degrees and yet job

opportunities seemed elusive.” After noticing job postings for

consultants, Minerva decided to jump in as an independent

consultant and later launched Kuinua Consulting Group with her

husband in 2020.

Minerva also serves on the board of Youth

Without Shelter, an organization that works

to shelter and support youths who do not

have access to the mental health services

and support networks needed to get out of

homelessness. “As a social justice advocate,

I contend that no one should be without

safe, comfortable, dignified housing - it is a

security to which we are all entitled through

our inherent human rights. As a mom, I

have grown particularly interested in youth

homelessness. The statistics are

heartbreaking.” And the statistics have only

gotten worse with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lack of easily available mental health

services for Black Canadians is an issue

Minerva hopes is improving. “Racism is a

mental health issue because racism causes

trauma.” All forms of racism, whether

race-based violence or systematic, are

detrimental to mental health. “The

connection has always existed through

our lived experiences, however, we did not

always have the words to illuminate our

feelings.” Black Canadians face a number of

obstacles accessing mental health

services, but organizations like Elpizo and

Black Health Alliance are working towards

change.

Minerva credits her grandmother for her

love of community. Watching her

grandmother’s boundless compassion

shaped Minerva from an early age. “If she

encountered anyone on the streets in her

village in St. Kitts and Nevis who didn’t have

something (i.e. shoes, clothes), that person

would not leave her presence lacking.”

With so many projects, how does Minverva

put mental health first? She starts her day

with prayer and daily exercise. By knowing

her own limits and with the help of her

mantra “productivity over busyness”,

Minerva is able to focus on the projects she

is passionate about and let her fears of

missing out drift away.

Youth Without Shelter is working to get 500

youths out of homelessness and into stable

living by 2024.

PAGE

26

To help Youth Without

Shelter, make a donation,

or learn about volunteer

opportunities, contact

akemp@yws.on.ca.

Feeling Blue

Understanding Depression

PAGE

27

By Bibiana Law

Do you feel down? Are you

having trouble sleeping?

Have you lost your

appetite? Your answer may

be yes to all of the above,

but does that mean you have depression?

Maybe, maybe not. Depression has been

so overused in society over the years that

we may easily describe what we are

feeling as depression. Events or situations

are constantly occurring in our lives, and

our minds are constantly interpreting

these situations, resulting in changes in

our emotions. Sometimes we may feel

sad and upset but most of the time, these

emotions go away over a little time. So,

what is depression? What does it mean to

be diagnosed with depression?

Depression (also known as major depressive

disorder) is a common and serious medical illness

that can affect how you think, the way you feel,

and how you behave. The American Psychiatric

Association released this data in 2013 that

highlights some common symptoms of

depression.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), for a

diagnosis of major depressive disorder, five (or

more) of the symptoms must last at least two

weeks and must represent a change in your

previous level of functioning with at least one of

the symptoms as either (1) depressed mood or

(2) loss of interest or pleasure and not attributed

to another medical condition.

Major depression is the leading cause of

disease burden in women worldwide.

In Canada, the female to male ratio

prevalence of major depression is 1.6:1 (5.8%

in women and 3.6% in men) (Albert, 2015).

There are multiple socioeconomic, biological,

and psychological factors that may be associated

with the high prevalence of depression

in women. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Socioeconomic factors such as

gender-specific risks (social expectation

on gender-based roles), socioeconomic

disadvantage (low income and income

inequality), and gender biases in

seeking help and treatment for

psychological disorders (World Health

Organization, 2021).

• Psychological factors such as gender

stereotypes regarding proneness to

emotional problems in women,

pressures created by women’s

multiple roles, unremitting

responsibility for the care of others, and

a higher risk of post-traumatic stress

from a higher prevalence of domestic

and sexual abuse and violence in

women, (World Health Organization,

2021).

• Biological factors such as triggers

associated with experiencing

specific forms of depression-related

illness linked with changes in ovarian

hormone levels (for example,

premenstrual dysphoric disorder,

post-partum depression,

postmenopausal depression) (Albert,

2015).

When experiencing depression, one may feel

that depression has overtaken their lives and

has become them. But on the contrary,

depression does not define you. For example,

when you have a cold, you are not the cold;

similarly, when you have depression, you are

not depression. It is best to speak to your

doctor and/or seek professional help if you

think you have depression. A combination

of psychotherapy and medication has been

found to be the most effective treatment for

depression (Silbrandij, Koole, Andersson,

Beekman, & Reynolds, 2014).

PAGE

28

The Journey of

By: Samantha Campbell, RP (Qualifying)

Resilience

Life has truly been a journey for me.

A journey that gave me many reasons to

just give up and not care. A journey of pain,

distress, confusion, and sadness. I can go

on and on about the unfortunate situations

of my journey, but I will not be doing much

justice to my life’s story. The truth is, despite the

hardship that I have endured during my life’s journey, it

has strengthened me and allowed me to see that I am

blessed, and I am called for a purpose.

When God impresses you to do something, you must

stay focused and push through with his guidance to

ensure that his plans are completed. It appeared that

there was a plan for me to not continue in life and pursue

my dreams. However, in all that I have been through and

still go through, I never lost my praise

and that’s what kept me through with

the grace of God. Throughout my life,

I have been comforted with these two

scriptures below:

“But he knows the way that I take; when

he has tested me, I will come forth as

gold.”- Job 23:10 (NIV) “Being confident

of this, that he who began a good work

in you will carry it on to completion until

the day of Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 1:6

(NIV).

“We are hard-pressed on

every side, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not

abandoned; struck down,

but not destroyed.”

2Corinthians4:8-9 (NIV)

In my low moments, even when I tried

to give up it didn’t work because there

was that sense of guilt that made me

feel that they were selfish thoughts.

Therefore, in my uncomfortable state, there

was always that urge to turn my negative

situations into something positive to make

a difference. Each time I try to press

forward, there was always something that

presented itself as a setback. However,

Jesus revealed to me my “why”. I talk more

about my ‘why me’ moment in my book

“Our Life’s Journey: The Past, The Present,

The Future.”

PAGE

30

“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not

crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned; struck

down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-

9 (NIV)

I was inspired to write a book because of

the encouragement of my husband and the

spiritual confirmation of the Lord. Writing

was a form of therapy for me, and it was my

way of telling my testimony. In addition,

writing was a form of self-care.

For me to become resilient, I had to learn to slow down and practice self-care.

As a result, I learned more about myself and I was able to appreciate my life journey better. Thanks to

my supervisor Elvis Baah-Gyebi, I now appreciate the importance of self-care and valuing myself first. As

I got to know myself better, I am now more equipped to be a Psychotherapist, and be able to own my

talents.

Sometimes one must have a clear vision of where they are going for there to be some form of

motivation to press on. I have turned my ‘why me?’ to ‘why not me?’ I have learned how to identify,

affirm, and express how I feel. I struggled with confidence, hiding behind my talents not embracing what

I can do. However, by practicing self-affirmation and accepting genuine compliments, my confidence

increased.

Throughout my life’s journey, I was always reminded that my life is not my own and I don’t live for myself

only but for others around me. In other words, every decision I make in life has either a negative or a

positive consequence or impact. Therefore, I want my life to be meaningful, and I want to share my story

to encourage others. As a Psychotherapist (RPQ), I am better able to relate with my clients because I have

gone through certain experiences that allow me to share my lessons with others.

As a result, I learned more about myself and I was able to appreciate my life journey better. Thanks to my

supervisor Elvis Baah-Gyebi, I now appreciate the importance of self-care and valuing myself first. As I got to

know myself better, I am now more equipped to be a Psychotherapist, and be able to own my talents.

Sometimes one must have a clear vision of where they are going for there to be some form of motivation

to press on. I have turned my ‘why me?’ to ‘why not me?’ I have leant how to identify, affirm, and express

how I feel. I struggled with confidence, hiding behind my talents not embracing what I can do. However,

by practicing self-affirmation and accepting genuine compliments, my confidence increased.

Throughout my life’s journey, I was always reminded that my life is not my own and I don’t live for myself

only but for others around me. In other words, every decision I make in life has either a negative or a

positive consequence or impact. Therefore, I want my life to be meaningful, and I want to share my story

to encourage others. As a Psychotherapist (RPQ), I am better able to relate with my clients because I have

gone through certain experiences that allow me to share my lessons with others

The Movement for

Mental Health

The Susan Jackson Story

PAGE

32

Susan Jackson is a

Mental Health

Advocate, CanfitPro

Certified Personal

Trainer, Zumba

Certified, and Schwinn

Certified Spin instructor who

founded Island SWEAT

FITNESS Inc, an online, mental

health, Caribbean fitness gym

in 2020. Built on the principle

that positive movements

create positive emotions,

Island SWEAT FITNESS is an

outlet for herself and others

facing mental health

challenges. All classes are to

the sounds of the

Caribbean and focus on

creating an inclusive space

where people of any size and

fitness experience are able to

move, elevate their mood,

refresh their minds and

release any energy that serves

them “no good”.

As a Mental Health

Advocate, Susan uses the

voice and community given

to her through her own

fitness journey, to help

empower others to use

movement as a means of

self-care, empowerment, and

as a celebration of life; and

not just about weight.

In honour of Women’s History

Month, our co-founder Ruth

PAGE

33

Baah-Gyebi sat down with Susan to talk

about her mental health journey and the

road to Island SWEAT FITNESS. We feel

everyone can benefit from hearing about

Susan’s story and all that she has to offer

when it comes to exercising for mental

health benefits. From her inspiring

personal testimony to the inner workings

of her unique community she built Island

SWEAT FITNESS, this interview is nothing

short of inspiring.

The Beginning of Susan’s Journey

Susan Jackson is of Caribbean and

Trinidad descent but was born and raised

in Jamaica. She moved to Canada thirteen

years ago. Like many Caribbean women,

she was outgoing and loud, but in her

teens she struggled significantly with her

mental health. At that time, mental health

issues were not widely talked about, and

stigmas were heavily perpetuated in her

Caribbean culture. Susan was diagnosed

with depression and anxiety at age

fourteen, but never really understood the

extent of what that meant for a long time

due to the cultural stigmas and negative

permutations of mental health. Due to the

lack of knowledge and resources, Susan

subconsciously equated her mental health

struggles with her personality at a young

age. Not a lot of people understood how

she had issues with mental health because

she excelled in school, was very high

functioning and had an extroverted

personality. That alone just goes to show

how much she faced when battling with

her mental health journey, and how the

stigma of these issues caused a lot of

problems with her identity.

Susan’s mental health suffered another big toll

when she came to Canada. Dealing with being

separated from her husband, adjusting to a new

life in a new country, struggling as an immigrant

and wanting to fit in but not lose her Caribbean

identity and heritage was a lot to deal with, all

at once. On top of these new struggles, she also

lost her father in 2016, which is where she felt

she had hit rock bottom. As her mental health

spiraled, she returned home for her father’s

funeral. During this mourning period, Susan

reflected on how her father would have wanted

her to be happy and live her life to the absolute

fullest. His death completely changed her

perspective and mental health journey. Once

she came to this realization, she made the

decision to make lasting changes and unpack

everything she had been struggling with.

Susan quickly realized the power and strength

she had when it came to being in control of

her mental health and wellbeing. She started

her journey in a very introspective way, with

a primary focus on weight loss. While she saw

great results and felt it was working, in 2018

she suffered from PTSD after experiencing three

miscarriages. This PTSD journey forced her to

redirect her outlook on exercise, overall health

and equating it to her happiness. By taking

charge and control of the negativity she was

experiencing and refocusing it into positive and

intentional moments for pure happiness, Susan

was able to become a much better

version of herself in a whole new way. She

became more vocal about her mental health,

myths on mental illness, and learnt to prioritize

her needs by setting healthy boundaries. Susan

took her health and wellbeing to a whole new

level with her new intentional movement and

happiness focused regime.

Island SWEAT FITNESS: The Birth

When Susan started her weight loss

journey she was intimidated to go to the

gym. As she started to lose weight she felt

more comfortable and confident, which

led her to get a personal trainer. She had

felt all the positive changes from goal

focused exercises and got comfortable

with the gym, but when she went through

her three miscarriages in 2018 that all

changed. This created a sense of

powerlessness in her mental health, and it

made her rethink her entire mindset when

it came to exercises and weight loss goals.

She just needed to feel good again, and

that meant becoming strong and c

onfident in a whole new way.

At this time, she also had a lot of injuries

that impacted the types of workouts she

was able to do. What ultimately made her

feel her best was doing Caribbean music

workouts that resonated with her culture,

that felt like a party. This gave her

exercises a whole new meaning of

happiness, fun, celebration and

motivation to do something that made

her feel good, strong and confident rather

than intensely goal oriented. Susan shared

that her workouts put her mental health

back on a health path which made her feel

better. The realization dawned on her that

though she couldn’t control a lot of the

things around her, she could take

responsibility on how she moved her

body.

Out of her keep fit journey, Susan came up with

the concept for Island SWEAT FITNESS. She had

originally pitched the idea in 2018 to her friends

and people in the fitness industry, but they

thought she was crazy for making a gym

business that was not focused on weight loss

goals. However, once the pandemic hit in 2020,

people began asking if she was ever planning

on opening her body positive, pro mental

health and wellness focused gym. What was

once not considered marketable, became a

huge demand for those in Susan’s community

and many others around the world also

experiencing negative impacts due to the

pandemic. After seeing how isolation was

negatively impacting people’s mental health

and overall wellness, it was ultimately the

pandemic and her friends that pushed her to

begin Island SWEAT FITNESS.

Despite seeing the major risks of opening a

business in the midst of a pandemic, Susan did

something for the greater good and community

by trial running her online gym and programs

with her friends, and then officially opened on

World Mental Health Day 2020. The journey has

had its highs and lows, but ultimately the

benefits have been immeasurable. While her

gym is still evolving, her main priority is to help

others, change the narrative around exercise

for mental health and it’s benefits for more than

just pure weight loss. Susan has created

something fun that truly mimics a party

experience in the form of exercise and she

profusely thanks her friends and team who have

come alongside her to realize her dream.

PAGE

34

You can read the rest of Susan’s story on our blog at

www.elpizocounselling.com

Mind Over Matter

By: Yvonne Rodney

You may have heard the story about the man who

thought he was at the end of everything. All he

had left to eat was one lone banana. Feeling

utterly hopeless he decided to climb a tree, eat his

banana, and wait to die. So he ate the banana in

measured bites and when he had eaten it all he

dejectedly dropped the peel to the ground and

prepared himself to wait for death.

Something made him look down. There under the

tree, he saw a poor beggar who eagerly picked up

the discarded banana peel and ate it with great

relish. The man climbed down from the tree and

decided that he was not doing so badly off after

all.

Choose Positivity

Sometimes we just have to program our minds

to act differently than what our circumstances

dictate. Despite our feeling of depression, we

can choose to act joyful. Despite the low-paying

job, we can be thankful we have a job. This does

not mean that we should passively acquiesce to

what life dishes out without trying to improve our

circumstances. It means that we can choose to be

positive.

What can we do when life gives us a half-empty

glass? We can choose to see it as half-full. Our

mind is a powerful thing. We can sometimes tell it

to keep us walking despite a broken leg. We can

tell it we are strong enough to lift a refrigerator

despite our puny arms because our beloved child

lies beneath it. We can tell it we are not nervous

despite the shaking in our knees when we have

to speak in public, and it will listen and quell the

tremors of fear that rattle us.

Mind over Matter

Faith is, to a certain extent, mind over matter. It is the substance of

things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. This is more than a

self-fulfilling prophecy. There are times when God is as real as the nose

on our faces. There are other times when He seems distant and silent.

For those times, we need to believe anyway. God is there whether or

not we can feel him, see him, touch him, hear him or smell him.

It is far easier to exercise faith during the times of God’s silence if

we’ve had a personal relationship with him - one that has stood the

test of time and proven reliable.

Hold on

Just as sometimes we can hardly see the tremor of the leaf to let us

know that the wind still blows, so it is at times with God. Forget

focusing on the wind.

There is Someone telling the sun where to stand in orbit. That same

Someone is right now telling the ocean to only come so far. That same

Someone keeps our hearts beating and he will see us through. Focus

your mind away from your negative situation and you will find God –

still holding up the world.

PAGE

36

Yvonne Rodney works as a career and personal development consultant

at Inner Change Consulting (innerchangeconsulting.com) and Jewish

Vocational Services. She is also an author, public speaker, playwright,

theatrical director and many other life roles and has presented

extensively at conferences and events on topics of personal/professional

development and spirituality.

Tips to cultivate a positive body

Image in Your Daughter

PAGE

37

Approximately one-third of

Canadian girls report body

dissatisfaction by age 14.

A variety of factors can

impact an individual’s

confidence with their appearance,

regardless of their age. However, as a

parent, it is natural to wonder what you

can do to increase your daughter’s

confidence in her body-image. Below are

four tips to foster your daughter’s

confidence with her body.

Tip 1: Be a role-model

Children and teenagers are observant

and impressionable. The way you speak

about your own body could leave

lasting impacts on your daughter.

Reflect on how you speak about your

own body around your daughter. From

complaining about the bags under your

eyes to being critical of yourself for

gaining weight, these negative

comments set the example to engage

in self-criticism towards appearance. As

a parent, you are still a human, and so it

can be challenging to switch from a

negative mindset to a positive one.

However, being the role-model of

positive body-talk will set the stage for

your daughter to begin to do the same.

B y : K a y l a Q u i n n

Tip 2: Educate

You may know that the visuals of females

we see in the media are manipulated and

are often far from realistic. However, this

may not be obvious to your daughter.

Teach your daughter about the unrealistic

beauty ideals the media industry creates.

Highlight to her the different avenues that

we engage with these beauty ideals; from

magazines to movies to commercials. Show

her that social media promotes beauty

ideals in many ways, such as easy access to

“filters” to edit our own photos. Simply put,

when it comes to the topic of the media’s

role with beauty standards, knowledge is

power, and your daughters have the right

to this power.

Tip 3: Thank the human body

We live in a culture so hyper-fixated on

appearance, it can be easy to forget the

true purpose of our bodies. Our bodies are

the containers of our human experience.

Our bodies allow us to experience life.

Remind your daughter of the functions and

purposes of those body parts that she is

self-conscious of. Give your daughter the

opportunity to acknowledge the important

role these body parts take on. Encourage

your daughter to thank those body parts

for doing their jobs so that she can

experience life in its fullest form.

Tip 4: Speak positively and speak

beyond appearances

Our words hold power. Criticisms have the

potential to lower your daughter’s

self-confidence. This is why it is

important to focus on positives when

speaking to your daughter about her

appearance. However, putting a high

amount of focus on your daughter’s

physical appearance, even if the focus is

positive, is still placing body-image on a

pedestal. As a result, this could encourage

worry about maintaining beauty standards.

Instead, make a point of focusing on your

daughter’s positive qualities and strengths.

This shift in focus from appearance to

qualities can remove some of the pressure

your daughter feels towards her self-image

while promoting the mentality that her

character is far more important than her

body.

The hope behind these tips is to create

space for your daughter’s confidence with

her body-image to grow. Concern around

physical appearance is not unusual for girls.

With this being said, if you are worried

that your daughter’s self-image concerns

are linked to mental health issues, you can

speak to a mental health professional for

further guidance.

Contact vs

Connection

By: Ruth Baah-Gyebi

PAGE

40

Someone posted a story

that demonstrates the

difference between

Contact and Connection

and I felt it was too good

not to share. In the story, a

young professor is interviewing

an old teacher and it went like

this:

Young Professor: Sir, in your

last lecture, you told us about

“Contact” and “Connection.”

Can you elaborate on that?

Old Teacher: (smiled and

seemingly deviating from the

question asked the young

professor) Are you from this

city?

Young Professor: Yeah...

Old Teacher: Who is there at

home?

The professor felt that the teacher

was trying to avoid answering his

question since this was a very

personal and unwarranted

question.

Young Professor: My mum has

passed away; my father lives

alone at home. I have three

brothers and one sister. All my

siblings are married.

Old Teacher: (with a smile on

his face) “Do you speak to your

father?”

The young professor looked visibly

annoyed...

Old Teacher: When did you talk

to him last?

Young Professor: (suppressing

his annoyance said), About a

month ago.

Old Teacher: Do your brothers

and sister meet often? When did

you last meet as a family?

At this point, sweat appeared on

the forehead of the young

professor. It seemed like the

roles had been reversed and the

old teacher was rather now

interviewing the young

professor.

Young Professor (with a sigh):

We met two years ago at Eid.

Old Teacher: How many days did

you all stay together?

Young Professor: Three days...

Old Teacher: “How much time

did you spend with your

Father, sitting right beside him?”

The young professor looking

perplexed and embarrassed and

started scribbling

something on a paper...

Old Teacher: “Did you have

breakfast, lunch or dinner

together? Did you ask how he

was? Did you ask how he was

doing or what he had been

doing since the passing of his

wife, your mother?

Drops of tears started to flow

from the eyes of the young

professor.

Old Teacher: (holding the hand

of the young professor): Don’t be

embarrassed, upset or sad. I am

sorry if I have hurt you

unknowingly...but this is

basically the answer to your

question regarding the

difference between Contact and

Connection:

You have ‘Contact’ with your

father but you don’t have ‘

Connection’ with him. You are

not connected to him.

Connection is between heart

and heart...sitting together,

sharing meals and caring for

each other, touching, shaking

hands, having eye contact,

spending some time

together...all your siblings have

‘Contact’ but no ‘Connection’

with each other.

The young professor wiped his

eyes and said: “Thanks Sir for

teaching me a fine and

unforgettable lesson.”

This simple story resonated with

me; I believe the above story

reflects most of our

reality today, in the age of technology,

lockdown, social media

etc. We have lots of contacts

on our phone, on our social

media accounts, we receive

“likes” on our social media posts

from “friends” we have or have

made along the way, we receive

WhatsApp morning messages,

TikToc videos, etc. but the real

question is “how well do you

know these “friends”? How

often do you pick up the phone

to have “real-time”, “live” conversations?

Social media presents a face of

“wellness”, “good living”,

“beauty”, “enviable life”,

“laughter”, “happiness”, “fun” etc. I

have seen many of these

seemingly happy posts only to

discover later that these same

posts from friends are a façade

to mask real pain and suffering.

As we enter into the Spring

season, it will bring new life, new

colours, new smells, vibrancy,

energy, more interactions and

preparations for summer fun. I

suggest that we use this time

to really connect with our loved

ones, especially as the lockdown

eases up. Spend quality time

with children, go to the park and

watch children play, hear the

laughter, look into the eyes of

loved ones and ask them how

they are doing, and take the time

to listen.

Everybody is busy in his or her

own world but I urge you to be

intentional with one another,

let’s not only have Contacts but

let’s stay and remain Connected.

The above story was adopted

and adapted from an original

post on FaceBook. The author is

unknown.

Elpizo’s Chief Executive Officer

Shares Her Story

PAGE

42

From

Trauma to

Wholeness

PAGE

43

Ruth Baah-Gyebi is

a resilient, brave,

dynamic, inspiring

and incredibly

hard-working leader

in the community. She is a

survivor of childhood sexual

abuse/trauma, an

advocator, an educator, a

registered psychotherapist,

a wife and a mother; a truly

astounding achievement. As

the Chief Executive Officer and

renowned therapist at Elpizo

Counselling Services, Ruth’s

story is a phenomenal journey

through her childhood, unique

family life, spiritual journey,

career path, marriage,

parenting style and a truly

honest discussion of what it

was like coming to terms with

her trauma and abusive

experiences.

In the Beginning

Ruth was born in Ghana, West

Africa. Her father’s position as

a Pastor specializing in

Missionary work took them to

various countries at a young

age. They eventually settled

in the U.K. when she was ten

years old. With four brothers

and being the only girl, her

childhood was definitely a

busy one. She recalls doing

chores, errands and taking on

housekeeping responsibilities

at a very early age. Ruth was

named after a grandparent

and so out of respect, she is

called “Maame-Chii”

meaning junior mother in

honour of the grandmother

she was named after. With

one older brother and three

younger ones, she naturally fit

the role of Maame-Chii caring

for the family.

Family Life

Ruth and her four brothers

were raised in quite a unique

way. She recalls this intense

family morning regime and

routine that their father made

them practice essentially every

day. It all started by waking

up at 5 a.m. to do exercises

led by her father, drinking

water, morning devotion for

about one-hour, strict English

lessons of diction, grammar,

Shakespeare, etc. before going

off to school. Her father was

definitely built for the military

and academia, he was a firm

believer in the importance of

spirituality, morality, etiquette,

education and proper use of

the English language. While

this daily routine was intense

to say the least, as an adult she

appreciates how this helped to

shape her and created a close

bond between her and her

siblings in ways where they

can laugh about it today. Her

unique family life and

childhood set up a lot of the

resilient qualities and thirst for

the education she emulates in

her personal life and work.

A Walk of Faith

Ruth has been involved with

church her whole life. Her spiritual

journey has shaped her

into the brilliant and

courageous woman she is today.

Coming from a traditional

African family and also being

the only girl, she was very

protected even to the point of

being chaperoned, so church

became her sanctuary. She

was involved in many activities

at church, such as being in the

choir, teaching bible classes,

Pathfinders (similar to boys/

girls’ scouts) and youth

ministry. Ruth describes

church as her social outlet

growing up.

The Path To Counselling

From a young age Ruth was

always curious about child

psychology. Even when she

did not know what a

psychologist did exactly, she

was very interested in understanding

the minds of children

and their behaviours. She was

constantly reading and

studying, her father wanted

her to pursue a career in law,

which was not Ruth’s first

choice. As a compromise, she

studied Social Sciences for her

first degree and majored in

Law.

Her first “proper job” was

working at a Non-Profit

Mentoring organization,

supporting young offenders in

prison, kids at risk of offending,

and sourcing mentors for these

young people. Her role at church

as a Youth Leader continued

and it was in this capacity her

true calling became obvious.

At the time, Ruth befriended a

young person who was able to

confide in her and told her that

she had been raped by a close

family friend. He told her that he

would kill her whole family if she

disclosed this to anyone. At the

time of her encounter with Ruth,

the young girl had planned to

kill herself instead. This was a

pivotal moment for Ruth, and

by reaching out to a pastor, they

were directed to a great

therapist.

That same therapist told Ruth

she had a real knack for the

therapy profession. This moment

not only inspired her career

today but allowed her to fully

tap into her past and come to

terms with her own trauma she

had unknowingly suppressed for

years. Though the journey has

been difficult, Ruth stands the

test of time when it comes to

strength, honesty, courage and

sharing her knowledge in

empowering ways.

PAGE

44

The Trauma of it All

Once Ruth began her studies in

counselling it created a whole

new world, awareness, and

enlightenment in the field of

PAGE

45

psychotherapy. She became

an academic sponge soaking

in as much knowledge as she

could which in turn led her to

greater consciousness about

the topics of abuse and trauma.

Ruth came to understand her

depressive phase when helping

the young girl, she later

understood that she was being

unconsciously triggered.

As knowledge increased for

her, repressed memories starting

surfacing, she thought she

was making it up, or imagining

it in her mind with all the

new

knowledge she was

obtaining, but really, she had

forced herself to forget about

the terrible experiences that

no one else knew about. Once

these images and

memories resurfaced, Ruth

confided in the same

pastor she had spoken to

when helping the young girl.

Ruth began the therapeutic

journey to healing, where she

found herself being

confronted by her traumatic

past. She remembers it

starting as early as two years

old, but she felt silenced with

what she calls her “bloody

bath”, where she was beaten

for “supposedly doing

something wrong”

unbeknown to her. Between

the ages of 2 -17 years, Ruth

experienced copious amounts

of sexual abuse and assault

which culminated in being

raped at age 17 by

various family friends, some of

whom are pastors today. The

repercussions and impacts of

the abuse came later in life,

like being triggered during

her first-born child’s birth

(again unbeknown to her at

the time). It was hard for her

to believe and

understand the extent to

what she had gone through,

but she was finally able to put

aside the doubts she had and

confront them with the help

of therapy.

The Journey to Healing

Ruth relied on the support of

her husband, Elvis, who

became her mouthpiece

when it came to the

beginning of narrating her

story. She was encouraged

and asked to speak at a

conference and share her story,

by the fourth person who

knew about her

traumatic past. Until then,

only the pastor, her husband

and two others knew, and she

felt she had to first disclose it

to her family before speaking

at the conference.

She wasn’t ready to tell her

story for herself at the time,

so her husband shared it with

her family for her, and this was

a very huge moment for Ruth,

even if she wasn’t the one

speaking. After Ruth spoke at

the conference, she was empowered

and strengthened to

become an advocate for justice,

an educator and a trainer

in all things abuse.

This too helped her become

an effective, compassionate

and strong psychotherapist

for her own clients. It was a

huge healing to finally

acknowledge and understand

parts of her life which

included silently

experiencing things like

depression, fear, timidity,

distrust of others, fear of

touch and having suicidal

thoughts.

As a parent herself now to a

daughter and two sons of her

own, Ruth and her

husband’s intentional

approach to parenting hold a

high value for them. Ruth

began speaking to her

children from 2 years old,

about their sexual organs,

teaching them about abuse

and teaching them to say “No”

when appropriate. They knew

from an early age when things

were not “right”, they knew

about good and bad touch,

they knew they could come to

their parents about anything

and most of all they knew not

to keep secrets. Interestingly,

it was later that Ruth realized

that teaching her children at 2

years old, fit into the timeframe

when the sexual abuse began for

her.

Ruth also makes an effort to get

to know her children so she can

look for the signs and changes in

them. By creating an open and

honest relationship with her

children, she hoped that they

would feel comfortable talking

to her or their father about

anything in a safe and loving

environment. This was one of her

main goals in raising her children

and thankfully, she has

succeeded in that regard.

Finding Forgiveness

Around 2007/2008, Ruth finally

received validation when one of

her perpetrators confirmed and

confessed what they had done

to her. Ruth recalls it feeling like

a huge load lifted to finally

receive confirmation that the

images and recollections she had

always battled with were real.

She cried and rejoiced

knowing she was not out of her

mind. She learnt to forgive herself

and offer forgiveness. Out of

the plethora of abusers, only two

of the perpetrators have

accepted and acknowledged

their wrongdoing. Some people

who experience sexual abuse

may never get the ability to

receive the confession or

apology and learn to forgive in

the way that Ruth did.

According to Ruth, it’s what the

path to healing looks like for the

individual that matters most,

with or without forgiveness. Her

best counsel for abuse/trauma

victims is to seek therapy and

find the format that works best

for you. She struggled with

therapy at the beginning of her

journey, but it’s the everyday

work that plays the biggest part

in the healing process.

Ruth shared that her sexual

abuse, strict and restrictive

upbringing, tumultuous teens,

many broken promises and

disappointments affected her in

ways that impacted her

self-confidence and her

personality. She had extreme

self-doubt and the belief that no

one would ever love her until she

met her husband, Elvis.

Building and developing Elpizo

Counselling Services with her

husband to what it is today has

itself been a therapeutic journey

for her. Even though her

experiences had impacted her in

many ways, the important thing

is how she was able to

rediscover herself, she explains

that she embraced the promise

of Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV version)

which says “For I know the plans I

have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not

to harm you, plans to give you

hope and a future”, and live the

life that God intended for her.

Ruth has since accomplished

much including completing a

Masters in Counselling and c

ontributing to academia through

her research dissertation entitled

“The Holy Hush: How has the

culture of silence influenced

the way sexual abuse has been

responded to in the Seventh-day

Adventist Church?

Ruth believes the sky is too close

to be the limit and claims the

biblical verse from Philippines

4:13 that says “I can do all this

through Christ who gives me

strength”.

Ruth Baah-Gyebi has a story unlike

any other. Through her faith,

therapy, supportive and understanding

husband,

children, and friends, she tapped

into a resilient career that has led

her to tremendous success.

Every day she heals! Whether

she’s sharing her story,

presenting, counselling, sharing

knowledge or listening, Ruth is

the epitome of resilience,

bravery and inspiration.

By: Ruth Baah-Gyebi

PAGE

48

Understanding

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse or sexual assault is any form of non-consensual sexual contact. Sexual

abuse is a violation of human rights that can leave lifelong scars if therapeutic

interventions are not sought. It is an epidemic that occurs every 98 seconds (RAINN

2018). Statistics Canada (2014), reports that one in three females and one in six males

are sexually abused before the age of 18 and 80% of all child abusers are the father,

foster father, stepfather or another relative or close family friend of the victim. It happens to

people of all ages, gender, religion, culture, social or economic statuses. Even with these

harrowing statistics, cases are underreported and may not be disclosed at first due to their

secretive and hidden nature. Other reasons for the underreporting also include fear, shame, guilt

and stigma of sexual victimization.

Sexual Abuse can include:

• Inappropriate touching

• Unwanted sexual kissing, fondling,

exposure of genitalia

• Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration

• Sexual intercourse that you do not agree

to or rape

• Attempted rape

• Exposure of child to pornography

• Saying sexually suggestive statements

towards a child (child molestation)

• Incest

The phenomenon of sexual abuse is not

foreign to our society today, including religious

organizations. According to Pew

Research Center (2015), Christians are the

largest religious group in the world and sexual

abuse is prevalent in many religious

institutions, including Baptist, Mormon,

Hindu, Jehovah’s Witness and Seventh-day

Adventist (Fain and Fain 2006). Churches are

susceptible and more vulnerable for abuse

to take place because of the way they are set

up and the belief that everyone is welcome

to receive salvation ideology. It is, therefore, a

good place to attract sexual predators

(Sullivan and Beech 2004).

The #MeToo Movement gained momentum in

the media and amongst followers, focused on

the fight against sexual abuse and

harassment. Much of the disclosures captured

in the media have been by celebrities, people

in influential positions and people of power

(Prois & Moreno 2018), whilst this may be so,

they have empowered ordinary citizens to

speak up.

Secrecy and perceived threats are often some

reasons that keep sexual abuse perpetuating.

For parents, some subtle signs to look out for

include but are not limited to:

• Frequent sore throats or urinary

infections

• Constant sadness

• Re-enactment of abuse using dolls,

drawings, or friends

• Clinging

• Thumb-sucking

• Sudden fear of the dark

• Behaviour extremism-aggressiveness or

withdrawal

• Recurrent nightmares or disturbed sleep

patterns

• Loss of appetite for no apparent reason,

or excessive appetite

• Bedwetting

• Avoidance of undressing or wearing

extra layers of clothes

• Abrupt decline in school performance

Sexual abuse leaves scars and several factors

affect resilience. Some effects include and

again are not limited to:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Guilt

• Fear – of the opposite sex

• Sexual dysfunction – and inappropriate

sexual behaviour

• Withdrawal

• Suicide

• Alcoholism or drug abuse

Girls and boys are affected differently by

abuse. Compared to boys, girls are more likely

to internalize their response to violence, and

experience, for example, suicidal ideation,

eating disorders, low self-esteem and

psychological disorders. Boys are more

likely to externalize their response to violence,

displaying, for example, increased aggression,

delinquency and spousal abuse.

If you or someone you know may have

experienced childhood sexual abuse or any

form of abuse, please seek help with a

professional therapist. Elpizo Counselling

Services provides counselling for all forms of

abuse.

Domestic Violence in the

Indo-Canadian Women

Immigrant Population

In the 2016 census, out of the 1.2 million

recent immigrants, 147,190 were Asian Indians.

Most Indo-Canadian Immigrant women

(ICIW) try to hold on to the

ancestral culture and the culture of the

country of immigration; there are times when

they see conflict and feel isolated. The culture

among Asian Indians is collectivist. It involves

respecting the elders, caring for each other,

decisions made as families, and values that

revolve around group objectives and avoiding

shame. Immigrating to a country like Canada

can be a liberating experience in the real sense

where individual autonomy is valued, or it

could be a culture shock.

Research reveals that domestic violence is

alarming in Canada among Indo Canadians.

Though they work outside the home, the

women still go through abuse at home like

it used to be in India. Research indicates that

ICIW is at a higher risk for intimate partner

violence. After delaying a lot because of social

stigma, gender roles, isolation after migration,

lack of social support, and unawareness about

available resources, women seek help.

Domestic violence among ICIW is kept

secretive. Families do not support women

coming forthright with it; the patriarchal beliefs

among Asian Indians are so strong that

women often do not recognize domestic violence.

With their beliefs from the South Asian

culture, the immigrant women are used to

accepting male dominance and male partner

power. If the women take the courage to talk

By: Malathy Praveen

PAGE

50

PAGE

51

about violence or abuse in their homes, they

are shamed for bringing disgrace to their

families. Some of the ICIW defended their

husbands for their abuses and shared that

they never disagreed with their husbands.

With the egalitarian culture in the western

world, educating the ICIW can lower

women who suffer abuse from their partner.

Social support can help immigrant women

develop coping strategies. Acculturation to

the country of immigration also may aid in

learning skills to deal with an abusive

partner and understand that they don’t

have to carry on with the cultural belief that

is hurting them.

The main cause of domestic violence among

Indo Canadians is the immigration-related

reasons that socially isolate them from their

family and friends. Psychoeducation,

creating awareness about domestic violence

and its impact on individuals and

family, integrating them into society

through various programs for

empowerment are ways the therapists,

government, and social organizations can

help lower Indo-Canadian immigrant

women going through abusive

relationships.

Let’s Take an Anti-stigma

STANCE

PAGE

52

Mental health and

mental illness are

surrounded by stigma.

It can be subtle

or blatant, systemic

or individual, intended or born of

ignorance. Either way, it is

damaging. It is already difficult

living with a mental illness without

having to experience discrimination

and shame on top of it.

Stigma is a negative attitude connected

to a characteristic of an

individual seen as deficient, that is

experienced as social

By: Sue Neild

PAGE

53

disapproval and leads to

discrimination and exclusion

(American Psychological Association,

2015). From in-patient psychiatry

being left behind or hidden in the

basement (see Structural stigma: The

health-care crisis hiding in plain sight

by the Mental Health Commission

of Canada, 2021), to experiencing

homelessness from an unlivable

disability income and housing

discrimination, stigma interferes with

all areas of life.

How can we help? The following

suggestions can help to address

the stigma associated with mental

health/mental illness:

• Educate yourself and share your

knowledge with others to dispel

myths.

• Intervene when you hear

people making jokes and inappropriate

comments and

provide education or remind

them of the role they are

playing in the ongoing

stigmatization.

• Make (truthful) positive

statements about people

experiencing mental illness.

• Do not identify the individual

by their diagnosis: a person with

schizophrenia is not ‘a

schizophrenic’.

• Join or support local and

national initiatives and

committees that are working on

eliminating stigma.

• And if you need help?

• Reach out and don’t be

ashamed of needing help. If

this pandemic has shown us

anything, it is the importance of

mental health in our lives.

• Famous Women with Mental

Illnesses: Carrie Fisher, Margaret

Trudeau, Kristen Bell, Hayden

Panettiere, Ellen Degeneres, J. K.

Rowling, Demi Lovato, Angelina

Jolie, Mariah Carey, Jane Pauley,

Zelda Fitzgerald

Resources:

Crisis Service Canada Canada Suicide

Prevention Service | Crisis Services

Canada

Canadian Mental Health Association

(CMHA) Home - CMHA National

National Institute for Mental Health

(NIH) NIMH » Home (nih.gov)

Mental health in

Pregnancy and postpartum

a Canadian perspective

Pregnancy…

Just thinking about it evokes emotion from most women.

Positive emotions, negative emotions, indifference and

everything in between. Bringing forth new life is

something women have been doing from time

immemorial. Over the years, the way society views

pregnancy has changed quite dramatically. No longer do

we see pregnancy as a normal and healthy part of life; in

fact, it is quite the opposite.

Today we over-medicalize pregnancy and treat it like a

health condition that needs to be managed. Since 1985,

the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the global

healthcare community at large, have considered the ideal

rate for c-sections to be between 10-15%. The rationale for

this being that c-section rates higher than 10% are not associated

with reductions in maternal and newborn mortality

rates. A 2019 study by Gu et al. examining all in-hospital

births in Canada (outside Quebec) showed that 29.1% of

By: Alison Mclean

286,201 women had

c-sections. The study found that there

were large variations in c-section rates

across provinces and within different

hospitals in the same province.

Another Canadian study found that 2

out of 5 women who had a c-section

felt pressured to agree to surgery and

that 1 in 2 women felt pressured to

accept an induction (Vedam et al.

2018). This would imply that perhaps

c-sections and inductions are being

used in situations where they are not

medically indicated and as a result,

more women are experiencing births

that are over medicalized which is

reducing their sense of autonomy and

empowerment during childbirth.

In Canada, most women have access to

several prenatal appointments.

According to the Maternity Experiences

Survey, the average number of

prenatal care visits for pregnant women

in Canada was 12.9 in 2006/2007.

Depending on where they are,

pregnant women can receive their

care from one or a combination of a

midwife, family doctor or Obstetrician.

During prenatal appointments, they

are generally asked about how they are

coping and their mental health at every

visit which increases the likelihood that

their care provider would catch on if a

woman is experiencing any anxiety, depression

or other mental health issues

that may be of concern.

After childbirth, however, the care a

woman receives changes drastically.

Only women being cared for by

midwives see their care provider for

baby and themselves about six times

during the first six weeks; midwives

provide care for 11% of births in Canada

(Association of Ontario Midwives).

Midwifery patients are also able to call their

midwives during this time with any

concerns they have. Whereas women who

are being cared for by Obstetricians or their

family doctor are seen at six weeks for their

first and only postpartum visit; this is the

case for women whose pregnancies and

deliveries are deemed to not have had any

complications. As a result, only midwives

have an increased likelihood of catching

on if a woman is experiencing any mental

health issues that may be of concern in this

time period.

According to the maternal mental health

survey in Canada (2018/2019), 23% of

mothers who had recently given birth

reported feelings consistent with either

post-partum depression or an anxiety

disorder. Also, 67% of those who reported

feelings consistent with either post-partum

depression or an anxiety disorder, and 23%

of mothers who did not report these

feelings at the time of the survey, expressed

having had concerns about their emotions

and mental health at some point since the

birth of their child. Of those who had

concerns, 85% spoke to someone about

them. Of those who spoke to someone,

47% talked to a spouse or partner, friend, or

family member but not a professional; 46%

spoke with both family or a friend and a

professional (such as a family doctor, nurse

or midwife, psychiatrist, psychologist, or

social worker); while 7% consulted a professional

but not family or a friend.

Research shows that 32% of mothers who

reported feelings consistent with either

post-partum depression or an anxiety

disorder, and 10% of mothers who did not

have these feelings, reported receiving

treatment for their emotions or mental

health since the birth of their child. Of those

who received treatment, 39% received

counselling therapy, 38% received

treatment in the form of medication such as

anti-depressants, and 23% received

treatment that included both medication

and counselling.

Maternal mental health and wellbeing are

a significant public health issue. The WHO

states that maternal mental health problems

increase the risk of poor physical health for

the mother and can also affect the health of

the infant. As women, we are the

strongholds of our families and our

communities. We are advocates for the

health and wellbeing of our families and

sometimes it is at the expense of neglecting

our own needs. There needs to be a

re-imagining of postpartum care whereby

mental health supports are built into

postpartum care. That way, all women feel

adequately supported after their

pregnancies regardless of their experience.

Pregnancy is beautiful, it is natural and

unnatural, it is soft and hard, it brings great

joy at the throes of great pain, it can be

traumatic and healing, pregnancy is many

things all at once. We need to hold space for

women to process all of these things so that

they can be at their best for themselves, their

babies, the rest of their family and the

communities that they are integral to.

About Alison Mclean

Alison Mclean is a refugee from Zimbabwe

who is currently living and working on the

ancestral, unceded and traditional

territories of the Anishinabewaki,

Huron-Wendat and the Haudenosaunee Nations.

Alison’s background is in Health Systems

research— specifically around

equitable access to high-quality prenatal care

in Canada and the United States.

Alison has extensive experience working with

populations that face marginalization and

oppression as well as diverse groups of people,

both here in North America and internationally.

She is an emerging leader in decolonizing research

and healthcare practice as well as working

towards transformative, anti-racist, justice-oriented

policy and programming for all through

Sisonke Inc. initiatives. Alison co-founded Sisonke

Inc. with her husband Jermaine. Sisonke Inc. is a

consulting firm that provides equity and anti-oppressive

frameworks, curriculum and training for

businesses, institutions and large organizations

across Canada.

One of their outreach and community

development projects is Sisonke Podcast, a

podcast she co-hosts with her husband where

they discuss topics related to

pregnancy, health, life and love.

Their podcast can be found on Apple

Podcasts, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify and

wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can

also find it on buzzsprout at the link below:

PAGE

56

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365853

Post-Partum Depression is Real

REAL SERIOUS

By: Stacey Palmer

PAGE

57

It was six weeks before she

was due, but she decided

that she would come

anyway. To make matters a

tad more complicated, she

was breached.

The long and short of it is, I was

rushed in to do a C-Section, and

the rest is history. It is now 16

¾ years after, and all is well in

the parenting game…. Right?!

WRONG! ALL is never well; there

is always something to fix,

navigate, reimagine, throw

out, pray over, cry about, give

thanks for, laugh about and the

list goes on. Still, we choose to

focus on all those positives, and

we press along through these

parenting streets.

The point is that you never

EVER know – TRULY know what

a woman – a mother – is going

through at any given point of

the motherhood journey.

On day two of having had the

C-Section, I had still not

bonded with the offspring nor

was I lactating. Even though my

baby bags were packed weeks

prior with the essentials, and I

had paid for the hospital stay

two days before this sudden

arrival, I was not mentally ready,

and I did not even realize it at

the time.

The baby was not latching on,

and I had still not gotten used to

the fact that I was a MOTHER…

Plus, I had an incision across my

stomach that I was trying to get

used to. I did not feel

connected to this child who was

cut out of me while I was

completely anesthetized. I was

an emotional wreck, and no

one truly knew this except for a

very kind nurse who witnessed

my late-night tears and utter

confusion. I was becoming

more withdrawn, among other

things… I even went as far as to

tell her that I didn’t want anyone

to visit, so they were not to let

anyone into the hospital room.

The nurse, in her wisdom,

detected what was happening

to me, and sat by my bedside

and prayed for me as the tears

rolled down my cheeks

uncontrollably. She

encouraged me to allow my

friends and family to visit, and

she also talked and prayed me

out of a very dark space. I felt

the walls closing in, but she

helped me to climb those walls

to get to the other side. At

the time, I had no clue that I

was teetering on the brink of

post-partum depression, but

this nurse prevented it from

manifesting worse than it could

have. Those few days were very

challenging, to say the least.

So imagine the utter despair I

would have felt when two women

– who were already

mothers long before me, came

to my hospital room to “visit the

baby” and did not even

acknowledge me. This would

have been my second

introduction to how we terrorize

each other – us women. But I

digress…. Or do I….?

But… God IS good. Thank God

for His intervention through

that nurse (to date, I still think

about her and wish I could

remember her name).

Later that night (into the wee

hours of the morning), I was

jolted out of my slumber, and I

rushed to her incubator to see

her perched on one side. The

nurses were not paying

attention. My fright, anger, and

connection kicked in

concurrently. Let’s just say that

the response of the nurse on

duty was quick. As the nurse

adjusted my baby’s position in

the incubator, so did my heart

make an automatic adjustment,

and we have been

completely connected since

then – my pumpkin and I.

The point of this story?

Because every weh u tun lesson

deh deh fi learn. (Everywhere

you turn, there is a lesson to be

learned).I thought about my

situation when the news of the

“coronation market baby” broke.

As the news has reported….

A baby girl was found in the

Coronation Market (Kingston,

Jamaica) and safely turned over

to the authorities. This made

headlines, and the suppositions

ensued. Some said the

mother was wicked; others said

she could have left her

someplace safer; there are those

who agree that she must have

done the best she could have;

whilst others are wondering

where the father is; some say

she deserves jail time. Then,

there are those who are aware

of other mental health

challenges that come with a

newborn, i.e. the baby blues or

the more severe

post-partum depression/

post-partum psychosis and how

these can often manifest into

more sinister outcomes.

Mothers like the one

reported need advocacy, not

chastisement. Up to the point

of writing this, there had been

no (public) report of this lady’s

identification, her situation or

her real reason for leaving this

child the way she did. Is she

even alive (literally and

metaphorically)? The point is,

the baby was found and is now

being cared for by the state,

and the mother had her reason

(whether we agree or NOT).

There are many reasons that

could have driven her to this

point.

The intersectionality is endless!

I caution us – every single person who has

ever interacted with, know of, related to, associated

with or looked at a pregnant

woman – a mother (new and old) that

post-partum depression is real, and it is also

REALLY VERY CHALLENGING. This is

something that has affected many more

women than are willing to admit. The

thoughts that accompany this affliction are

so sinister that most are too ashamed to even

utter them, even after those thoughts have

passed through. We MUST, therefore,

endeavour to think outside of what we KNOW

and realize that there is a LOT more that we

are CLUELESS ABOUT.

If we sit in that space of CLUELESSNESS, just a

tad, we will be forced to learn a little bit more

today and situate new knowledge to scenarios

for which we do not have context.

Understandably, no one wants to be known

as “that” mother, so our great grandmother,

mother, aunts, family members and

neighbours keep these feelings hidden. They

are not talked about, even years after having

experienced it. After all, having a child should

be a joyous moment, so to admit this deep

sense of depression and confusion after giving

birth makes no sense to those who

experience it. As a consequence, silence and

shame ensue, and the cycle continues.

Stewart, et al (2013), states that the signs and

symptoms of postpartum depression are

generally the same as those associated with

major depression occurring at other times, including

depressed mood, anhedonia and low

energy. Reports of suicidal ideation are also

common. It is prudent to point out that the

symptoms can be mild to very severe.

The experts also say that “the potential

adverse effect of postpartum depression upon

the maternal-infant relationship and child

development reinforces the need for early

identification and effective treatment models”.

In other words, post-partum undetected and

untreated can cause irreversible damage to

mother and child as well as the community of

which they are a part of.

Let us, therefore, be a little kinder with our

suppositions. Let us endeavour to learn more

about what we do not know, especially since

everything is amplified now that we are living

in the midst of a pandemic that has

disproportionately affected women. After

all, postpartum depression (and all the other

mental health challenges that come as a result

of giving birth) is real and is more common

within our community than we are willing to

accept.

About Stacey A Palmer

Passionate about all things Communication and

Gender and Development, Stacey A

Palmer spends her time as a mother, gender

advocate, poet, editor, writer, parenting

blogger, part-time lecturer and a

dministrative professional. She holds a

Master of Arts Degree in Communication Studies,

a Bachelor of Arts Degree in

Literatures in English and a certificate in

Public. She is currently enrolled in the

Master of Science in Gender and Development

degree program and is currently in her final

semester. With the understanding that no single

approach is right for any group in any given

situation, she engages in continuous learning to

ensure that her audiences derive optimal benefits.

Find Stacey online at https://theintricate.blog

By: Julian Bell-Grant

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60

There’s Nothing

Perfect About Parenting

Becoming a parent is a joyous gift bounded with love. It comes with the responsibility

of guaranteeing children are healthy and cared for in a safe environment (Tashjian,

2018). Doing so means fostering a loving, warm, and nurturing space, while at the

same time engaging in regular communication that builds the parent-child

relationship. The goal is “preparing children for life as productive adults while

transmitting cultural values” and practices (APA, 2018). In essence, the parenting style one

chooses to practice does influence a child’s

behaviour. Although there is no such thing

as being a perfect parent, an earnest

attempt should be made with your

children in providing them with the

fundamentals needed to be productive

and responsible members of society. With

that said, we have chosen to practice using

sensitivity, verbal reasoning and

explanations when providing discipline

and setting limits in our household.

Additionally, we practice open and honest

communication, effective listening to gain

understanding and quality time. According

to Baumrind (1991), this style of

parenting practice is “associated with great

child competence, exceptional maturity,

assertiveness and self-control.” Through

this style, our goal is to ensure happy

children that feel love and support.

Strategies that have been helpful to

support our children are providing a s

tructured routine, being present, and

allowing curiosity (CTRI, 2020). We find a

structured routine teaches discipline,

creates less chaos when involved in

activities, reassures them of uncertainties

and builds self-efficacy. It also allows you

to plan better as a parent to get tasks

completed as you can anticipate what

your children are doing. Being present

if done correctly, gives your children a

sense of belonging and allows you to

observe, gauge and facilitate further

growth in areas that may need

improvement in your children’s

behaviour. Allowing curiosity assists with

their development in areas that they may

show interest in. Additionally, it allows

them to be creative, learn the world

and teaches a sense of adventure while

instilling caution.

There are no set rules about parenting,

it is about consistency and giving time

to your children. Outside of the daily

routine, setting aside time to spend with

your children is of paramount

importance (AAP, 2020). Some ideas

include reading together, watching their

favourite show, or simply just playing

with them. Giving your undivided

attention, whether it is for 20 to 30mins

makes a huge difference.

PREVENTING

Substance Abuse in Teenagers

By: Ellis Palmero

The teenage years are a difficult life transition

as people undergo changes both physically

and mentally. During this period,

friendships and feelings of acceptance become

extremely important aspects of life. At this

stage, the brain is also not yet fully developed and so

teenagers and young adults tend to engage in more

risky behaviours and think less of the consequences

of their actions which can be negative if they do not

have a positive friend group. Teenagers nowadays

face the added challenge of having substances easily

available to them at parties and often even at school

through their friends.

This can also be a scary time for parents as they may

start noticing changes in their child and may become

worried about what their child is doing and who they

are spending time with. However, there are some

steps that parents can take as preventative measures

and there are some warning signs that may tell a

parent that their child is using substances. One of the

most important factors that parents should take into

account is having open conversations with their child

early on and allowing them to talk without judgment

as this creates a safe space for the teenager to turn

to if they feel like they are in a difficult situation or

if they are using substances. Being knowledgeable

and wary of who your child’s friends are is also very

important because teenagers tend to do what their

peers are doing and if their peers are drinking or

using drugs, they will feel the pressure to try them,

which could then lead to habitual use.

A lot of the time teenagers will develop an addiction

to a substance like cannabis because it is now

legalized and they see it as “natural”; therefore,

they don’t see risks in it and start using it with their

friends; often as young as 12 or 13 years old. It is

important for parents to have open conversations

with their child and talk about the risks involved in

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63

using substances so that the teen is better able

to make informed decisions from the start. It is

equally important for parents not to shrug off

their teen’s use as a “phase” or an experimental

behaviour that young adults go through

because these substances can be highly

addictive once they are used frequently and

teenagers often find themselves unable to quit

even though they realize that their use has

become problematic.

Parents know their child best; pay attention to

any changes in your teen’s behaviour, in their

friends, in their school performance. Other signs

such as dilated pupils, darker lips, excitability

with no specific cause, sudden changes in mood

such as extreme anger or irritability, and lack of

motivation can tell you that something is off. If

you notice these changes, ask your child, pay

close attention to whether these mood changes

become a pattern, whether they have substances

on them or in their room, are they still interested

in what they used to like before or are they

lacking motivation all the time. Most importantly,

if you do notice that your teenage child is using,

seek resources for them, talk to a counsellor, talk

to the school, give them the support that they

need and don’t push them away because of their

use because this often tends to make things

worse for the teenager. They need support and

guidance in dealing with the challenges that can

come from substance use.

JUST

20

MINUTES A DAY

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64

Contrary to what I do

for a living, wellness

has always been a

passion and interest

of mine. #just20mins

is a movement that I created in

January 2021 where I encourage

people, particularly women, to

move intentionally for 20

minutes a day, no matter their

level of fitness. This can consist of

anything from strength training

to walking to stretching. What’s

important is getting into the

habit of carving out time to care

for yourself by moving in a way

that makes you feel good.

Having gone through my own

fitness journey with a program I

joined in 2020, I realized that in

addition to a clean diet, only 15

to 20 minutes of intense exercise

3 to 4 times a week was enough

B y : M a k i F u k u s h i m a

to transform one’s body.

Although I did undergo a

significant change physically and

mentally, this way of exercising

was not for everyone nor was it

sustainable. What I did take away

from this program was that

moving consistently for a

minimum of 20 minutes each day

was enough to improve one’s

overall well-being.

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65

PAGE

There were so many people around me, particularly mothers, who were

struggling with getting active as they didn’t know where to begin. This

was preventing them from including any form of physical activity in

their life and as a result, they were feeling down, depleted and out of

shape. The added pressures they had to deal with in relation to the

pandemic made the situation even more alarming in my eyes. I

decided to use the extra time I had outside of work to help these

women fit exercise into their day and make it as easy as possible for

them. That was when I decided to launch a fitness challenge, one where

I could guide them with how to start, what to do and how to stay

consistent.

I launched my first fitness challenge at the start of the year. What I

thought would consist of 10 people blew up to be 70. On January 4,

2021, I kicked off the 20/20 Challenge where I held 70 people

accountable to move for just 20 minutes a day and send me a picture or

video for evidence. Some members sent me their proof privately while others

posted their workouts on social media to inspire others. Seeing everyone else’s

workout created the motivation and connection that people so badly needed

during this time. The members came out of the challenge feeling stronger,

happier and connected to a community. The action itself of carving out time to

do something active, no matter how low-impact, created a level of self-care that

for many was life-changing.

My deep desire for wanting to help others include fitness in their day stems

from my own history of mental health issues. Since the age of 19, I had

struggled on and off with anxiety and depression, mostly due to my lack of

self-care. I didn’t feed myself properly, talk to myself properly or give my body

the movement it needed. The turning point for me was in late 2019 when I

experienced a major burnout from being overworked and neglecting my health.

I had gained 15 lbs, developed psoriasis and was in such a terrible mental state

that I started contemplating my own life.

The pandemic hit and I lost all my work in 2020. Although this would be tragic

to most, I was given the greatest gift of all: the opportunity to press the reset

button and make health my priority. I joined a fitness program that helped me

to lose 25 lbs, my skin issues disappeared and I was in the best mental state I

had ever been in my life. I realized just how much of a positive impact

moving can have on someone’s overall well-being. The problem isn’t that people

aren’t aware of this fact but rather that it all seems too overwhelming. Fitting

in a fitness regime into an already hectic schedule filled with work, family and

household obligations can be daunting which causes people to put off exercise

until there is “more time”. There will never be more time. If daily movement isn’t

prioritized today, it won’t be next month. This is why I promote fitting in just 20

minutes of movement every day, even if it means going outside for fresh air or

stretching for 10 minutes during the day and at night before going to bed. Your

body will thank you more than you realize. I emphasize backing out of the “all or

nothing” mentality which prevents people from moving at all.

What’s even more important is the mental health benefits of moving. The goal

behind my fitness challenges is not for esthetic reasons but rather to help

people build a habit to move intentionally each day. Self-care in our society

is often related to esthetics; taking care of the outside of your body. Although

movement does have a positive impact on your physical health and appearance,

the priority must be placed on a healthy state of mind. A healthy state of mind

is what rules all but it begins with the physical. A strong body allows for a strong

mind.

The

Journey

Of

Success

By: Cecilia Jaramillo, PhD, RP (Qualifying)

My mother died when I was a teenager, which led

me to drop out of school and start working for a

living. So, time passed, and although I had good

jobs, I felt a great emptiness in me for not having

finished school. I got married young and

decided to be a full-time mother. When my

daughters started going to school, I began

painting. Among oils, brushes and canvases, time

continued to pass. When I went back to work, I saw

myself surrounded by intellectuals. I felt that the

feeling of my unfinished studies was growing in

me. When I was 41 years old, I decided to go back

to school; to later enter the University. However,

we had already started the adventure of moving to

Canada, and after two years of university studies in

Lima, we moved to Canada.

Two weeks ago, I submitted and defended my

doctoral thesis, and now I am ready for my

graduation on June 20. I moved with my family to

Canada at the age of 44, without speaking English,

and I can say that I have come a long way to fulfill

my desire to be a psychotherapist between laughs

and tears.

Studying English, for a long time, was not an

option, so I took some English courses and embarked

on a university adventure.

My first experience was at York University, through

a unique program for mature women. It is aimed

at those who did not have the opportunity to

study when they were young and want to bet on a

career. If you pass this three-month program, you

have direct access to the University. My first course

was Life Beyond Earth, which I thought was a

spiritual course, so I was super excited. My first day

of class was in an auditorium with more than three

hundred students. There is no way to describe how happy I was. However, it turned out that the

course was scary. It was astronomy! The study of planets and stars; and included different

disciplines such as chemistry, physics, mathematics and the evolution of the earth.

My husband became my chemistry and physics teacher. As part of the course, I had to take

photos of the stars at midnight during winter, with my neighbours’ curious and unusual gaze.

Of all the older women who entered this course, only I remained. I remember how great human

compassion is when one day I joined the class and a group of students, who could well have

been my children, because of their age, told me, hey; your friends left you alone, do not go.

Come and stay with us.

When I finished University, I did not think about it and looked for a master’s degree in

Counselling. The challenge was online classes. But my previous experience of time spent on a

commute and feeling lonely due to the age difference helped my decision to study online easier.

So, I launched into the online adventure. They accepted me conditionally due to lack of

experience or studies in this matter. It has been a challenge for someone as distracted as I am,

but I got on that boat and rowed.

Also, applying for an internship was another challenge; however, I got in at Elpizo and it has

been a wonderful experience! I was fortunate to work in an environment of respect, friendship,

and constant learning and training, supervised by Ruth. Elpizo Counselling Services is my village,

a community where everyone is encouraged, inspired and supported to achieve their highest

potential. After graduating with my Masters in Counselling Psychology, I remained at Elpizo as

an Associate Therapist.

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68

Shortly before finishing the master’s degree, I applied for a doctorate. I was doing my internship

as a psychotherapist, and I said one more step, and that’s it. My goal to get a Ph.D. degree was to

have a deeper understanding of human beings. It is very accurate that the more you learn, the

more there is to know.

It has been a journey full of personal, professional, familial and social growth. My husband and

daughters have been an extraordinary support in my journey.

Sometimes we get preoccupied with age, prejudices and time factors, or we think it is too late to

achieve our dreams. We have to try, open all the doors and if they are closed, open the windows,

it is always possible. There is someone outside that is going to provide information, guide and

help you. Start, at least try and no matter how long it takes you to reach the goal, move forward;

in the end, it is your dream. Do not compete against anyone; it is your goal; each person has

their own time. My motto is, time does not stop; whether I do it or not, I better start.

Gender &

Communication

By: Joline Hanna

Imagine you arrived at an exotic location where no one speaks English.

You are not the slightest bit worried, you managed to pick up a

common phrase book at the airport to help you navigate

communication in this new land. As you walk you encounter your

first local resident and you begin to read the local greeting. The

individual looks at you with a confused look, smiles and walks away.

You try another phrase on another individual and you receive the same

response. You try this a few more times and the response is becoming

less cordial and more of an inconvenience to the individuals you are

speaking to. Uncertain of why the perceived hostile reaction you look

around and you realize that your phrase book is of no use since it was

written for a different language and country from where you are.

This story is reminiscent of the frustration experienced by both men

and women when they are communicating with each other. We speak

to the opposite gender in a manner and language we believe they will

understand, only to find out they don’t understand us at all. Whether in

a professional or personal setting, the reality and challenges of gender

differences in communication styles are alive and well. The challenge

and opportunity before us is best known as Habit #5 Seek to

understand before you seek to be understood as introduced by

Stephen Cover in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

(Covey, 2004). Gender differences in communication styles is a

well-researched topic both in academia and self-help literature. The

fundamental difference observed and agreed upon is that both men

and women view the purpose and objective of conversations very

differently.

Basow & Rubenfield (2003) observed that

the characteristic of the communication

style of women tends to be more

expressive, tentative, polite and social. By

contrast, men, on average, are

characterized to be more assertive and

dominant in their communication style. The

research has shown that men are primarily

goal-oriented and result-focused during

their communication; while women are

relationship-oriented with a strong

emphasis on closeness and intimacy in

interactions with other people (Tannen,

1990). Communication, as a tool, is also

utilized differently between genders.

Women leverage communication as a

mechanism to establish intimate bonds,

social connections and create relationships.

Men use language characteristics in communication

as a means to an end for the

purpose of achieving a tangible outcome or

maintain status and dominance in a relationship.

In John Gray’s popular book Men are from

Mars, Women are from Venus: a Practical

Guide for Improving Communication and

Getting What You Want in a Relationship, he

outlined a number of crucial differences

between both genders when it comes to

communication and their ability to cope

with stress. Gray noted that men cope by

withdrawing themselves from the

conversation or situation – going to their

cave. Women on the other hand cope by

reaching out and talking about the cause of

their stress.

These different approaches can be

explained by men’s desire to feel needed

and admired by others. Women strive to

feel cherished and respected (Gray, 1992).

When it comes to crisis management and/

or problem-solving, men follow their natural

tendency to offer a solution while women

seek empathy and understanding and are

naturally inclined to offer unsolicited advice

(Gray, 1992).

How do we bridge the gap between men’s

and women’s communication? Start by

accepting and appreciating the differences

in gender communication. Step back, listen

and observe not only what is being said but

what is not being said.

A few tips:

1. Use Open-Ended Questions

2. Look for Nonverbal Cues

3. You are not a mind reader – ask instead

of assuming

4. Two-Way conversations

5. Make time to talk

6. Express with clarity what you need

Men and women communicate differently

and that’s what brings beauty, fun and

excitement to every type of relationship.

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70

Living my Best Life

Despite Living

with Cancer

Running my business consumed me to a

point where it was all I knew. Socializing?

Love life? Vacation? What was that? The

more I looked at it, the more I didn’t

recognize my life. Whose life was this?

Where was the husband? Where were the

children? I love to travel, but when was the

last time I went anywhere? I love style and

fashion but haven’t worn more than tights

and loose tops over the years. By 2016, I

realized that my life and my world were

reduced to what I could see from behind

my desk; through the lens of my computer

and the scope of the world wide web.

At the time, I couldn’t even say I had much

to show for my almost 15 years in

business. I was not a millionaire and

neither were any of my clients. What I did

have (and still do) were invaluable skills

and talent, but applying great skill and

talent with limited resources, is equivalent

to putting a bird in a cage. Even though it

can spread its wings, it can only fly so far,

if anywhere at all.

As 2016 was closing, I decided 2017 was going to

be the year that I turned things around. I started

on January 1, 2017, by getting closer to God. I

joined The 180 Church and immersed myself in it;

signing up for home groups, the Serve team and

participating in activities outside of Sunday

service. I wanted to reset my life and put God first.

Even though I had read and studied the Bible for

years and spent time in and out of various

churches and religions, I needed to firm up my

relationship with Him for the latter half of my life. I

needed to rebuild my house on a rock.

“Therefore whoever hears these

sayings of Mine, and does them, I will

liken him to a wise man who built

his house on the rock: and the rain

descended, the floods came, and the

winds blew and beat on that house;

and it did not fall, for it was founded

on the rock.”

(Matthew 7:24-25 NKJV)

I also had to give up certain people and habits

and rediscover who I was without their influence.

I had to get to know the real me and all the things

I like and find ways to weave them into my life. My

mind was set on new clients, new revenue streams

and new industries. I wanted to get social and get

healthy. I wanted to incorporate more reading,

more writing, more creating and more God.

You should know that whenever you decide to

change your life, you need to be prepared for

anything. Most times, changes come as a package

and you can’t decide to cut out the bad and just

take the good. And other times there are

challenges meant to test you to see if you really are

ready for the change you seek.

At the end of 2017, I finally made my way back to

Toronto (the city I love) after 5 years in Montreal

(my hometown) rebuilding myself emotionally

and spiritually. I was finally baptized! But what

happened next was completely unexpected; I was

diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer

which is a terminal illness.

Yes, I was pretty shocked at the moment, but God’s

Holy Spirit immediately took over and all I could

think of was that I wanted to do more for God’s

Kingdom and since then, my life only got better

and better.

I landed the biggest contract of my career, got my

magazine off the ground, got involved at Global

Kingdom Ministries church by joining the Serve

team and participating in various church groups

and activities, including becoming a life group

leader for Christianpreneurs and today I am still on

the journey to living my best life. I feel strong, I’m

not suffering and so many of my goals and dreams

have come true it would blow your mind.

Today, despite living through a pandemic, my

business is thriving with a team of 12, some grant

funding and new business opportunities. I am

working on being a great leader and business

owner. I aim to add value, educate and inspire

others to go after the life they want despite the

odds. The key is Christ! Everything may not go the

way we expect it to but with God, you will be

fortified for any storm. Whether it’s a bad report

from the doctor or lost business opportunities,

there is nothing that can blow your house down

when you build it on the rock and fortress that is

God.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs

to do Amazing things

Since 2005

GABRIELPR.CA

By: Elpizo Counselling

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74

With Social Workers

You Are Not Alone

According to the Alberta College of Social Workers, the purpose of Social Work

Week is to celebrate and honour important contributions that social work

professionals have made to families and communities.

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75

Let us explore some of the

duties of a social worker (Ontario

Association of Social Workers, n.d.):

• They assist you by identifying the

source of the problems, strengthen

your coping skills, and work with you

to find meaningful solutions to these

problems

• They provide services to individuals,

couples, families, groups,

communities, workplaces, and

organizations

• They offer various forms of

counselling, adoption planning,

access assessments, trauma

counselling, psychotherapy, and so

on

• They examine people’s issues within

the context of their communities,

workplace, and families, and

examine the connection between

personal problems and larger social

issues

• They work at hospitals, schools,

government offices, children’s aid

societies, mental health settings,

correctional facilities, legal settings,

and the like.

Social workers celebrated Social Work

Week in March with the theme: ‘You are not

alone’. The message conveys messages of

compassion in a time when many folks feel

isolated and go through challenging times.

The campaign goal was to raise awareness

about mental health and encourage more

accessible supports for all (Visavie, 2021).

As helping professionals, social workers

often put their own health and safety at

risk and have helped countless others at

the front lines during the COVID-19

pandemic by providing support to

vulnerable individuals and families.

Some tips to feel less lonely include:

• Reflect on and be aware of what

loneliness means to you and the

emotions

• Find an organization that supports a

cause you care about

• Use social media wisely

• Write down your thoughts, needs,

and goals in a journal

• Figure out what your self-care looks

like

• Start a book club

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule

• Reach out to family, friends, or

helping professionals for support

Thank you to all the social workers out

there for your support and exceptional

work!

For more information, check out the OASW

website at https://www.oasw.org

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