025 - Disrupting the mental health stigma
"It's just not normalized to be proactive about our mental health, it's very reactive...It is not routine enough to be asked about our mental health, vs our physical health, we need to change this" ~ Laura
Duration: 1:04
- I bring on my friend, Laura, who runs Laura Gatien & Associates Counselling Services. Laura does a great deal for her local community, including weekly free counselling services. Laura's goal is to bring more awareness to the importance of normalizing proactive mental health care and removing barriers so that all have access to mental health services.
- We discuss why there's a difference in the way we care about our physical health care versus our mental health care and how we can help change this. Not only within ourselves, but in the healthcare system.
- We also talk about how outside factors that can have an impact on our mental health or pre-existing disorders, such as social media. We also dive into common barriers that present themselves around addressing trauma.
- We also cover the underlying stress of experiencing a global pandemic and how we can support ourselves.
Laura Gatien is a registered social worker and clinical therapist in private practice in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Laura has a decade of diverse experience working with individuals and couples. She is extremely passionate about reducing the stigma that accompanies mental health, through teaching and modelling that mental health affects everyone. It is necessary to seek help for mental health challenges just as you would physical health.
Laura is a determined entrepreneur who uses a real and genuine approach in her work. She uses vulnerability and challenges traditional approaches to mental health therapy to remove barriers to seeking treatment. Laura and her team have been recognized for offering a free drop-in counselling program for the community as well as a low-cost counselling program with the clinic interns and herself. Laura Gatien & Associates is becoming known as a centre of excellence for training top talent in the field and providing an exceptional experience to learn and grow as a social worker and therapist.
To find out more about Laura & her team please visit www.lauragatien.com.
