It’s not easy to keep up with all of the latest websites or apps that are out there related to Mental Health. It seems as if there are new sites being developed every day and not all of them are of equal value.  Sometimes sorting out which ones might be useable can feel overwhelming.   So when I learn about something new that has been developed by a reputable source I like to share the information.

These two fairly recent additions to the Technology and Mental Health field were both developed through the University of British Columbia (UBC). While both focus on improving one’s mental health they take dramatically different approaches.

MoodFx[1], developed in partnership between the Mood Disorders Clinic and UBC’s eHealth Strategy Office, is “an interactive app designed to help people with depression and low mood feel better”. The main purpose for using this site is the tracking and managing of symptoms.   You can do screening tests for depression and anxiety, keep track of your symptoms, set reminders for yourself, see your progress over time and receive helpful tips.  They also include a helpful list of resources.

I can see how helpful MoodFx would be for some of my clients, particularly when it comes to tracking one’s progress over time.   It appears to be free and is open to anyone over 19 years of age.

The next site is Walkalong: Your Journey to Mental Wellness.[2] Walkalong has been developed by a another team of researchers and practitioners at UBC. The creators of this website say “we like to see WalkAlong as a companion; someone to walk along with you during your journey to better mental health. This portal is a Canadian-based mental health resource that also provides information and links to existing mental health care resources for friends & family members”.

What is unique about this site is it is meant to be an online community where young Canadians can explore their mental health. They can share things they have found helpful (music, videos, quotes, books, ideas) or they can simply store those on the site for their own use in a section called “the locker”.

One of the coping strategies section of the website is Mindsteps. This is a page with visuals – click on the visual and you will find tips and reminders about things that can help you get through the day. For example, go for a walk, reach out, take a break, do the worst thing first.

Similar to MoodFX you can do a mental health assessment and keep track of your mood, sleep, etc. There are articles about issues related to mental wellness, links to resources, an Encyclopedia on mental illness, self-help exercises, personal stories and even an iTunes University course on depression.

Two excellent additions to my toolbox. Check them out and maybe add them to yours.

Dawn M. Schell, MA, CCC, CCDP is an affiliate of Worldwide Therapy Online Inc. http://www.therapyonline.ca

[1] http://www.moodfx.ca/

[2] https://www.walkalong.ca/

In the line-up of therapeutic apps the “Virtual Hope Box”, designed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology stands out as a stellar example of what is possible.

According to the “About Us” section of the app, “the National Center for Telehealth and Technology designs, builds, tests and evaluates available and emerging technologies to deploy in support psychological health and traumatic brain injury recovery in the military community.” But you don’t have to be in the military to use it.   You can download it for free to a smartphone or tablet.

The National Center says, “the purpose of the VHB is to help patients decrease their experience of distress by encouraging and facilitating healthy coping and emotion regulation skills”. It is not designed to be used as a self-help device. Working with your client you can personalize the content on the Virtual Hope box app to suit their specific needs.   Anything that they find personally supportive or soothing or reminds them of positive moments in their lives. In short, whatever contributes to a sense of hope.

There are several sections of this app:

Remind Me – an area where you can place pictures, videos, music and recordings.

Distract Me – has games with varying levels of difficulty

Inspire Me – comes with pre-set quotes and the option to add your own

Relax Me – has a number of relaxation exercises that can also be personalized

Coping Tools – you can create coping cards and use an activity planner to plan positive activities (list of ideas provided) with the cool additional feature that you can text or email invitees right from the app.

In the top right hand corner of the app there is a phone symbol. If you click on it you can add a list of “support contacts”, people you may want to call in an emergency.

You don’t have to figure out how to use it with clients on your own! On the National Center’s website you will find a clinician’s guide and a user’s guide.

http://t2health.dcoe.mil/apps/virtual-hope-box

I can’t wait to use it with some of my clients.

Dawn M. Schell, MA, CCC, CCDP is an affiliate with Worldwide Therapy Online Inc. http://www.therapyonline.ca

I was riding the bus home from the university the other day and…[true confession]…eavesdropping on a conversation four young men were having. One of them said, “What can you do with a degree in psychology?”   There was silence for a moment as they considered the question. Then “Work at Wal-Mart” was the reply, followed by snorting and laughter.

As someone with a psychology degree I wanted to turn around and say “some of us with psychology degrees have gone on to live useful lives and found meaningful employment”.   But I restrained myself.

After all how were they to know what jobs/careers a psych major can do? Or with any degree for that matter? We often have limited views of what’s possible.

It’s not always easy to see where your education could take you. Many post-secondary institutions have incredibly useful information on “what can you do with a degree or major in…[fill in the blank]”.

Recently, LinkedIn created a new suite of products for students. These products are aimed at prospective & current students, alumni, schools and employers.   There are University rankings, University Finders, a Field of Study Explorer and you can create a Decision Board. You can find them at https://www.linkedin.com/edu/ . In order to have a look at these you do have to have a LinkedIn account.

If you have a profile on LinkedIn the Field of Study Explorer will start with your field of study. For example, my profile shows that my field of study is Psychology. I can view over 2 million people who have studied psychology. I can see where they work, what they do and where they went to school. Cool!

I didn’t find anyone who worked at WalMart though I did find people who worked at Target…in a wide range of fascinating jobs that I would never have thought about.

You can click on the ‘explore more’ button to widen the options.

Imagine you have a student who wants to study history.   Quite quickly you can find over 1 million people who have studied history. A glance through the job titles gives a wealth of information that you wouldn’t be able to find any other way.

I will be using this feature a lot!

Dawn M. Schell, MA, CCC, CCDP is an affiliate of Worldwide Therapy Online Inc. http://www.therapyonline.ca

I have frequently written in this blog about new online self-help programs and smartphone apps.   The proliferation of these programs is in part due to an increased interest in providing mental health supports for youth and young adults. As you may be aware youth are the single largest group of Ca­nadians who face mental health challenges (Mental Health Commis­sion of Canada, 2011). 75% of mental illnesses have their onset before the age of 25 and 20% of Canadians (ages 15‐24) reported a mental illness or substance abuse problem. The earlier we are able to intervene and provide youth and young adults with help, information, tools and strategies the better.

One self-help program that aims to do just that is Breathing Room. This program, authored by the Canadian Institute of Natural and Integrative Medicine (CINIM), won the 2014 True Imagination Award, awarded by Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor’s Circle on Mental Health and Addiction.

Breathing Room is an “online program for youth ages 13 – 24 who want to learn new ways to manage symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression”.  CINIM says their program empowers youth by giving them new perspectives and practical strategies. The website has ideas, videos, activities and true life stories. It is quite accessible and would be useful for a wide range of needs.

The program includes 8 modules and each module is estimated to take between 2 – 3 hours to complete. Participants are encouraged to break this down into 20 -30 minutes segments/day. As part of the program participants are encouraged to select one new strategy or activity to try over the week. The idea is for them to use this new strategy daily or, as they say in the introductory video, at least 3 times/week.   Breaking it up this way seems to me to be quite manageable.

There are extras such as music that fits with the modules and a listing of movies and books. What an excellent way to extend the learning beyond the parameters of the program.

The foundational principles for this program are supported by literature. CINIM did a pilot study and they found a significant reduction in depression severity as well as the improved quality of life continued over time.   I like that youth and young adults were involved in the design of the website as well as serving as a test group for the material.

Currently the Breathing Room website is only available to Mount Royal University students, faculty and staff though you can purchase it for your organization or group.

In the past few weeks the Breathing room has released an app for individual use. The app has the full program and is quite visually appealing.   It is a little pricey though – $22.99.

Overall I am impressed with the quality and the research that has gone into the development of this program.   And I like the tagline – ‘breathing room – because everyone needs some’.

Dawn M. Schell, MA, CCC, CCDP is an affiliate of Worldwide Therapy Online Inc.

http://therapyonline.ca

The world of online counselling is an interesting place to work. Because sometimes you are engaging with a client in real-time and other times you are not….and yet, you are.

Sound vague? Let me explain a bit more.

Asynchronous Text-based – This is a lot like email. Your client writes you a message describing their issues/concerns. You write a message to your client and send it to them. Later they write a reply and send it back to you. And so on.

This is the method I use most often in my online work.   I like the ability to take time to really think through what I want to say. I get to craft my words and seek out resources to share with my client without worrying that someone is waiting for a response from me.   I can read ahead and get an overview of what the client is thinking/feeling and that helps me shape my sessions.

Clients also tell me they find this a valuable way to do counselling because they can the time they need and also they can read and re-read our conversations.

Continue reading →

I can tell by the cooler air in the evenings and by the increased buzz in the neighbourhood that summer is drawing to a close and fall is on its way. Fall and the start of a new school year.   I’ve said before that September often feels like the “real” New Year, prompting goal setting and taking on new ventures.

One of my goals arises from my use of Pinterest. How’s that you say? Pinterest is helping you set goals?

Yes, it is.   You see, in my role as a school counsellor this past year my explorations on Pinterest were incredibly helpful.   I found lesson plans, posters, creative ideas for working with students on a variety of issues, articles and blog posts, book lists and reviews, printable forms, templates and so much more.

It was a rich resource that I turned to over and over again.   Often the ideas were jumping off points for me.   For example, I needed a way to introduce myself and my role to our grade six classes. I found suggestions that helped me tailor a fun presentation that the students remembered throughout the year. It also made it easier for them to come and talk to me.

Perhaps my favourite use of Pinterest this past year was around Child and Youth Mental Health Day.[1] The theme was “I care about you”.   I shared ideas I found on Pinterest with the whole school. It doesn’t take much to spark creativity. Between a positive-tree, posters, messages in chalk, kindness nominations and caring notes hidden around the school it was a great few weeks leading up to the event.

Most importantly, I connected with some of the counsellors whose work I followed online and in so doing built a community of practice that spans the globe.

So what is my goal this year?   I will be much more creative and proactive in my approach this year as a school counsellor. I have ideas about how to introduce myself to the whole school (one class at a time) and I am planning to have fun doing it. I am connected to a broader community and I intend to make even better use of it this year, sharing my experiences and ideas as well as learning from others.

If you haven’t explored Pinterest for yourself you may want to give it a go.   There is so much more than recipes and crafts.

Dawn M. Schell, MA, CCC, CCDP is an affiliate counsellor with Worldwide Therapy Online Inc. http://therapyonline.ca

[1] http://www.familysmart.ca/may-7th