BC Psychological Association
505 - 1080 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2T1 V6H 1G3 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Uncertain times are hard for all of us - especially students. The coronavirus pandemic is undermining education and training for thousands of psychology students. UBC doctoral student and BCPA Board member Zarina Giannone talks to APA about how psychology students are coping with the pandemic. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/06/covid-grad-students

"First, don’t beat yourself up or attempt to power through if your drive is low right now. Give yourself time to get through almost what I call the grieving moment, Magness says. He says it’s important to allow yourself to wallow or do whatever you need to do." https://www.washingtonpost.com//72e41a3c-93af-11ea-91d7-cf

What is psychological first aid? Psychological First Aid is a brief (up to 30 minute) telephone consultation to provide you with information and strategies to help you cope with the stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is designed to help people who usually cope with daily life pretty well, but who might be feeling overwhelmed during this very stressful time. Is psychological first aid the same as therapy? Psychological First Aid is not the same as psychological... therapy. The psychologist who calls you is providing Psychological First Aid and not treatment. What if after my Psychological First Aid call I decide I need more help? You can use the Psychological First Aid Service as many times as you like. If you would like to receive a Psychological First Aid phone call again, simply fill out another online request form on the day that you would like service. You will speak to a different psychologist each time you call. What if I need more than a Psychological First Aid call? If you feel you need more than a Psychological First Aid phone call, there are other resources available. Free services include those provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association. This is the link to their website: https://cmha.bc.ca/covid-19/. If you feel you would benefit from obtaining formal therapeutic help from a Registered Psychologist, we encourage you to refer to the BCPA website or the College of Psychologists of British Columbia website to locate a Registered Psychologist who can provide you with longer term support. There is typically a fee for these services. The BCPA provides a referral service: https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/find_psychologist. To find out about other mental health services in your region, call 211 or go to http://www.bc211.ca/home. Find out more: https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

Experiencing relationship challenges due to COVID-19? Registered psychologist Elizabeth Newton offers some tips for couples in lockdown: https://www.psychologists.bc.ca//couples-lockdown-covid-co

Our service is still operating! To request a Psychological First Aid call from a registered Psychologist, follow this link: https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

Join BC Psychologist Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat on Monday from 7:00pm-8:30pm for a free, virtual Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction information session! https://www.drkasimalmashat.com/free-mindfulnessmbsr-info-s

We are now offering services to ALL British Columbians! If you are struggling with COVID-19, whether you are a nurse, a postal worker, a grocery clerk or currently out of a job or retired, please reach out! We have over 200 psychologists available to help you! https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

Our volunteer psychologists are here to help this weekend

Thank you to Minister Darcy for announcing all of BC's mental health supports, including our COVID-19 Psychological Support Service with over 200 volunteer psychologists! Other supports include: Providing more access to online programs for mental health by expanding the BounceBack program. BounceBack provides online coaching and the Living Life to the Full program, which helps people deal with life challenges and learn self-management skills; Expanding access to no- and lo...w-cost community counselling programs, including those that serve immigrant and refugee populations, and enabling them to be delivered virtually; Increasing access to online peer support and system navigation; Providing virtual supports for youth aged 12 to 24 by making Foundry services available around the province through voice, video and chat; Providing more online tools and resources to help people assess and manage their own mental health; Supporting front-line health-care workers through a new online hub and providing virtual peer support. https://globalnews.ca//premier-and-minister-of-mental-hea/

ESSENTIAL WORKERS, have you tried our COVID-19 Psychological Support Service yet? Most workers are receiving a call from a registered psychologist within the same day of requesting support between 10am and 8pm! Need help? We're here for you! https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

Check out this interview with BC Psychologist Dr. Kathy Keating!

ATTENTION FRONTLINE MEDICAL WORKERS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKERS: Today, we are launching our support service for any medical staff or other essential worker, such as a cashier or delivery person, who needs some help during this difficult time. We have over 150 registered psychologists ready to offer Psychological First Aid to those who need it - that's over 10% of all psychologists in BC!... How do you sign up? Visit out website for more information and to request services! https://www.psychologists.bc.ca/covid-19-resources

Feeling anxious during this pandemic? Dr. Russ Harris uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help us learn how to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmvNCdpHUYM

We're very excited for tonight's presentation! This event is drop-in so please arrive early to secure a spot!