CREDIT: HANNAH THEODORE
Many of Fanshawe's counselling services will now be offered in a virtual manner, with two on-campus counsellors available between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for urgent matters.

Fanshawe College has always offered a myriad of mental health services, whether it be private counselling sessions or group workshops. But how have counselling and accessibility services adapted amidst new social distancing guidelines?

The good news for students is that nearly all of the services provided by Fanshawe College will continue to be made available in a virtual manner. Counsellor Shirley Porter said that students can now access counselling sessions over the phone or via video chat, rather than by coming in person to room F2010

“So they can still call our receptionist...or email our office and they can request a session with a counsellor,” she said


As fall classes kickstart, however, two counsellors will now also be on campus between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for urgent in-person matters.

Porter said that it’s a win that most services are still available, despite the challenge of accommodating a global pandemic. Even group sessions and workshops including ‘BE Well’ will still be available online

“The services are still there,” she said. “I’ve been doing this kind of virtual counselling since March, so it’s very different. But it works.”

She added that, even from afar, counsellors are still able to establish working relationships with students and help them create coping strategies.

“We’re still doing the work and able to help them get through it,” she said.

As one might expect, giving and receiving counselling over a Zoom call does come with its difficulties.

“It feels weird,” said Porter. “I’m used to seeing people and being in the same room, and you can kind of sense energy and pick up non-verbal cues.”

Porter conceded that video chat can sometimes be better than a phone call, because it allows for more visual cues. This helps the counsellor get a better sense of what the student might be feeling.

Students and staff alike are facing unprecedented mental health complications this year, as social isolation becomes a necessary part of public health. Restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic mean that students are more separated from their social circles than ever. Porter said that virtual counselling sometimes might not be enough to help students who are seeking the comfort of talking to (and being with) another person.

“Students who are feeling isolated, it’s harder on them because it’s still not the in-person contact that they might want or long for,” said Porter. “But there is the opportunity, nonetheless, to be heard.”

The fall semester usually sees the largest intake of student clients, as classes get underway and the stresses of being back at school kick in. As Porter’s calendar starts to fill with students seeking help, she said it’s clear the COVID-19 pandemic is taking an added toll on students’ mental health.

“For all of us, as human beings, we have certain people and places that involve socializing, that are part of what helps keep us all anchored and motivated and energized,” she said. “And so when all that was shut down, people were feeling all the opposite: disconnected and lonely and unmotivated...so it’s been hard on a lot of people.”

She added that students living far from home might be feeling that distance more than usual.

But the help is here. It might feel weird, or different, but the services that Fanshawe has always provided are not going away. There are still ways to reach out and get the help you need, as we all navigate this new and, at times, scary reality.

“For a lot of us, the new normal means we wake up and we feel like we’ve been hit by a truck,” said Porter. “That’s counsellors, that’s students, that’s faculty...it’s a normal response to the pandemic.”

If you or someone you know is seeking help, contact counselling and accessibility services at 519- 452-4282 or by email at counselling@nullfanshawec.ca.

While two counsellors will be available on campus for urgent in-person matters, almost all other services will be available virtually. Office hours are Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.