Horn Sound Texas Expands Psychological Counseling Service
In the past year, in addition to experiencing the raging new crown pneumonia epidemic in the United States, Texas has also been hit by a severe snowstorm. Lily, Director of the Counseling Center of the Texas Horn Sound Branch, described this year as a year of storms, but in the sudden change, it still Seeing that God’s promise is real, and rainbows are common.
The Texas branch has always provided professional psychological counseling services and lectures, but during the epidemic, many services have to be changed to online, which is a major change and challenge.
Counseling changed from physical to online
Ms. Lin said: "The epidemic has forced us to make changes. We do psychological counseling. We like to talk face-to-face and observe each other's body language. However, if we can't meet under the epidemic, the service has to be changed from physical to online. I am not a high-tech person, nor I want to learn zoom immediately, but I am very grateful to a volunteer co-worker who designed a counseling appointment website for us. The public can make an appointment for the date and time of counseling through the website so that the service can continue. Some people who don’t know how to use zoom can also use it. Although I can't meet in person for counseling and talks over the phone, the effect is very good."
Ms. Lin pointed out that due to the epidemic, many people cannot go out, social life and work are greatly affected, and cases of anxiety and depression are increasing rapidly. Singles and the elderly are often isolated and helpless due to lack of family support and feel lonely. There is also a great need to seek solutions and counselling, so the number of help-seeking cases received by the counseling center has on the contrary increased, and the number of attendees for online seminars on anxiety and depression has broken the previous record.
Ms. Lin said: "We used to hold lectures, and the office can only accommodate up to XNUMX people. It is good to have XNUMX people to participate, but after it was changed to online, the maximum number of people at one time was XNUMX. In the past year, a total of XNUMX people participated in the online seminars, which greatly increased our contact points with the participants. After the seminars, we will continue to discuss in groups by language and become a support group. We found that many participated People are willing to share their situation online, especially when it comes to youth mental problems, many mothers will vomit and support and encourage each other by sharing. We will contact them via email and distribute the latest information via email , The response is very good. And through online counseling and lectures, the arrangement can be more flexible and save time. They can communicate at home without driving to the center."
Set up a grief counseling group
This new normal of learning and change has broken the gap between each other and made the center team closer. Ms. Lin said: "God’s guidance is wonderful. In the process of transformation, our team is closer than before, and our gifts are better matched. For example, there are co-workers who have a better grasp of technology than me. I have to rely on her help to conduct online tutoring and lectures. The co-workers also have greater access to them and learn to share and cooperate with each other."
Ms. Lin believes that after the epidemic, people’s needs for psychological counseling will become more intense, and the center needs to train more psychological counselors to join the ranks of services. At present, the counseling center has six co-workers who provide various counseling services, including anxiety, depression, and depression. For adults and adolescents’ mental health, domestic violence, and marital problems, Ms. Lin said: “More than half a million people in the United States have died from the epidemic. Emotions, we have commitment and ambition for this service, and we hope to try to open a grief counseling group online. Based on past experience, Chinese people prefer group therapy and feel that someone with a peer will help communicate and face difficulties. Psychological illness is Those who do not have a vaccine need to receive treatment as soon as possible. Many Chinese people have problems with taboos and doctors. They refuse to admit their problems and refuse to receive treatment for a long time. However, we have a lot of experience in the prevention and treatment of mental health, and we hope to improve The public’s awareness of mental health can be helped as soon as possible. Our counseling services are provided to everyone, regardless of believers and non-believers, and serve those in need with the love and care of Christ.”
Written by: Liming Hui
Recording: Leung Baoyi