The uncertainty that comes with a global pandemic like the COVID-19 coronavirus means people need someone to talk to about their concerns, said Karla Morgan, who runs Seeds Counseling and Wellness in Starkville.
“Even if people aren’t looking for counseling, they’re looking for connection and support and ways to consider how to move forward,” Morgan said.
Morgan and other local counselors have been sharing advice via Facebook Live with anyone who needs it, and they hosted an informal Zoom conference Friday “for anyone who wants to kind of check in,” she said.
Some people are experiencing more serious mental health problems, such as delusions and paranoia, that require in-person intervention from services like the 24/7 crisis hotline for Region 7 — Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster and Winston counties — of Community Counseling Services.
Hotline coordinator Veronica Harrison said call volume has not increased significantly, but callers’ issues have become almost entirely about the coronavirus in the past couple weeks.
“Some have not shown any signs (of mental health problems) before, and now it’s manifesting,” Harrison said.
No matter the issue, the spread of the virus throughout the state and country has increased the need and demand for mental health services in the Golden Triangle, and technology bridges the distance between health care professionals and clients in many, though not all, cases.
The Oktibbeha County CCS office in Starkville has seen an “influx” of new clients, and the center’s existing clients have new or exacerbated problems and concerns, counselor Joshua McElroy said.
“Some parents might not be the most objective at handling issues their kids are having, and those clients are struggling a little more because they are confined to their homes,” McElroy said.
The existing clientele often rely on public transportation, which is currently limited, and food stamps, which do not account for children being home from school and not all can access ongoing school lunch programs, he said.
“We’re always the resource people, but lately we’ve had to get more creative and find alternatives for them because everything’s just kind of backed up right now,” he said.
Helping remotely
Counselors are learning to work with clients over video conferencing or by phone, a certification that the state licensing board recently gave to all counselors in Mississippi in order to limit person-to-person contact during the pandemic.
Many counselors, including Morgan, had never done telecounseling before.
“It’s the best-case scenario (right now), and I’m thankful that we have the opportunity to use it,” Morgan said.
CCS usually holds group therapy several times a week, mainly for elderly individuals, and is trying to conduct those meetings via teleconference, McElroy said. He agreed with Morgan that telecounseling is an asset and said he hopes it becomes available in all circumstances, not just a crisis.
The CCS hotline is not just for crises but for anytime someone wants to talk, and Lowndes County CCS administrator Stephanie Taylor said she expects call volume to increase over the next several weeks as the pandemic continues. She emphasized the importance of having a healthy outlet for emotions.
“This may be a time where people thought (they) would never call a counseling place, but we’re going through uncertain times,” Taylor said. “All of us, even people who provide counseling, are all human and we all have some level of uncertainty and anxiety with this, and that’s OK.”
Telecounseling, at first, seemed like it might not be conducive with the “sacred space” that is the one-on-one connection between a counselor and a client, Morgan said.
“They’re sharing with you on such a deep level, and you’re there witnessing and you’re with them in that, and it’s such a huge thing,” she said.
The lack of in-person interaction does “lose a little bit of just being there and feeling that energy,” Morgan said, but she has also been pleasantly surprised by her virtual sessions with her clients so far.
“We have that rapport, so once I see them and they see me, I feel like we get back into the rhythm of things, and that has been nice because I was a little anxious about that,” Morgan said.
John Hawkins, a counselor in Columbus, said he initially had doubts about the efficiency of telecounseling but has been pleasantly surprised as well. He and Morgan both have no new clients at the moment.
“Even if it was a new client, those skills I’ve learned to build rapport, to connect with them emotionally, I think I’m doing that naturally anyhow,” Hawkins said.
Resources for college students
The pandemic and the resulting suspension of everyday activities could amplify existing mental health problems for college students, especially the ones planning to graduate this spring, said Regina Hyatt, Mississippi State University vice president of student affairs.
“If they already had anxiety, for example, this could be a very difficult transition for them,” she said. “Likewise for students who had clinical depression, social isolation could be difficult, not just for students but for anyone.”
Some counselors at the Mississippi University for Women have been certified to offer telecounseling for a few years, Counseling Center director Deb Wells said, but telecounseling is entirely new to the MSU Student Counseling Center, director Luellyn Switzer said.
In addition to offering telecounseling, MSU is circulating a list of hotlines and mobile apps that students can use to take care of themselves during this period of “social distancing.”
Counselors can only provide services to in-state clients, but MSU has a contract with an external company that has licensed professional counselors in every state, Hyatt said.
“We’ve had to look outside our current capacity on campus to be able to provide those services,” she said. “I think we’re adjusting the best we can and still recognizing that it’s extraordinarily important that we continue having these services available to students.”
Wells said the MUW Counseling Center is trying to help students connect with therapists in their home states, and Morgan said she is doing the same thing. She sees a wide variety of clients with a variety of concerns, she said.
“If there’s a (common) thread, it’s the uncertainty of how long this is going to be, what this looks like and what this is going to mean potentially in the future,” Morgan said.
Coronavirus anxiety tips
Five ways anyone can minimize stress during the pandemic:
1. Take breaks, scheduled if necessary, from the news and social media. The nonstop coverage of the coronavirus can cause unnecessary stress.
2. Take care of yourself physically: eat healthy meals, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.
3. Try yoga or meditation, or just take deep breaths to stay calm.
4. Set aside time to do things you enjoy.
5. Call people on the phone or video chat and talk to them about your concerns or about anything at all. Social distancing doesn’t mean complete social isolation.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tess Vrbin was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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