CEO of Winnipeg's Aurora Family Therapy Centre speaks about Mental Health Issues and Stigma

A 2022 survey by the Angus Reid Institute reported that one-in-three Canadians are struggling with their mental health. However, there is still a stigma that therapy is only for people with a debilitating mental illness or a massive interpersonal issue.

In this episode of Community Hour with journalist Yulia Kovalensky, Abdikheir Ahmed, the Executive Director of Aurora Family Therapy Centre, explains that many cultures believe that people with mental health issues are 'crazy' or 'possessed', while, in fact, most people have some mental health issues, which vary on a spectrum, but most are dealing with common problems such as loneliness, anxiety or low mood, the most common issues.

He tells us why we should eliminate these beliefs and start caring for our mental health. He says, "The first step is to normalize mental health challenges and see the mental health challenges as the same as physical problems."

The Aurora Family Therapy Centre has an array of programs to help people. The most popular is the Family Therapy Program which serves over a 1000 people a year. And it is affordable. They have a sliding scale of fees so all can participate. They have a program for newcomers who are dealing with adjusting to a totally new country and they provide a mental health assessment for government assisted refugees who are dealing with many things including loneliness. Individual therapy is also available.

According to their website," the therapists and staff at Aurora Family Therapy Centre have been helping people — young and old, single and coupled, families and individuals — for over 35 years.They work with you to find a satisfactory resolution to your problems — whether they have their roots in the trauma of grief and loss, the paralysis of post-divorce feelings, past or present sexual, physical or emotional abuse, or other issues that affect your relationships with your partner or children, and stop you being the best you can be. Your therapist will help you to name the problem that brought you to Aurora, and will work with you to set goals and find solutions that work for you."

Ahmed differentiates 'therapy' from 'psychology' in that therapy takes a holistic view of your situation, your family and environment etc., while psychology focuses on the individual, their thoughts, feelings etc.