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Resources - British Columbia
Free chronic disease counselling program
Are you living with diabetes and residing in Vancouver or Richmond? If so, adult professional counselling and support services are available through the Canadian Mental Health Association.
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Vancouver-Burnaby Branch and North Shore and West Vancouver Branch, is now offering free brief intervention counselling to adults living with chronic illness and depression and anxiety in Vancouver, North and West Vancouver, and Richmond. This program is generously funded by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and is intended to provide support to assist people to self-manage their health and improve their overall quality of life.
This counselling and support service is specially designed for adults living with diabetes and other chronic health conditions such as hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, asthma and cerebrovascular disease.
Living with diabetes and other chronic health conditions can affect one’s inner sense of wellness. Depression and anxiety often accompany the challenge of wanting wellness, knowing what to do, but feeling unable to do it. Thus, the focus of counselling is on the treatment of moderate to severe depression and developing supports for self-care. Professional counsellors provide individual counselling and facilitated groups free of charge.
Exclusion criteria include: cognitive impairment, bi-polar illness, substance abuse and psychosis. For more information on this counselling and support program, contact your physician and discuss a referral.