NEW GLASGOW, N.S. — As a clinical psychologist with 20 years experience, Tammy Kontuk knows a thing or two about the brain.
“The mind has its own behaviour,” she says.
Sometimes it’s good and sometimes, well, it can be a jerk – like when it tells people to be anxious about something they shouldn’t be scared about or to obsess on something we shouldn’t.
“It can really torture us sometimes when it’s being a jerk,” she said.
But Kontuk believes there is hope and simple ways to help.
While working for mental health services in Pictou County she developed a program called Quick Start which helped people understand and cope with some common mental health struggles. Often people would tell her they gained as much from one session with her as they had with years of therapy.
Now she’s sharing those skills with a new video series created in partnership between New Glasgow based RiverStone Psychology and Counselling, where she now works, and United We Stand Pictou County, a grassroots group that has formed to find ways to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kontuk said she has often thought about how to make these tips easily accessible to people, but didn’t have the opportunity before. That’s when Jonathon MacKay approached her with the idea of doing the series.
MacKay was familiar with the Quick Start program that Kontuk had developed and thought it’d be particularly beneficial for people who had mental health struggles during the pandemic. Through the United We Stand Pictou County Facebook page they were able to connect with a videographer, Danny Harvie, who offered to do the video editing. A graphic designer connected with a sister group of United We Stand in South Africa, for a created logo. The videos are being posted onto a channel called Jerk Brain on YouTube and shared through the United We Stand Pictou County Facebook page.
The first video is on anxiety. Kontuk and fellow RiverStone psychologist Greg Purvis explain what it is and how to manage it. Others will cover other mental health struggles that people deal with. While it’s not a complete replacement for professional mental health services, Kontuk believes these tips will provide people with quick practical skills that can make a lasting difference.
“We want people to know they’re not alone,” she said.
MacKay said he’s happy to see the video series come together through the grassroots efforts. He said it’s amazing to think all of this has been done without a budget and for free.
“Everybody has volunteered with good intentions and professional work,” he said.
Harvie said he was happy to help and said, for him, it’s been a good outlet for his skills during a time when his freelance business as a videographer is a bit slower.
“I think it’s a fantastic initiative,” he said. “This is a really bad time for people with mental health issues and the anxiety for them is probably through the roof.”
He hopes this video series will offer some relief.
He admits it was a bit of a challenge to create the videos remotely, but they found a way to make it work by having the two Riverstone psychologists interact live and then have Harvie edit for the final cut.
“I’m using a platform where I’m able to bring both of their video feeds in,” Harvie explained. “I can record both of them individually and then end up editing it afterwards.”
“I just hope it gives people the idea that they’re not alone in all of this,” Harvie said. “There’s other people struggling as well. I hope they take away some good information and stuff that they can really put to use.”
For his part, MacKay couldn’t be happier with the end result and the dedication of all who took part.
“My faith in humanity has probably never been higher,” he said.
In addition to the videos, RiverStone Psychology and Counselling also has a blog on mental health related issues online at riverstoneclinic.com.
Need mental health help now?
- For emergencies, people should call 911 or go to their nearest emergency room.
- A nationally available online mental health portal Wellness Together Canada,
- Kids Help Phone · 1-800-668-6868 ·
- Crisis Services Canada · Phone:1-833-456-4566 · Text: 45645
- Nova Scotia crisis line Halifax: 902-429-8167 Toll-free: 1-888-429-8167
- New Brunswick crisis line Fredericton: 450-HELP (4357) Toll-free : 1-800-667-5005
- Newfoundland and Labrador crisis line St. John’s (709) 737-4668 Toll-free (888) 737-4668
- Mobile Crisis Response team St. John’s (709) 737-4668 Toll Free: (888) 737-4668
- Prince Edward Island crisis line1-800-218-2885
