A free online therapy program to help Manitobans cope with stress and anxiety related to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic is now available for free to anyone 16 or older, the provincial government said April 16.
The program - AbilitiCBT - addresses anxiety symptoms related to the uniquely challenging aspects of pandemics: uncertainty, social isolation, caring for family and community members, information overload and stress management, said Morneau Shepell, the company that offers the program, in a press release in late March when the provincial government announced that it would be making it available to Manitobans free of charge. It’s a self-directed cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program guided by professional therapists.
More than 600 people are already using the program, which can be accessed by going to www.manitoba.ca/covid-19. To start using the program, which is offered in English and French, people must complete an online assessment on the website and then download an app and submit a health-screening questionnaire. A therapist will then contact them within three days to book an initial assessment by phone.
The program consists of 10 modules on the app that people can complete at their own pace, with scheduled check-ins by phone, chat or video along the way to ensure people are getting the help they need.
A type of talk therapy, CBT helps people become more aware of inaccurate or negative thinking to view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them more effectively, says the Mayo Clinic website.
Thompson-based mental health clinician Nuwan Fonseka, vice-president of the Canadian College of Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists, previously told the Thompson Citizen that access to AbilitiCBT will be a benefit for many Manitobans.
“People really need this online program,” he said, noting that the Integrative Mindfulness Centre (https://www.integrative-mindfulness-inc.com/) that he founded has moved to providing all their services through virtual means in order to comply with social distancing recommendations and protect both its staff and their clients.
For a list of mental health crisis and non-crisis contacts in Manitoba, visit https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/mh/crisis.html.
