Page 29 - Varsity Special Issue

26 / Lifestyle / 27

“

We do understand that for a lot of people, affordability is a

blocker for them getting help.

”

others thrive in an online environ- bring that stigma down so that they’re
ment. more comfortable taking their first A Shift In Attitude
“With the online format, there is step,” she adds. Yeung’s venture comes at an oppor-
almost like a physical barrier between Yeung also notes that online coun- tune time as mental health among the
a client and a therapist. The client feels selling tends to be more cost-friendly population has worsened. A survey
a lot safer. There is something about compared to in-person services. “We released by the Mental Health Month
ttee
Sou
rce: Men
tal Heal
th Organizing Commi
talking through a screen that makes do understand that for a lot of people, Organising Committee revealed that Source: Mental Health Organizing Committee
some people feel more relaxed.” affordability is a blocker for them get- people in the city have worsening
Yeung also notes that online ser- ting help,” Yeung notes. “Online, we mental well-being, especially after the
vices have some advantages over are able to reduce a lot of costs.” double whammy of social unrest and Classification of Diseases and Related selling sessions yet, but she believes to consider online mental health ser-
in-person services. She believes that An online platform reduces costs the pandemic. The survey revealed Health Problems. online counselling sessions are more vices.
one advantage of online counselling by removing many overhead costs as- that the average well-being score for With the pandemic stimulating convenient than in-person sessions. “Online counselling is a supple-
is minimizing the stigma in seeking sociated with in-person counselling. Hong Kong is 45.12 out of 100 in online lifestyles, interest in online “I’m doing classes online anyway. On- ment to face-to-face counselling.
mental help. “The reason why I want- “Most of the time, the high price range 2020, which is significantly lower than counselling is growing as well. Stefani, line counselling will just make the ses- Online counselling can save therapist
ed to launch an online-only platform is because of their room rental costs those in previous years. who declines to reveal her full name, sions easier to fit in,” she says. “I can time by leaving clients to learn vari-
is because a lot of the time, online de- being extremely high in Hong Kong,” 52 out of 100, a score lower than is a Year Four student of the Chinese save time on commuting to the coun- ous cognitive behavioural skills online
creases the stigma,” Yeung says. Yeung says. “Because the counselling or equal to this in the World Health University of Hong Kong. She began selling centre and that would work by themselves. Therapists can spend
“Online, what we’re trying to do, is is online, the therapists are able to Organization- Five Well-Being Index receiving counselling at the CUHK better with my schedule.” less time to help clients apply these
to minimize (the stigma), by creating remove that overhead administrative (WHO-5) indicates poor well-being Wellness & Counselling Centre for “ skills to deal with their own issues to
an easy and convenient portal where cost. We also help them with the mar- and is an indication for testing for de- anxiety and stress after entering uni- improve their mental health,” Pan ex-
people can ask for help without hav- keting, so we pass on that savings to pression under ICD-10, the 10th re- versity. I don’t really feel plains in a written reply to Varsity.
ing to ask for referrals. We want to clients,” she adds. vision of the International Statistical She has always attended counsel- “Blended mode of service delivery
ling sessions in-person, but her ses- like going to my with both online and offline coun-
sions were sporadic due to scheduling selling may be more suitable for the
difficulties. “Sometimes I would not counselling centre, Hong Kong context. It may be a fea-
f Counselling Services in Ho
ng Ko
ng As Of October 2020
Comparison of Counselling Services in Hong Kong As Of October 2020 be able to book my counsellor. Either sible solution in Hong Kong to fill in
Compariso
n o
she would only be available at the but I still want to the service gap of huge demands for
times when I’m not, or she would be mental health service and shortage of
*$400 fee applies o nl y f or Cou nsell ors- overbooked,” Stefani says. get counselling. mental health professionals,” Pan says.
*$400 fee applies only for Counsellors-
in
in-training, who are students enrolled She gave up booking counselling
lled
ts enro
den
training, who are stu
-
in a Masters of Counselling programme
in a Masters o f Counselling programme sessions in her third year of study at
and practice counselling to fulfil practi-
and practice c ounselling to fu lfil practi -
cum hours.
cum hours. university after her counsellor was ”
**$1000 is a special rate offered to those
**$1000 is a special rate o ffered to those overbooked three times.
n
earning less than $30,000 per mo
th,
earning less than $30,000 per month, The 21-year-old is strongly consid- Choosing the best service
applying only to Cantonese counselling ering restarting her counselling ses-
appl
ounselling
nl
ying o
y to Can
nese c
to
sessi o ns. Pan Jiayan, associate professor
sessions.
Source: Common Care Central, The
S our c e: C ommon C ar e C en tr al, The sions online now due to the pandem- of the Department of Social Work
Hong Kong Psychological Counselling
Hong K ong P sy c hologi c al C ounselling ic. “I don’t really feel like going to my at the Hong Kong Baptist University
Centre, and St. John’s Cathedral Coun-
C en tr e , and St. J ohn ’ s C a the dr al C oun - counselling centre, but I still want to (HKBU), researches on mental health
selling Service
selling S erv i c e get counselling. So I think I’m going and online cognitive behavioural
to have to look into online counsel- therapy. She believes self-motivated,
ling,” she says. digitally competent clients with high
Stefani has not tried online coun- self-learning ability are more suitable