In the last six years, we have encountered many people who have faced challenges in their lives: older adults isolated from community; youth at loss and uncertain about their future; food bank clients adjusting to a new country or the homeless seeking warmth and shelter. While our existing programs and services can alleviate some of the burdens for them, it is vital to address their needs in a more comprehensive way so that their overall wellness can be improved.

As such, 105 Gibson Centre launched the Wellness Clinic in 2018 to deliver service to our registered users from a social, physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. Starting in early 2020, we will launch a pilot counselling service to address mental health issues and will be an integral part of our ministries. Working closely with other ministries, the counselling service provides a crucial component to the Centre’s goal of delivering holistic care to the community. In fact, even before 2020, there had been workshops offered in Arabic, Cantonese and Mandarin for our food bank users and parents of our youth to discuss parenting topics that are commonly seen in counselling sessions.

This may be the first instance where counselling is offered as part of the services at a community centre and not inside of an institution such as hospitals or private clinics. The team consisting of psychologists, psychotherapist and social workers is capable of providing comprehensive mental health services including diagnosis, counselling or psychotherapy and the referral of community resources for helping people with their life’s challenges.

These factors allow our users to sign up for counselling sessions, at discount rates if necessary, at the same place where they come for programs. Counsellors can also encourage the counsellees to participate in our programs because physical activities contribute to good mental health. Thus, this is a benefit where within the Wellness Clinic and Counselling Services, our users can have their physical, emotional and psychosocial needs met under one roof.

A cultural stigma that family secrets are not to be exposed often leads the vulnerable to seek solutions on their own and they may not seek professional advice until it is very late. Both the Wellness Clinic and Counselling Service are working with ministries to create topical and needs-based workshops for our community. We pray our holistic services at the Centre can be helpful to our users when they most need it and empower them to seek immediate intervention instead of relying on a doctor’s referral to a specialist. It is our ultimate goal that users will experience 105 Gibson’s mission – to sense God’s compassion and hope in their lives and find their path forward.

For details about the 105 Gibson Counselling Service, please visit www.105gibson.com/counselling