InceptionU partners with Calgary Counselling Centre to provide learners with mental health support

Shortly after the pandemic began in March of 2020, staff at InceptionU began to notice that some learners in the program were struggling with circumstances the pandemic and economic downturn had presented.

Let’s face it, we ALL struggled when the pandemic hit. However, learners in the program faced some unique challenges. Dealing with job losses and financial uncertainty while trying to learn complex new material and make career transitions felt overwhelming.

“A significant proportion of our learners are people who've already been through a lot. Not knowing when there might be an end in sight, would they be able to find employment post-program, it definitely generated a higher level of anxiety,” says InceptionU co-founder and CEO Margo Purcell. “In some cases, we heard from people in the cohort saying, ‘I’m worried about my fellow learner.’ “

In its mission to help provide the best environment for people to learn, InceptionU formed a partnership with the Calgary Counselling Centre (CCC).

The goal of counselling is to build resiliency and equip people with skills so they can move forward, says Cathy Keough of the CCC.

“People get stuck wanting more control versus how do I influence my situation so I can transition into something similar or better? They can start to ruminate and play it over and over again in their mind - what did I do wrong, why did this happen? This is how we try to problem solve, but ruminating starts to affect sleep and that affects learning,” says Keough.

Statistics show 1 in 5 Calgarians will deal with an emotional challenge and need help. Depression, anxiety and marital problems are the most common issues people are experiencing. Making counselling readily available helps to destigmatize mental health and supports people to seek help sooner.

“What many students are struggling with is solvable. But they get stuck, get behind in their class work, feel like they will never catch up and that leads to really negative self talk,” says Keough.

 Keough says most people who seek counselling will experience improvement within 6 sessions and can solidify more positive behavioural changes within 10 sessions. 

Not all counselling works for everyone, and not every counsellor is a good fit with every client. The CCC does ongoing measurement and assessments to make sure the counselling sessions are effective and efficient. There are over 100 counsellors available through the service. 

Sometimes, referrals to other professionals are needed. For example, maybe it’s talking to a financial planner, accountant or a lawyer. 

People who have used the service have really appreciated it. They’ve expressed gratitude for making it available,” says Purcell.

“Our key role is to create the environment for people to learn as much as they can and this is part of creating that environment - it’s a place of trust, relationships, support and care.”

If you are interested in accessing these services, you can email info@inceptionu.com.