Donna has worked as a clinical counsellor since 2018. She lives in Haines Junction and meets clients in all kinds of situations and settings. Sometimes that might include going for a walk by the lakeside and taking time for conversation. “It is so amazing and fulfilling to be a counsellor,” she says. Counselling services are offered through 4 Community Hubs in the Yukon.
These are operated by Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services (sometimes called by its acronym MWSU and pronounced “moo-soo”) which is a branch of Community and Primary Care within the Yukon’s Department of Health and Social Services. Let’s learn about Donna’s role within the Government of Yukon.
Could you introduce your role? What do you do?
I provide counselling services. I meet with people who are coming to counselling for a range of problems or issues. That could mean they’ve had a change in their life circumstances: somebody could have passed away, or they may be going through a divorce or separation. Somebody in their family may be going through something difficult or they may be having some stress or concerns about their job or maybe relationship issues. I also help people who are questioning the effect their substance use may have in their lives. That means people who might be concerned that they might be addicted to substances, or who are looking for some suggestion or some help in that area.
What do you like about working in the Yukon?
I really like the fact that I'm embedded in this community, and I live in the same place directly with my clients. I came to the Yukon to work with First Nations people. I am deeply committed to issues around colonization and reconciliation and I wanted to work in a decolonizing way. Living and working in the community allows me to put my commitment into practice. I am very grateful for the way First Nations people have welcomed me on their traditional territories.
How do clients find you?
Our hub, our mental health centre in Haines Junction, has existed for 6 and a half years now. I first started working in Haines Junction when that hub opened. Now a lot of referrals are coming from friends or family members by word of mouth. We also receive referrals from nurses and doctors in the community. Sometimes teachers can refer people to us as well.
What age range do you work with?
I work primarily with adults, but we have 2 counsellors that work with youth. The youngest age range we see is probably 5 to 6 years old. And then we work with people who are seniors as well, so it’s the whole range of ages.
Do you ever meet people in their homes?
Yes, a lot! Some people are much more comfortable being in their homes. There's still a lot of stigma around mental health and mental illness in the community. Sometimes people feel very visible or very vulnerable coming into our office. So we go out and we meet people in their homes. Or if people prefer, we can go for a walk. We sometimes take people for drives and do driving counselling and sometimes we'll go for a coffee when there are places to do that. We just try to meet people where they are. I ask myself: What is it that will help this person feel the most comfortable when they're doing their counselling?
You work alone as you're meeting people one on one. But you're also part of a team. Could you tell us about that?
It's really important to be a part of the team. There are 4 of us in the office in Haines Junction and all of us travel to different places like Beaver Creek, all the way to Carcross. Being part of a team means that we're able to consult and have conversations with our team members when something may be challenging for us. A lot of times in private practice, people work and they're very siloed and they're very isolated from other professionals. Whereas here, being part of a team, we can workshop issues as they come up. We can come up with ways of supporting the community that might be different because it is a whole team that can go and support the community and not just individuals.
What advice would you provide to someone considering this line of work?
It is so amazing and fulfilling to be a counsellor. Every day I have this opportunity to learn about myself — whether it's something that a client says that affects me in a particular kind of way. Or how I ask a question, which may get me thinking about my own life. I have this amazing opportunity to learn about myself as well as about my clients. I haven't done very much work in places where I've had that opportunity. I'm a lifelong learner and this is very stimulating and very exciting work for me to do.