Psychologists at Brainworks hosting free webinars to help you cope through this pandemic

If you are finding it difficult to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic and you’re feeling worried and anxious, you are not alone.

Two Huntsville psychologists, husband and wife team Alexis Clarke and Steve Stewart, are going to be hosting two Zoom webinars to discuss issues around the pandemic, how our brains are wired and respond to situations such as these, and how the pandemic is impacting individuals and the community at large. They will also be providing coping strategies to help you get through this.

Those who join the forum will be able to ask questions and, if there’s a need, more webinars may follow at a future date, said Stewart.

Clarke and Stewart moved to Huntsville from England after spending their honeymoon in the area. They were on their way to Algonquin Park, spent a couple of nights in Huntsville and decided it was a very nice little town. “Close enough to big cities but far away enough to get out into nature,” said Stewart. The pair, who were thinking of moving to Canada and started looking for jobs all across Ontario, thinking that Ottawa would probably be the most likely place where they’d wind up, spotted two positions available at Brainworks in Huntsville. That seemed like a perfect fit. They applied, were hired and have lived in Huntsville since last year. “It’s a great place to be,” said Stewart.

Brainworks, a mental health rehabilitation company that has psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers on its roster, has been working behind the scenes in the area since 2008, seeing clients in the community or in their homes. In 2015 Brainworks opened its first office near the hospital and has since opened a second location on King William Street.

“This is such an untapped market for the industry. There were so many people who were needing to go to the city, whether that was Toronto or Ottawa, in order to get these services,” explained Brainworks marketing manager Calla Temple.

She said much of their referrals come from personal injury lawyers, insurance companies, WSIB, and Veterans Affairs. The company also works with Victim Services and covers an area from Orillia north to Cochrane, including Timmins, and also has an office in North Bay.

Stewart said the forums are open to anyone who wants to find ways to cope with the situation, whether they have a mental health condition or not. “Actually everybody is in the same boat here. Most people are feeling anxious and worried about the situation. It’s affecting everybody’s lives so we’re wanting this to be something that will be able to help the whole community.”

The first webinar takes place on Monday, April 20 from 12 to 1 p.m. and the second webinar is scheduled for Thursday, April 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. The free webinars are open to anyone who lives in Muskoka. If interested, please register by emailing info@brainworksrehab.com