• Alcohol abuse
• Anger management
• Anxiety
• Behavioural issues
• Child or adolescent
• Coping skills
• Depression
• Divorce
• Drug abuse
• Eating disorders
• Emotional disturbance
• Family conflict
• Gambling
• Grief
• Infertility
• Infidelity
• Life transitions/coaching
• Marital/premarital issues
• Men’s issues
• Mood disorders
• Parenting difficulties
• Peer relationships
• Relationship issues
• School issues
• Self esteem
• Self-harming
• Sexual abuse
• Sleep or Insomnia
• Stress
• Suicidal ideation
• Teen violence
• Transgender
• Women’s issues

Deciding to see a clinical social worker can be difficult because of the stigma of seeking help. Setting an appointment and arriving in the waiting room can be nerve-wracking. The most important thing is to remember that you are not alone – everyone struggles with their mental health. When you arrive, just try to have an open mind and be willing to get help.

Before your appointment, you could think about what is happening in your life that is causing you distress and what you would like your life to look like after therapy. When you arrive, you will have to fill out some paperwork about yourself and your life. It helps to arrive 10 minutes early. Once you are in the therapists office, she will guide you through a conversation about who you are and why you’re seeking therapy.

Being in a relationship of mutual respect, acceptance, and trust, enables people to be vulnerable enough to move through their distress in a way they may not be able to on their own.

Being heard and validated and receiving information about your social, emotional, and mental health can be empowering and relieving, all at the same time. It enables people to make cognitive, emotional, and behavioural changes in their lives so they can achieve the goals they’ve set out for themselves. It helps to have someone in your corner advocating for you, supporting you, and connecting you with resources along the way.

Clinical social work is said to have derived in England during the mid 1800’s in response to the social and economic distress caused by the industrial revolution. The Charity Organization Society appears to have been the leader of social work as a professional occupation, helping individuals cope with distress. Other social work approaches were developed to provide relief for individuals struggling with poverty in England in the 1600’s. Another form of social work involved politics and changing laws to improve social conditions.