May is Mental Health Awareness Month! In the midst of the COVID-19 global crisis, we know that mental health resources are necessary now more than ever. And it is the mental health professionals across the globe who are on the front lines caring for an increased number of patients suffering from anxiety, stress, and depression as a result of this global pandemic. To recognize and celebrate our own Behavioral Health team’s efforts, we will be profiling one of our clinicians each week in the month of May.
Meet Ashley Pearson, LMHC
Why did you pursue a career into mental health?
From a young age I knew I wanted to be in a helping profession, but I originally thought my dream job was to be a veterinarian. I love animals and always wanted to save, heal, and advocate for them, but realized there were parts of that profession I wouldn’t be able to follow through on. In high school I took my first psychology class, which I found fascinating and decided to enter college with a major in psychology. In college I knew that I wanted to be a therapist, not only to understand why and how others think and behave, but to learn how to help others in a meaningful way. On my own path of becoming an LMHC, I have met professors, supervisors, mentors, and other therapists in the field who were kind, intelligent, inspiring, motivating, and supportive, which makes me feel proud to be part of the mental health community.
What does Mental Health Awareness Month mean to you?
Mental Health Month is important to me because it destigmatizes mental health as being something that’s “bad” or kept secret, and allows others to be honest about what they are feeling or comfortable asking for help. Mental Health Month reminds people that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health and provides an abundance of resources and skills along with a supportive community.
What do you think will be different because of COVID-19?
I think as mental health professionals, when we are dealing with crisis or issues in our own lives we typically take time off to process, grieve, problem-solve, and so on. However, during COVID we are also going through something difficult simultaneously with our patients. This, I think, allows the mental health professional a time to “practice what they preach” in a way, because we are implementing for ourselves the skills and techniques that we are teaching to others. I think during this COVID time it allows for people to be empathetic, compassionate, and kind to others, but also with themselves. This is a good time to highlight how resilient and adaptive people are: we are surviving something none of us was prepared for!
At Eden Health, we recognize the elevated stress and anxiety people are facing with the world’s current state of uncertainty around COVID-19. Please check out our list of mental health resources below designed to help you and your teams recognize and manage stress and anxiety in the workplace.
- Read our blog on A Guide to Managing Stress and Anxiety from Our Therapists
- Hear from our mental health clinicians featured for Mental Health Month: Anna Kuzmenko, LMHC; Rachelle Scott, MD; Casey Flax, LCSW
- Read our blog on COVID-19 and Mental Health in the Workplace
- Watch this on demand webinar Rock star to Rock bottom: Preventing employee burnout in stressful times
- Download the Employee Burnout Checklist
- Read our blog on 7 Ways to Build Company Culture While Working from Home
We know mental health is important and that’s why it’s a critical part of our complete, integrated care solution. To learn more about Eden Health and what we can do for you and your employees, contact us at sales@edenhealth.com.
