Meet Toni - Frontline Worker and Psychotherapist
This interview was originally published in our May 2020 newsletter which can be found here.
Besides being one of our therapists at Growth & Wellness, tell us about your other profession as a frontline worker.
I am a hospital social worker working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and in pediatric rehabilitation. I work with families of premature babies as well as families living with a childhood disability. My role involves helping families cope with hospitalization or receiving a diagnosis for the first time. Oftentimes, the circumstances leading to a hospital admission are unexpected and this can be a stressful and scary experience for families. Having to be in a hospital especially during COVID-19 can also heighten a family's anxiety.
Most parents are so focused on caring for their own child that they may not have had a chance to care for themselves. My role is to help families process their feelings and come up with ways to cope. Such as, identifying their circles of support, self-care strategies, and helping them access community resources so that they continue to be supported after leaving the hospital. While there are many tears shed (and that is totally expected and okay!) I have witnessed families develop a kind of strength and resilience that can only be cultivated through a challenging experience.
It has been a pleasure to witness the community coming together to support frontline workers through words of encouragement, PPE and food donations, and those who are practicing good social distancing to keep our frontline workers and vulnerable populations safe. Thank you to everyone for all that you are doing to protect the community from COVID-19!
What strategies do you find most helpful to cope through COVID-19?
Being informed but not over-informed: Knowledge is empowering. Accurate information helps me make informed decisions of the risk of COVID-19 and to stay protected. However too much information can be overwhelming, so I find it useful to get just the information that I need and stop there.
Staying connected: Self-isolation does not mean social isolation. Luckily because I go to work at the hospital, I'm able to have some in-person social contact. When I am not at work, I connect with people over video chat, texting, or phone. I've been finding playing virtual board games is a great way to relax and take my mind off COVID-19. And so much fun!
Quiet time: Any activity that I can do alone (e.g. reading, tv, workout, walk) lets me recharge so that I can face another day.
Faith: My faith allows me to see a bigger picture beyond COVID-19 and is a source of strength and hope for me. Being a part of a faith community, such as attending virtual church every week provides me with the encouragement and confidence to continue living through COVID-19 without fear (well, less fear). Some fear is still expected and acceptable!
What do you look forward to once our office re-opens?
I look forward to being able to just be in the space, meet with clients face-to-face as well as reconnect with other therapists and staff there. The office is such a beautiful space with lots of natural light, greenery, and is an overall calming and peaceful environment. I've also been missing the tea selection!