Mental counseling soothes hearts amid epidemic

GUANGZHOU -- As the COVID-19 epidemic has flared up in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou recently, Jiang Lin, a local psychological counselor, is very busy with his duties.

Jiang leads a team of mental health workers in Haizhu district, which was hit by the recent outbreak. The district has set up a mental health hotline, assigning over 400 social workers to offer services around the clock. Over 6,000 people have been served.

"Working at the grassroots level has helped me better understand the needs of the residents," said Jiang, who heads the psychological department of a local health center.

As the fight against the epidemic intensified, Jiang was joined by a group of psychological counselors recruited by the Guangzhou Psychological Consultant Association to provide professional services on the phone and in quarantined areas.

"For my job, it is especially important to listen," Jiang said.

In early November, Jiang received a call from an anxious parent whose third-grade daughter refused to take online classes. After comforting the parent, Jiang had a talk with the daughter.

"I asked how she felt, but she remained silent at first," Jiang recalled. He was patient and shared his own experience with the child and showed his understanding of the situation, and gradually, she opened up to him.

Jiang later learned that the child grew disgruntled as her parents were too strict and cut her time for watching videos and playing. With Jiang's help, the parent and daughter achieved a better understanding of each other.

In another case, Jiang received a call from a woman whose family members were being treated in the hospital for COVID-19. Having lived alone in her apartment for days, she sounded sullen and unspirited.

Jiang helped her relax and soothe her emotions. "Hope is extremely important. It is even more important during the epidemic." he said. "I tried to let her feel the connections around her, such as love and friendship."

A woman surnamed Xie in Haizhu district, suffered from insomnia for some time due to work pressure during the epidemic. After seeking help from Jiang, she felt her condition improving.

"People need comfort and an outlet for their emotions during special times, and psychological guidance has helped me a lot," she said.

Apart from psychological assistance, Jiang said paying attention to people's actual needs is also important.

"With epidemic prevention and control measures optimized, some problems troubling people are being addressed, which also gives us confidence in effective mental guidance," he said.