Atlantic Wellness seeks gifts of counselling for troubled teens

Atlantic Wellness, a non-profit organization which provides counselling to troubled youth in the Moncton area, is looking for donations that will be matched by a corporate sponsor at Christmas time.

“A lot of people give to non-profits during the holidays, so we’re trying to direct their attention to Atlantic Wellness, because there is a big need for counselling at this time of year as well,” said Andrew LeBlanc, executive-director of Atlantic Wellness. LeBlanc is also Mayor of Riverview.

“Every $100 represents an hour of therapy, so if you donate $50, MoeMar homes will match that $50 to provide one hour of counselling to a young person for free,” he said. MoeMar homes will match donations up to $10,000.

“Mental health is something everybody can relate to and our community has always stepped up to support us. We are fully funded by the community, donors and grants,” LeBlanc said.

Atlantic Wellness has a staff of counsellors who provide counselling to youths aged 12 to 21 in southeastern New Brunswick. A recent move to online counselling has opened the door to a wider population base.

“Youth can get in-person therapy and online checks as well. There’s a lot of different options for people to get the help they are looking for,” LeBlanc said.

The most common issues with youth include anxiety and depression, and approximately 20 per cent have reported suicidal thoughts.

“There are various trigger points during the year, like the start of the school year, exam time, end of the school year and not knowing what you are going to do, and the holiday season. All of those things can create peaks and valleys in your mental health journey. We see conflicts with interpersonal relationships and managing stress. There’s a lot of different challenges that youth report to us.”

The gift doubling campaign will end on Dec. 31. Anyone who would like to make a donation or learn more about the counselling services for youth can contact Atlantic Wellness through the website at http://atlanticwellness.org, or by phone at 506-382-0298. Their headquarters is at 50 King St., Moncton.