Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Monday, May 28, 2007

INUVIK - Inuvik's Family Counselling Centre is a retrofitted house on Gwich'in Road.

The former bedrooms are now offices, and the old living room is bright with green paint, plants and sunlight.

It's a nice place to meet Carol Benjamin, who is one of the centre's counsellors.

"We deal with mental health and addictions counselling," said Benjamin. "There is an educational element as well as therapeutic element."

Having worked in Inuvik since the winter, Benjamin meets clients to talk about their problems.

This can mean issues of alcoholism, depression, suicidal thoughts, troubles with parents or spouses or any other form of pain - what she calls an "emotional injury."

While every case is different, Benjamin said the counsellor's goal is to help the client learn about themselves, and discover why they are acting destructively.

"You have to lay bare the root of the problem."

In some cases, this can mean unresolved feelings of guilt, anxiety or 'nakedness,' which stem from sexual, physical or emotional abuse.

Benjamin uses the example of aboriginal people abused in a residential school, who decades later can still be afflicted.

"It can be very difficult sometimes exposing what the issue is," she added.

But eventually, once people grow comfortable discussing their inner feelings, she said the results can lead to important revelations.

In turn, this better understanding of the person can hopefully lead to a healthier lifestyle.

One interesting aspect of Benjamin's job is that she often counsels entire families or couples.

This can be difficult, she said, but sometimes leads to insights.

Of course, for group therapy to work, everyone has to agree there is a problem.

Benjamin said it's common that one family member will refuse to discuss an issue such as their drinking, while the rest of the family is distressed.

And of course, some topics are too painful to speak about publicly.

"In dealing with cases of family violence or incest, we prefer to deal with the individual who caused the problem in the first place," she said.

In recent weeks, the Family Counselling Centre has changed significantly.

The Centre is currently being disbanded. While it used to be funded by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Benjamin said the organization could no longer afford to compete with local government salaries for counsellors, and faced a high staff turnover.

As of May 31, she said two counsellors including herself and the centre's program manager will be working for the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services authority, and might keep the same office. However, one wellness worker and one counsellor have lost their jobs.

"The Mental Health Association provided services as long as they could as an NGO," said Benjamin. "But eventually, it got too expensive in the north."

While the new arrangement is perhaps more stable in some ways, it also means clients will be shared by fewer counsellors.

"I can sometimes see six in a day," Benjamin said.

"Ideally I would prefer to see less, it would allow me to do work like record keeping."

While it is easy to imagine someone getting overwhelmed by the raw emotion in her line of work - speaking with people about alcoholism, depression and suicide every workday - Benjamin said there are moments of joy.

"What brings me satisfaction is seeing people come to face their challenges with a spirit of resilience," she said.

"I feel fulfilled when I am able to inspire hope."

The Inuvik Family Counselling Centre will be hosting an open house June 10 to 16, and encourages residents to come by and ask questions.