Honouring Mental Health Awareness Month: You Deserve Support Before It’s a Crisis

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and remind ourselves that emotional wellbeing matters every single day.

In a world that celebrates "powering through" and "keeping it together," it’s easy to overlook the quiet signs that we need support. The truth? You don’t have to wait until everything falls apart to reach out.

Your experiences are valid. Your struggles are real. And your wellbeing is worth prioritizing.

Healing Isn’t Linear — And You’re Not Broken

If you’ve ever thought,

“I should be over this by now,” or

“Why am I feeling this again?”

you’re not alone.

Healing doesn’t move in a straight line. It loops, dips, and often revisits places we thought we’d already moved through. That doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means you’re human.

Many people delay therapy because they believe their pain isn’t “serious enough” or worry that needing help means something is wrong with them. But therapy isn’t reserved for crisis. You don’t have to be falling apart to benefit from support.

Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or emotionally drained doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your system is asking for care.

When Everyday Stress Is Something More

Stress is part of life — but sometimes what we think is “just stress” is actually something deeper calling for our attention. Some signs that your nervous system might be asking for support include:

• Feeling constantly overwhelmed, even by small tasks

• Feeling exhausted, even after rest

• Numbing out with scrolling, food, or isolation

• Getting caught in repetitive negative thought patterns

• Losing interest in things you once enjoyed

• Appearing fine on the outside but struggling on the inside

These are not signs of weakness. They are signals that your mind and body are under strain — and that support could make a difference. Therapy Isn’t Just for Crisis

One of the most harmful misconceptions about therapy is that it’s only for people in acute distress. But therapy can also be for people who:

• Are feeling “just okay” but want to feel more grounded and alive

• Want to understand themselves more deeply

• Are navigating life transitions or processing the past

• Want to improve their relationships

• Are learning to regulate their nervous systems and connect more deeply with themselves
  

Reaching out isn’t a last resort — it’s a way to stay connected to yourself, your values, and your emotional health.

If You’ve Been Thinking About Therapy, That’s Reason Enough

You don’t need to reach a breaking point.

You don’t need to justify your pain.

If the idea of therapy has even crossed your mind, that’s enough of a sign. You deserve to feel better. You deserve support. And you’re allowed to want more peace, clarity, and connection in your life — no explanation needed.

Making Therapy More Accessible: Welcoming Katlyn to the Team!

In honour of Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m excited to share that our team is growing. We’re welcoming Katlyn, our new Intern Psychotherapist, who is here to help make therapy more accessible and approachable for those ready to begin their healing journey.

Katlyn is completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University and brings over five years of experience in the fields of mental health and addictions. She has a warm, person-centered approach and has worked extensively with the 2SLGBTQ+ and First Nations communities, as well as with neurodivergent clients and individuals navigating addiction and life transitions.

Trained in evidence-based approaches like DBT, CBT, and ACT, Katlyn supports individuals ages 12 and up. She offers both in-person sessions in Niagara and virtual therapy across Ontario, with availability on Monday evenings, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Mental health support should be accessible to everyone, and Katlyn is committed to providing care at a cost that works for you.

A Final Word: You Deserve to Be Supported

This Mental Health Awareness Month, let this be your reminder: you don’t have to navigate it all on your own.

Whether you’re moving through anxiety, burnout, grief, or simply trying to feel more like yourself again, support is available. Therapy can be a space to be heard, to feel safe in your body, and to reconnect with parts of yourself that have been buried by stress or survival.

You don’t need to earn the right to seek help. You already deserve it.

By: Janessa Meissner