Mental Health 201
Take Control of Your Mental Health
Has anyone sat down with you, explained everything, made sure you're on the right track, and answered all your questions?
In this four-session, small-group course, Dr. Lysak will explore medications, therapy, supplements, lifestyle and more—and how you can best use them. Discover what you can do to get the help you need from a range of health professionals.
free for bc residents!
Enroll NowDownload PDF Brochure →
You're not getting the mental health help you deserve
You did what you were told.
You asked for help.
There's just one problem...
WHAT help you get depends on WHO and HOW you ask.
See ten different mental health professionals for the same problem. You're likely to get ten different solutions. Most won't work.
You may be ignored. Dismissed. Sent away with generic advice and no followup.
If you don't see the right person or say the right things, you may miss out on the solution that is best for you.
How should you know what you need?
Who you should see? What you should say?
Better mental health starts NOW. With YOU.
Mental health professionals can help you. But they don't always have the time, resources, or range of expertise to do it alone.
They can't do everything. That creates big gaps in your care. Those gaps can keep you from getting well.
You can fill those gaps. You can get better care.
Introducing
Mental Health 201:
Take Control of Your Mental Health
This course will keep your mental health care on the right track!
Put it All Together
Make sense of your unique mental health journey, the range of treatments, and how to use them effectively.
Time-Saving Resources
Cut through the endless information and possibilities to give you the tools you really need to improve your care today.
Practical, Actionable Advice
A no-nonsense approach that doesn't shy away from the flaws in our system but shows you how to overcome them.
Get Your Questions Answered
Eight hours with a psychiatrist in a small group gives plenty of time to dig deep into what you need to know.
Questions about Medications, Therapy, Supplements?
Not sure what the path to getting better even looks like?
Don't Know What to Do Next?!?
In Mental Health 201, you'll learn what you need to be successful in our broken mental health care system, the mistakes to avoid, and the practical steps you can take to make a difference and get the care you need.
Mental Health is complex
Getting the right diagnosis is tricky. Basics are routinely missed, effective treatments are overlooked or abandoned.
You need more expert advice than Dr. Google can provide. But we all know how difficult it is for people to access family doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and others. And how badly things often go when they do. It doesn't have to be that way!
You CAN improve your care—find out how!
Learn about medications... therapy... supplements... what the path to better mental health looks like... mistakes to avoid... and more!
Discover how to navigate the system to get the help you need from doctors and other health professionals. Ask questions about standard and novel treatments, discover how to get unstuck, and make sure your treatments are working for you.
Empowered me to reclaim control
“ Mental Health 201 offered me the exact resources I was seeking. It empowered me to reclaim control over my mental health, while also imparting a realistic understanding of the limitations of our current knowledge. ”
Treated me with respect
“ Unlike past experiences with psychologists and psychiatrists that left me feeling belittled and deficient, Mental Health 201 treated me with respect and acknowledged my capability to understand complex thought. ”
Less alone for the first time
“ The shared experiences of fellow participants were invaluable, providing a sense of solidarity that normalized my experiences and alleviated feelings of isolation. It was heartening to confront this daunting journey with others who were in the same boat - this made me feel less alone for the first time. ”
Newfound optimism and resilience
“ A pivotal takeaway from the course was the important realization that mental illness is not a personal failure, but a condition that can be managed and navigated. This shift in perspective has equipped me to approach my mental health care with newfound optimism and resilience. ”
[ Testimonials on this site are genuine, but kept anonymous for privacy reasons. ]
By the end of this course, you'll have everything you need:
Overcome the biggest, most common barriers to effective mental health care…
… that most people don't even know are there!
Week 1
Reality, Expectations, Physical Health
- Challenges of accessing mental health care
- No silver bullet: finding the right treatment is hard
- Why slow and steady improvement often wins out
- The importance of physical health and lab tests
- Impact of diet, exercise, sleep, and substances
Week 2
Medications
- How they can help and why they're used
- Myths, conspiracies, and reliable information
- Why & how not to stop antidepressant trials too soon
- Understanding and managing side effects
- Longer-term use and discontinuation
Week 3
Counseling, Therapy, Distress Tolerance
- Counseling vs. structured psychotherapy
- Types of psychotherapy and how to choose
- Therapy providers, costs, and alternatives
- Using therapy effectively in your overall treatment
- Managing emotions, distress tolerance, safety plans
Week 4
Other Treatments, Managing Your Care
- Supplements—quick fix or expensive urine
- Complementary medicine, psychedelics, ketamine, TMS
- Gaps in care, and how patients can help fill them
- Co-managing treatment plans—why, how, getting stuck
- Art of better communication with health professionals
How does this sound?
Seeking Help for Your Mental Health and...
- Knowing you're looking in the right places.
- That you're working with health professionals, not against them.
- You're actually being heard and understood.
- Avoiding many common mistakes that keep you from getting well.
- Knowing that it's not your fault when treatments don't work.
- Not dismissing solutions that could be right for you.
- Understanding what treatments do and how they help you get better.
- Having a plan and knowing what you can do to get results.
Ready to take control of your mental health?
Eight Hours of Live Instruction!
Exclusive Content You Won't Find Anywhere Else!
$800
Free for BC Residents!
100% covered by MSP as a group medical visit.
A $100 deposit is required, which is refunded if you attend all four sessions.
Deposit due when you register for particular dates, not needed to enroll.
Course Instructors
We empower you to make smart decisions about your mental health.
Dr. Pauline Lysak is an accomplished general psychiatrist with a particular interest in treating complex patients, often having both physical and mental illnesses.
She and her partner, author, entrepreneur, and healthcare advocate Mark Roseman, MSc, help provide patients, families, and healthcare providers with tools to work together as active and effective partners in mental health care.
This is for you if:
- You're not sure what to do next, are stuck, haven't been listened to, or feel you're not getting all the help you need.
- You're eager to better understand how to choose and use mental health treatments most effectively for you.
- You're willing to take on a more active role in your own care to enhance and complement what health professionals can provide.
This isn't for you if:
- You want someone else to "fix" you without any effort on your part.
- You're not able to focus, learn, and participate in two-hour online sessions, or can't obtain, borrow, or use the technology to do so.
- You've got extremely specific ideas of what your care should look like and aren't open to considering other possibilities.
Ready to take this journey together?
What You Need to Know:
The costs of this course are covered by health insurance (MSP)... not bad for eight hours with a psychiatrist!
The catch is, for MSP to pay, you must be referred by a primary care provider (e.g., family doctor, nurse practitioner).
This can be your own doctor or NP. But you can also get a referral from any walk-in clinic, Urgent and Primary Care Clinic (UPCC), or online telehealth service (e.g., Telus Health).
Get referredEligibility
Open to residents of BC with MSP coverage and mental health difficulties (formal diagnosis not required). Requires physician or nurse practitioner referral.
Format
Offered as a live online course via Zoom. Approx. 10-15 participants per group. Total of four sessions, one per week, each lasting two hours.
Privacy
You are not required to share any private information. The identify of participants, as well as any information voluntarily disclosed, is confidential. Recording sessions is prohibited.
Costs
Costs covered by MSP. There is a $100 deposit (due when you register for particular dates, not needed to enroll) which is refunded if you attend all four sessions.
What days and times is it offered?
Is this course available in-person?
Why do I need a referral?
Can I just use my phone?
Can people outside BC participate?
Can I keep my camera off?
Why is there a deposit?
What if I don't like groups?
Real talk, my friend
What if…?
- One more Google search turns up the magic solution you need?
- You try that one other supplement your friend told you about?
- You try just a little bit harder?
How long have you been pinning your hopes on this approach? Crossing your fingers isn't a plan. Isn't it time to take a step back, cover your bases, and work towards real results?
Better mental health is waiting for you.
Ready to Take Control?
To Feel Like You Again?
Just follow the three easy steps below to enroll in Mental Health 201 today.
① Step One
Download the referral form to give to a primary care provider to fill out.
Or share this link:
mh201.ca/refer
② Step Two
Ask a primary care provider to refer you to this course. They need to fill out the form you downloaded and fax it to us.
They'll likely ask you a few questions (read through the form yourself to prepare).
③ Step Three
After we get the referral, we'll get in touch with you.
We'll let you know the dates and times of upcoming sessions. Once you find one that works for your schedule, you can sign up for that session.
Any Family Doctor or Nurse Practitioner can refer you.
This can be your own doctor or NP if you have one, but also any walk-in clinic, Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC), or online telehealth service (e.g., Telus Health).
