Talk4Healing celebrates year of helping women

Talk4Healing recently celebrated the first anniversary of its free and confidential help line for Aboriginal women across northern Ontario.
“Simply put, we help women and their families who need support,” said Robin Haliuk, Talk4Healing coordinator. “As we have been taught through our traditional teachings, the Medicine Wheel provides powerful guidance in four key areas: spiritual, emotional, physical and mental. Talk4Healing follows in the traditional footsteps of our grandmothers and grandfathers by incorporating these teachings into our services, which is precisely what makes this help line so unique and so appropriately suited for Aboriginal women.”
A not-for-profit initiative operated by Beendigen in partnership with the Ontario Native Women’s Association, Talk4Healing opened its phone lines in mid-October 2012 and has since helped more than 1,500 Aboriginal women to start their healing journeys by providing a culturally safe and appropriate resource that Aboriginal women and their families can call for help.
Previously, many Aboriginal women living in northern Ontario communities had no where to turn to for help as the reality of geographical isolation and lack of services in small northern communities acted as a barrier to healing.
“Traditionally, Aboriginal women have turned to their grandmothers, mothers, sisters and aunts for support, but not all women are comfortable talking about their personal problems with relatives or friends,” Haliuk said. “That’s where Talk4Healing comes in. We have trained Aboriginal counsellors available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who are empathetic, understanding and ready to address the unique needs (of) Aboriginal women.”
Haliuk said many Aboriginal women suffered in silence before Talk4Healing opened its toll-free line at 1-855-554-HEAL.
“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from our callers who are so grateful for finally having somewhere to turn when they need help,” Haliuk said. “We typically hear a great sense of relief when our callers realize they are talking to an Aboriginal woman on the other end of the line. Now that Talk4Healing is here, it’s hard to imagine a time when this service didn’t exist. I know we’re making a huge difference in the lives of Aboriginal women and their families in northern Ontario.”
Talk4Healing provides culturally sensitive crisis counselling, advice and support; personalized information and referrals; acceptance of Aboriginal women’s issues in a non-judgmental way; help to find the path to personal healing and scheduled telephone counselling sessions in four languages: English, Ojibwa, Oji-Cree and Cree.