Guest Blog written by the Counseling and Assessment Clinic of Worcester, LLC.

The coronavirus pandemic was a time of isolation for many people. In the interest of promoting public health, we were all asked to hunker down, minimize engagement with others, and increase other precautions intended to help us navigate a new way of co-existing with an unprecedented health threat. Many people and agencies rose to the occasion, but such efforts were not without their personal hardships.

For many people the prolonged and unprecedented isolation of the shutdown and the threat of illness or death that Covid-19 has presented increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Throughout the course of this shutdown, Abby’s House and the Counseling and Assessment Clinic of Worcester, LLC have remained open for the individuals and families that we serve. We’ve adapted to new technology to ensure that we could continue to provide the care and advocacy that people have needed over the last year and a half, and to rise to new challenges they might be facing due to the ongoing health crisis. We are thrilled as always to have Abby’s House as a partner in this work.

Through these efforts, we have been able to provide a sense of community for people who may have found themselves alone and under-resourced during the last year. Groups have remained open and members who need regular connection have found it via teleconference, and regular access to their therapists and other providers.

Knowing that Abby’s House’s doors were open throughout this period as a community resource and advocate for under-resourced women has been more invaluable than ever to the success of our work. That women can find a safe, clean, and hospitable place to call home right here in our city has minimized isolation, increased stability, and helped our clients on the path to recovering from the unintended side effects of the shutdown and ongoing health crisis more quickly and with greater confidence.

As for Counseling & Assessment Clinic of Worcester, LLC, we continue to provide all services and have started back providing some in person. Just like our friends at Abby’s House, despite new challenges, we have not ceased to be a resource for our clients.