At an online event for psychiatrists earlier this week, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy emphasized that the role of professional counselors as "trusted healers" in their communities provides them with an important opportunity to support clients – and clear up misinformation – as they make decisions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The name of the game right now is trust. This vaccine campaign will proceed at a pace of confidence, ”Murthy said. "And it will depend on what people do who are trusted in their communities."
About two-thirds of eligible Americans who have not yet opted for the COVID-19 vaccine believe common myths about the vaccine, Murthy said. These myths, including those claiming that the vaccine changes your DNA, causes infertility, or gives you the COVID-19 virus, are false, Murthy pointed out.
The vaccines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave the green light to adults in December 2020 reflect the culmination of years of research on the mRNA vaccine platform, he said. As with any vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine carries the risk of side effects, but they're rare – and the risk of getting the COVID-19 virus far outweighs the risks of side effects from the vaccine, Murthy said.
The June 21 event, organized by the White House, was part of a larger push by federal health officials in recent weeks and months to bridge the gap between the numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the United States. The forum, held through Zoom, was designed to provide psychiatrists with information to answer customers' questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The American Counseling Association partnered Monday's event, along with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the American Psychological Association. ACA members Suzzette Garcia, a licensed professional clinical counselor in California, and Rufus Spann, a licensed professional counselor in Maryland, were inducted into the panel of psychiatrists.
Garcia and Spann noted that some of the most important tools counselors can use to assist their clients are empathic listening and acknowledgment of their uncertainties about the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccination-related concerns. They also acknowledged that clients' distrust of the vaccine can be linked to a deeper and long-standing cultural distrust of the entire medical system.
Garcia said she role-played during sessions with clients to focus on stress tolerance and challenge their cognitive biases related to the vaccine. It is also important for psychiatrists to become familiar with accurate information about the vaccine and local resources to put customers in touch with, Garcia said.
Navigating COVID-related uncertainties "is an issue that many ACA members have had to grapple with," said Spann, a past president of the Maryland Counseling Association. “We're part of the front-line experience. When these conversations arise, we allow for life pressures, stress and anxiety. … It was an opportunity [for clients] to speak to counselors who are able to listen to their stresses, fears and hopes and to give clients space to talk about what they have experienced and what they hope for in the future. "
(left to right, top to bottom) Bechara Choucair, White House Vaccination Coordinator; Suzzette Garcia, a licensed professional clinical advisor in California; Robin McLeod, a licensed psychologist in Minnesota; Kelly Roberts, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Oklahoma; Rufus Spann, a licensed professional consultant in Maryland; Neetu Abad, behavioral scientist at the CDC; and US surgeon General Vivek Murthy speak at the June 21 event entitled "White House Virtual Conversation: Mental Health Professionals and COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts."
Murthy noted that the COVID-19 death rate in the United States is now the lowest in a year. Nevertheless, thousands of cases are diagnosed every day, and variants have emerged that represent a particular danger for unvaccinated people.
"We have a lot more work to do and this is where we need your help," Murthy told the psychiatrists attending and following the online event (referred to as the 'White House Virtual Conversation: Mental Health Professionals and the COVID ". -19 vaccination effort").
The key to increasing vaccination rates is getting people who are not sure about the COVID-19 vaccine to hear from people they trust, including professional counselors. No advertising, no matter how big, can keep up with this power, said Murthy.
Bechara Choucair, the White House vaccination coordinator, admitted that it is not in the job of psychiatrists to encourage their clients to vaccinate. However, the White House wants to ensure that practitioners are well equipped to answer customers' questions about the vaccine and discuss possible fears, Choucair said.
These fears and hesitations can include a phobia of needles or doctor's offices, a lack of trust in the vaccine and its development (or in the medical establishment as a whole) and resistance to government influence.
Murthy noted that mental health is a priority for President Joe Biden's administration, and that mental health-related issues often appear in Murthy's regular COVID-19 briefings with the President.
The COVID-19 vaccine is "our most reliable way out" of the pandemic, claimed Murthy. It is "a giant step towards a return to normal" so that people can gather again in person and find social connections – "that we know are [is] so important to mental health," said Murthy.
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See the full video of the event on the White House YouTube channel: youtu.be/tzFS63G5sP8
Visit the CDC's COVID-19 page at cdc.gov/coronavirus and the ACA's COVID-19 resources page for consultants at consulting.org
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Bethany Bray is a senior writer and social media coordinator for Counseling Today. Contact them at [email protected].
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Opinions and statements in articles appearing on CT Online should not be construed as the opinions of the editors or guidelines of the American Counseling Association.