Photo by Erin Nelson.
Mark Driskill is the lead clinician for Collat Jewish Family Services in Mountain Brook.
Mark Driskill said most people like to think that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and in many ways it is.
But he said there are “some significant leftovers from COVID that have changed our society in many, many ways, and in terms of mental health, not for the better.”
His work at Collat Jewish Family Services is rooted in helping turn that around. As the new lead clinician there, Driskill — a licensed independent clinical social worker — is focusing on addressing the anxiety and depression that seem to be surging since the pandemic.
“Existing problems that people have that they were managing before COVID have been magnified since the pandemic, and people haven’t found a good way to overcome that yet,” he said.
Part of that is because of the social distancing that stopped the normal rhythms of life, Driskill said.
“We got used to being isolated during COVID, and a lot of us have found it easy to just remain more or less isolated and not rejoin the same social structures we may have had before the pandemic,” he said.
But Driskill said counseling can be a great step for people to take toward mental health.
“Just the idea of talking to someone, getting things off their mind, in terms of vocalizing it, can help,” he said, noting that specifically “speaking with someone who’s not emotionally involved in their life can be very beneficial.”
Driskill, a Birmingham-area native and graduate of Shades Valley High School, said numerous studies have proven that talk therapy is a valuable resource, particularly for people with the common struggles of anxiety and depression.
Just the idea of talking to someone, getting things off their mind, in terms of vocalizing it, can help ... speaking with someone who’s not emotionally involved in their life can be very beneficial.
Mark Driskill
“One statistic says that probably 40% of the population at some point will struggle with anxiety,” he said.
Collat Jewish Family Services, located at 3940 Montclair Road, Suite 205, sees that as a big need that it would like to help meet with affordable, confidential counseling services. As a nonprofit agency, Collat Jewish Family Services accepts private insurance and Medicare, and for those who are uninsured, they offer a sliding fee scale based on income.
CJFS a United Way of Central Alabama partnership agency that serves people of every religion and race and regardless of ability to pay.
Though many of services provided by Collat Jewish Family Services are geared toward older adults, their counseling services are designed for any adult, and clients don’t have to be Jewish.
Lauren Schwartz, the Collat Jewish Family Services executive director, said that’s long been a part of their mission.
“For the past 34 years, CJFS has tailored its programs and services to meet the changing needs of our community,” she said. “At this moment, in the wake of the pandemic and other cultural conditions, we know people are struggling and seeking healing. We want the entire community to know that our professional counseling services are here to help them face life’s challenges.”
For more information about counseling at Collat Jewish Family Services, call 205-879-3438, visit cjfsbham.org/our-mission/professional-counseling or follow them on social media on Instagram @cjfsbham or on their Facebook page.
