The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness week is community.

For many people, the word community brings to mind a network of friends, family, or supportive peers, a sense of belonging and people we can turn to at a time of need .But what happens when you don’t have that? What if you're navigating life without a sense of belonging, without someone to call or lean on during difficult times?

This is the quiet reality for many—and it’s not talked about enough.

Lack of community can feel like walking through life without a safety net. Whether due to relocation, estrangement, social anxiety, loss, or trauma, many people find themselves emotionally isolated. And in a world that often assumes everyone has someone, that isolation can carry an added weight of shame or invisibility.

Loneliness doesn't always look like solitude—it can exist even in a crowded room, at work, or online. It can make the simplest tasks feel overwhelming, and the hardest moments feel unbearable.

If you don’t have a community, counselling can be a crucial first connection. It's a space where you can be fully seen and heard—without judgment, pressure, or expectation. For some, a counsellor may be the first person they've ever felt safe enough to open up to.

Counselling offers more than coping strategies. It provides validation, emotional support, and often, the rebuilding of trust in human connection. Over time, that process can also help you begin to build—or rebuild—relationships in your lives.  I’m not saying the journey will be quick or linear, but it’s real, and it’s worth it.

If you’re reading this and feeling disconnected, please know: there is nothing ‘wrong; with you you’re not alone in your loneliness. Many others are quietly carrying the same weight.

Counselling won’t fix everything overnight. But it can offer understanding, support, and hope—especially when you feel like no one else is there.

You are worthy of being seen. You are worthy of support. And healing is possible, even if it starts with just one conversation.