According to Statistics Canada, in 2021, there were 238,000 Tamil speakers living in Canada,
with just over 10,000 in Alberta alone. This number continues to grow, reflecting the ongoing
development and strengthening of the Tamil community across the country.

As we begin celebrating Pongal this year through our four-day Tamil festival marking
Thanksgiving, Harvest, and the New Year, I invite you to reflect on its significance to your
mental health.

Pongal refers to bountifulness and overflow; it offers an opportunity to appreciate abundance and new beginnings, the ending of the past year and the welcoming of the New Year, making it a fitting time to consider our mental wellbeing alongside physical health.

As a therapist dedicated to serving the Tamil community in Alberta—and as a Tamil immigrant
myself—I have a nuanced understanding of the unique challenges faced by many who come to Canada, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Despite our efforts to adapt to life in Canada, stigma surrounding mental health persists, and misconceptions about counselling remain common. Many still struggle with flawed understandings of what counselling truly is and what it can offer.

This Pongal, I wish each of you a meaningful, abundant, and prosperous celebration. I encourage you to embrace your mental health in authentic ways. Just as we value our physical health, we must recognize that mental health is equally important and deeply interconnected. Acceptance and openness are key to nurturing overall well-being, and it’s never too late at any age to nurture your mental health.

We don’t “fake” being physically well; when something seems off, we respond immediately. So
why do we feel compelled to fake mental wellness? We often continue to ignore signs of mental fatigue and building up stress. It is important to acknowledge when we are struggling and to avoid pushing ourselves too excessively. Expressing feelings such as, “I think I am struggling mentally and seem to be pushing myself too much,” should be embraced with compassion.

Too often, we surround ourselves with silence in our relationships—even when we are unhappy. Instead of connecting with our spouses or partners to discuss feelings of emptiness and being misunderstood, we focus on outward appearances and engage in performative ways of living.

Imposing our views and visions on our children, instead of seeking understanding and nurturing healthy bonds, can lead to strained relationships. As immigrant parents, we must recognize that our upbringing differs significantly from that of our children. Not only do we belong to different generations, but we also possess a starkly different worldview and culture, both of which require acknowledgment and resolution. We must consider what we may be missing in our children’s growth and our bond with them.

As we immigrate and integrate into Canadian society, we often feel challenged and confused in terms of our identity and who we are. The barriers are several, which in many instances lead to mental health challenges. Seeking support to work through these challenges should not be
stigmatized or looked down on but instead embraced as a much-needed life skill to continue to live a healthy life.

These are only a few of the challenges we face. While our Tamil identity resonates with rich
heritage, culture, and resilience, we are not immune to life’s challenges and transitions,
especially when we have uprooted our lives from our homeland and we are attempting to re-root them in Canadian soil; we encounter unique challenges.

Often, these challenges can leave us feeling alone and isolated from our experiences; that’s when counselling can offer you a safe space to reflect, work through your challenges, gain insight, and get back to a healthy life.

True resilience includes the ability to reflect, readjust, and adopt new ways of being—sometimes through unlearning old patterns and embracing new ones.

If this message resonates with you, please feel free to reach out for counselling services in Tamil with a nuanced cultural understanding.

At Unique Pathways Counselling Services, we wish you a Prosperous Thai Pongal, new
beginnings marked by awakening and authentic holistic growth.

Pongalo Pongal!