Prince Edward Island

Navigating mental health challenges, and thriving

For years, Family Service PEI has been a lifeline for Islanders navigating mental health challenges, helping people find their footing when life feels overwhelming. As the province’s only community-based counselling service, their impact is far-reaching, offering both in-person and virtual support to those who need it most. 

Thanks to a longstanding partnership with United Way of PEI, Family Service PEI is able to increase its capacity and offer subsidized therapeutic counselling to Islanders who might not otherwise be able to afford it, ensuring that income is never a barrier to care. 

For Melanie, that support was life-changing. 

After years of living under the weight of untreated depression, chronic illness, and the trauma of medical scares, Melanie found herself in a local clinic, desperate to be heard. A referral to Family Service PEI marked the beginning of a new chapter — one built on healing, resilience, and reconnection. 

“In therapy, I realized I wasn’t just dealing with a physical illness,” she recalls. “I was grieving. Grieving the life I used to have, the energy I used to depend on, the version of myself I had lost.”

Through Family Service PEI’s counselling support, Melanie began to process that grief and rebuild her sense of self. A symbol of that journey came in the form of a wooden giraffe carving named Matilda. 

Melanie learned that baby giraffes fall six feet at birth. That fall is not gentle, but it’s necessary. It jumpstarts their first breath, and within an hour, those wobbly legs start to stand tall. That resonated with Melanie, and now Matilda is her symbol, representing resiliency, grace, and standing tall even after the fall. “I carry her with me everywhere now. When life feels overwhelming, I look at her and I remind myself: breathe, stand tall, and look up.” 

The impact of Family Service PEI, made possible in part through United Way of PEI’s stable funding, extends far beyond individual counselling sessions. It provides a foundation of support in a province where access to affordable mental health care remains a challenge. 

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, United Way of PEI is ensuring that more Islanders can access the tools and support they need to not only survive, but to thrive. 

“I’m here because of the support I received through Family Service PEI and United Way. That support gave me a lifeline when I needed it most, and I will be forever grateful.” – Melanie