Episode 4 of the Neural Pathways podcast features Emily Anne Opala, substance use counsellor and case manager. .
As a substance use counsellor and case manager, Emily Anne Opala’s favourite part about her job is the opportunity to build relationships with the women she works with. is a multi-service organization that provides support to women suffering from substance use, gambling, and mental health concerns. Through her role in the supportive housing department, she provides counselling and case management to women who were once homeless – the Centre also provides housing and counseling services for as long as they are living there.Â
Emily explains that every single day at work is very different, because every day depends on the women being treated and their needs. “Whatever they need help with, whatever goals they have to achieve, I’m there to support them with that.” For some, this involves counselling, while for others it could mean helping with filling out paperwork or going to a doctor’s appointment.
For her Master’s project at McGill, Emily studied the effects of stress on mother rats during the postpartum period, at . She believes that her experience with this research and her knowledge of neuroscience is very valuable to her current job, as she has a deeper understanding of how stress can affect the brain and can use this insight in her counselling interventions. Besides this expertise, Emily points out that graduate school has value beyond scientific training, as many transferable skills can be picked up—for instance, planning experiments, liaising with other labs, and learning new techniques all allow for the development of important skillsets.
When Emily began her graduate studies, initially her plan was to stay in academia and continue conducting research. Her extracurricular involvement at the (SACOMSS) made her realize that she was interested in pursuing a career in counselling instead. “I found the work to be really fulfilling, and it really engaged me in a way that I had never experienced before,” Emily explained.
After her Master’s, she spent some time in a few different jobs, including serving and fundraising, before ultimately finding her position at The Jean Tweed Centre. She believes that every type of work experience is valuable, and that each role she has held has taught her something important and contributed to her success as a counsellor. On top of this, her fundraising experience is what led to her securing her counselling job, as she first became involved at The Jean Tweet Centre by volunteering in the fundraising arm, until her current position became available and she was able to apply for it.
Emily expressed that she had a number of setbacks and admits that the transition from her graduate studies to her career was a tough one. Despite the hardships in getting there, she feels lucky to have found something that suits her so well, and added that one should “expect the difficulty, but just know that the difficulty will make you stronger in whatever job you end up in.”
To find out more about Emily Anne Opala and The Jean Tweed Centre:
