Steve Whitwill loses sleep, Louisa Fenner is worried about her finances, and Barris is afraid of her child’s future.
Their insecurity was US President Donald Trump, and the three of them gathered outside the US embassy in Ottawa this week to protest and express those fears. But it’s not just the people who are worried about it.
During his first term, Trump caused a wave of anxiety among many Americans. In the first 45 days of his second term, the 47th President spread fear north of the border.
There is a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, and a lot of anger in relation to what is happening in the state and politics.– Heather Anderson, Psychology with Essentials
Trump’s tariff threat, halting support for Ukraine, and hostile rhetoric make Canadians worried, frightening and angry. The CBC heard from six psychologists who described patterns of increased anxiety associated with the current political situation, based on conversations with clients and colleagues.
According to Heather Anderson, a clinical psychologist and owner of grounded psychology, clients experiencing anxiety related to the Trump administration had “huge spikes.”
“There’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, a lot of anger in relation to what’s going on in America and politics,” she said.
Anderson said 12 therapists working in her practice reported hearing similar concerns from clients. “This isn’t someone who’s going through this from time to time,” she said. “This is all over the place.”
She also said she was on calls from an American therapist asking about working in Canada.
“They don’t feel safe working in America,” Anderson said. “I actually reached out to an American therapist to see if he could come and work in Canada… It’s not just a client, but a therapist who is feeling this tension.”
“Wake up at night.”
Speaking outside the US embassy in Ottawa earlier this week, 72-year-old Steve Whitwill said his blood pressure had skyrocketed after watching Trump on TV.
He fears that if Trump doesn’t kneel Canada economically, the US will use military power against its Northern neighbors.
“[It] “I keep waking up at night,” he said.
Ottawa psychologist Julie Bealuck advises people experiencing unrest over the political situation to check in on their own before checking the news.
“Create a practice to check in yourself,” she told CBC. “Whether it’s some kind of mindfulness, a breathing job, exercise or spending time with your loved one or pets, you start your day by laying the foundation for intriguing curiosity rather than judgement.”
“My anxiety about my children” Future”
This week outside the US Embassy, Christa Barris served as a sign that reads “serving Putin, not Putin.” But she was serious when she talked about her fears about the future of a child.
“They have had the best and greatest year of their lives so far,” she said.
The protest was a concrete action she could take to deal with her anxiety, Bali said.
“I had to do something, I had to feel like I was part of something,” she said. “And I’m showing my kids that we fight for freedom.”
According to Jessica Kurta, what to tell children about the political situation is a challenge for parents., Clinical psychologist and owner of Sherwood Psychology in Ottawa. Several of her clients say their children are more worried than usual.
“We really want to meet them where they are and say, ‘What have you heard?'” she advises her parents. “You want to keep it for your age? You don’t want to dig deep into unnecessary information or topics that they aren’t ready for.”
‘what do i do? ‘
Trump said Thursday that he will suspend most tariffs until April 2nd, but many Canadians are still worried about the economic impact.
“I’m watching RSP within 10 years of retirement [Retirement Savings Plan] It will fall due to the threat of tariffs,” Louisa Fenner said.
Fenner said she is trying to limit her exposure to risk and is considering investing in a Canadian company. “I wrote to the broker at the beginning of all this and said, ‘What do I do?’ ”
David McGruer, financial advisor at Investia Financial Services in Ottawa, has heard from clients who are worried about investment. He said his job is to plan political uncertainty and provide relief to scared clients.
“The therapy we offer said, ‘Yes, you’re fine. I’ve seen this before….it’s not going to break your financial plan.’
“The reality of the moment”
Whether Canadians are worried about Trump or not, they may receive a partial solution if they seek financial advice or psychotherapy.
“It’s unethical to try and persuade someone when things around you aren’t OK,” Ottawa psychologist Jordan Ali told CBC.
“Psychotherapy must be integrated with real-life perceptions at this point.”
He didn’t always have the answer, but Ali said for his clients it would be beneficial to just share their experiences.
“To know that they are not alone in experiencing them and that they are not necessarily off the mark for experiencing those horrors,” Ali said.
