“Embrace” online therapy platform expands mental health support – MHS&SS

• Embrace complements, not replaces, in-person counselling

The Human Services and Social Security Ministry’s “Embrace” platform is a free, confidential, and professional national online mental health and therapy platform designed to address a wide range of counselling needs across Guyana. The platform link will be available on the Ministry’s Facebook page and website on Friday, August 21, 2026.

Embrace is designed to address long-term mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, as well as provide support to persons affected by domestic violence, family violence, and abuse. The platform will complement the various forms of in-person counselling already provided by the Government of Guyana, including support for families affected by the MV Barima tragedy.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security emphasises that the services offered through the online platform do not replace the in-person counselling, care, and support being provided to families affected by the MV Barima tragedy.

While Embrace expands access to mental health services, the platform is intended to strengthen existing face-to-face counselling systems, ensuring that in-person support remains a primary and accessible form of care for communities across Guyana.

Meanwhile, comprehensive, on-the-ground counselling, which began immediately following the tragedy, continues. Counsellors, social workers, and psychologists are deployed within the HEART Initiative regional units. Every affected family has been assigned dedicated social workers and mental health professionals who maintain continuous contact through home visits, targeted regional counselling hubs, and telephone outreach.

The ongoing in-person relief efforts bring together specialists from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Ministry of Health, the University of Guyana, and the Guyana Association of Professional Social Workers, with continued support from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

Through the Embrace online platform, the Government of Guyana is also utilising the expertise of local independent providers and volunteers from the diaspora. These specialists bring focused expertise in grief counselling, trauma therapy, and specialised psychological support to the platform.