We need to create more awareness on total wellbeing – Emmanuella Owobu

Dr. Emmanuella Owobu is a US based behavioural health specialist, licensed clinical professional counsellor and certified addiction counsellor with over 10 years practice.

Emmanuella Owobu

Through her extensive knowledge and experience as a mental health professional, she professionally assists and offers her clients the best and right treatment to successfully manage and deal with challenging life situations. In this interview, she shares her journey, her upcoming mental health conference and other issues.

Can you share your growing up experience and background?
I was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria where I attended kindergarten and early part of my primary education. My parents later migrated to Benin City where I finished my primary and secondary school education. I attended Auchi poly where I graduated with HND in Mass Communication.

First of six siblings, five girls and one boy, I would say growing up was adventurous and dream filled about what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Interestingly, that dream was to be the first woman pilot or astronaut. You know I recently figured out that dream meant me wanting to make an impact in people’s lives and the world in general.

What in your background inspired you to become a mental health and behavioural specialist?
So, the desire to make an impact in the world is not just a dream, It is a calling. When I relocated to the United States, I was a broadcaster and needed to work and not being able to secure that dream job with big international TV stations made me explore other options which at that time was working with people with behavioral and mental health challenges in the healthcare field. My experience working was filled with challenges at first, coming from our culture but once I settled into it, the fulfilment that comes with being part of someone’s growth, and successes in life did it for me.

You have a degree in Mass Communication and even practiced the profession as a child. What caused the career shift?
After my exposure to working with people with behavioural and mental health issues, I went back to school for my masters in mental health. While in school, internship was a required part of the process and this experience further exposed me to working in other areas of mental health, including working with people struggling with substance use disorder. At the point, my decision was sealed.

Currently you run a behavioural health clinic ‘Bright Future Community Healthcare Services’ in Baltimore Maryland. What do you do?
We specialise in the treatment of behavioural issues, addiction and mental health issues through coping skills and therapeutic means. At the clinic, we provide services such as mental health individual, group, family and couples’ services, drug, alcohol, gambling and other addictions assessment, intervention and treatment, suicide assessment, prevention, screening and assessment, work stress relief, conflict resolution, trauma assessment, intervention and treatment.

Drug abuse, self-esteem issues, anger, depression and many other disorders have become commonplace unlike before. What would you say is the leading cause of that, especially in Nigeria?
To give a definite answer to this question would be to have data to back it up, especially since it is specific to Nigeria. However, considering the situation in the world today, I would say there is growing need for human connectivity which has been altered by the huge awareness and involvement in social media. In the past there was more person-to-person community interaction so the need to find that connection again, filling the gap that has been created is a major reason why there is increase with substance use disorders and mental health issues.

Social media is seen by some in the older generation as a vice or a vice instigating channel. You plan to stream your shows and talks on these channels. Do you believe it is a tool that can be used to inspire change or influence negatively?
You know with the COVID-19 pandemic the world is coming out from, a lot of things will never be the way it was before. During the active stage of the pandemic when social distancing, less contact and lockdown became the only way, social media became the way we communicated. This also helped the older generation to become more aware of the benefits of social media. I truly believe my show is coming at the best time. Mental health has no respect for age, race, ethnicity etc so what I offer through my show is definitely going to impact positively especially since people will be more sensitive to symptoms and know how and where to seek help.

Tell us about ‘The Talk With Emmanuella’. What is the motivation behind the show?
All though my journey in the United States as a psychotherapist, my heart was filled with coming home to give back. I realised through my journey that it was time to become more aware and work on a process to make things better. Culturally, mental health has its stigmatisation in Nigeria, but that has in no way reduced the growing need for mental health services, ‘The talk’ is here to help people with resources they need to manage these symptoms and also provide an avenue of safe disclosure to encourage treatment.

You plan to hold ‘Your Mind and You’ conference later this year. What is the focus of the event and what key thing will the virtual attendees learn or take away?
To create awareness of the importance of total wellbeing. Focusing more on mental wellbeing as this forms the foundation of our wellbeing, provide information to help educate people in our community so that we can start to understand and get rid of the stigmatisation that come with mental health. I believe making a headway on the issue of stigmatisation will go a long way in promoting success as we bring the journey of assisting people to managing symptoms and improving a more positive level of activities of daily living. The conference will hold in the last quarter of 2021. I will also be mentoring people who are interested in a career in any mental health field. Latest innovations on mental health across the world will be unveiled at the conference.

In Nigeria, many don’t like to talk about mental health as opposed to what is obtainable in the US. Do you think that will change the more we focus on it?
Awareness is always a good thing. Even in the US, not enough talk is done in some communities about mental health. I have clients that seek help with me and do not want family or friends to know. However, I believe with more education through awareness there will definitely be a change in the positive direction.

What do you think the result would be if Nigeria as a country does not begin to focus on mental health issues like other countries?
The economy has not improved much in the last couple of years, living conditions not getting better couple with genetic predisposition that not eating well may have heightened in new births, there have been huge exposure to traumatic events like kidnappings, killings. If the needed attention is not given to mental health, Nigeria as a country is going to be in real trouble.