{"id":111532,"date":"2020-03-26T11:27:03","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T10:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=111532"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:52","slug":"counselling-in-times-of-coronavirus-staff-get-to-talk-to-a-psychologist-for-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/03\/26\/counselling-in-times-of-coronavirus-staff-get-to-talk-to-a-psychologist-for-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Counselling in times of coronavirus: staff get to talk to a psychologist for free"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erasmus University Rotterdam employees who are struggling in these times of crisis can now talk to a psychologist free of charge \u2013 online, obviously. OpenUp is a new service provided by the university. The online version of the service is free of charge.<\/p>\n

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The current coronavirus emergency can evoke many different types of emotions, says Roos Schelvis, an HR policy officer and researcher at EUR. \u201cSome people may feel they are finally able to focus on things, while others may suffer anxiety and stress. We established OpenUp last Friday for those people. This service can help people overcome all sorts of mental health issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. Just imagine having your own psychologist on speed dial.\u201d<\/p>\n

OpenUp, a subsidiary of iPractice, can also be used by people who do not receive a salary from EUR but who do work here, such as external PhD candidates. People who wish to schedule a consultation with a psychologist can do so online. The online intake interview (with or without webcam images) will take 25 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\t

\u201cThe psychologists will take a personalised approach to your worries\u201d, says Schelvis. \u201cPerhaps you\u2019ll only need one consultation, and perhaps you\u2019ll need two, or more.\u201d If you need long-term help, your general practitioner or company doctor will refer to you to another psychologist, possibly through iPractice.<\/p>\n

Not a new idea<\/h2>

Improving employees\u2019 mental health is a top priority for both the university\u2019s Executive Board and the HR department. Schelvis has been working on this project since November. \u201cI discussed a potential collaboration with iPractice as far back as December.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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