“What happened to us with the pandemic was just kind of thrust upon us and we didn’t have a chance to really think about it. We had to pivot immediately. And now we have an opportunity, really, to think about what we want post-pandemic life to look like.” — Chamin Ajjan, Psychotherapist It’s no surprise that psychotherapist Chamin Ajjan spent countless hours over the last year talking about mental health. “We’re in a different place in society where we are talking about mental health more. There’s still stigma, of course, but I think we are getting closer and closer to a place of normalizing talking about mental health and talking about mental health issues and talking about therapy,” said the clinical director of Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy, a boutique group psychotherapy practice committed to diversity and addressing any and every topic with patients that many other therapists may shy away from, like race, money and sex. In recent months, the author of Seeking Soulmate: Ditch the Dating Game and Find Real Connection also began considering how folks should prepare to reintegrate into the world. “Now is the time to start talking about post-pandemic life,” said Ajjan. “There is a spectrum right now. There are people who fall on the extreme ends of the spectrum, the ones who are like ready to get out there, ‘vaxxed and waxed,’ ‘shot girl summer,’ all of that stuff. And then the ones who are, ‘I’m still wearing my mask and I’m only going outside when I need to.’ And then there are people who kind of fall in between in the middle.” Even though the streets may be calling some people’s names, many others are not quite ready to answer. The collective trauma faced during this pandemic is very real, and Ajjan believes it’s left an impact on us all. “We have to honor that and we have to respect the fact that there is going to be a transition and how life is going to look post-pandemic is up to us. We get a chance to choose.” Psychotherapist Chamin Ajjan breaks down many of the fears surrounding post-pandemic life, shares much needed tips about how we can cope as the world starts opening back up, and more in the video above.