Do you have anything you would like to change? Is there something you do too much of? Or, is there something you do too little of? Would you like to change the way you interact with someone close to you, but feel like you are short on the willpower needed to take action? Maybe it feels like you’re in a … Read More
Live Happier and Healthier: 10 Tips to Reduce Stress
According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (January 2015), stress and stress-related illnesses are on the rise. Stress is so commonplace in our fast-paced society that it seems like a way of life for many. Individuals, workplaces, and society as a whole are paying a high price for unmanaged stress. Stress can hit when we least expect it. It … Read More
8 Good Reasons to See a Counsellor
There are many ways to increase health in our lives. Seeing a counsellor can play a unique role in your overall wellness plan. I recently heard someone liken going to counselling both to going to the doctor’s office and to taking a class. Counselling has the unique capacity to help relieve negative symptoms by addressing something that is already going … Read More
4 Helpful Tips for an Easy Transition to September
The transition to September is right around the corner. For many of us, September holds the same “fresh start” mentality as New Year’s Eve – without the champagne and snow! As someone who was a student for many years of my life, and who for the past 12 years has been ushering children through the back to school routine, I … Read More
4 Ways to Be a Better Listener
A large portion of our time is spent in conversation with others. Regardless of our familiarity with the other person or the purpose for the discussion, it can sometimes be difficult to achieve clarity and understanding across both parties. Perhaps this is why difficulty communicating is one of the top complaints of those seeking therapy. Some clients, for example, express … Read More
Tips for Making Self-Talk Work for You
Are there ever times when your self-talk is particularly negative? Maybe you’ve been “shoulding” more than usual (“I should go to the gym,” “I should spend more time with my kids,” and so on), or maybe you have a bad case of “stinkin’ thinkin’” and your inner critic has been particularly harsh lately (“I’m such a loser,” “I always mess … Read More
The Benefits of Writing Down Thoughts and Feelings
I know I’m not the only one who has written a letter to someone who has hurt or betrayed me. During a turbulent, difficult time early in my career, I had a conflict with my supervisor and decided to write a letter. I expressed my frustrated, blame-filled thoughts, my miserable and fearful emotions, and described how I was hurt. Although … Read More
Ideas for Inspiring Self-Care
Coping with the lightning-fast pace of modern society, the steady stream of bad news in the media, constant to-do lists that are never done, and the encroachment of technology which keeps us plugged-in every moment of every day inevitably comes up on a daily basis in my work. Recently, I shared a story with my colleagues about being so busy … Read More
3 Benefits of Gratitude
This blog is inspired by a quote from codependency expert and self-help author Melody Beattie: “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” (Confession: Usually I tend to shy away from a lot of the self-help authors who came into the public awareness as I was growing up in the 1980s, but … Read More
How to Bring Reason Back Into Conversations
We often allow our predetermined beliefs to guide how we relate to other people. Look no further than politicians who speak about each other or groups they disagree with, using negative and, at times, highly charged rhetoric. I don’t know about you, but I find some despair and anxiety seeping into my psyche every time I read about, witness, or … Read More
