Understanding Willingness Working with unpleasant feelings is tough. When we take a close look at unpleasant feelings, we often find that they are telling us something about ourselves, and what matters to us. Learning to name and observe unpleasant feelings can allow us to make a choice about how we want to deal with them. […]
I often find writing blog posts to be a challenging exercise. It is not challenging because I have no interests, because I have many (sometimes too many), nor is it challenging because I have no areas of passion, because again, this just isn’t the case as I have several passions. The challenge is always to […]
Screen Time and Language Development: Does it Matter? As life is busy and parents need to keep their children occupied while they complete important daily living tasks, it is easy to turn to screen time as a solution. Screen time is increasingly easy to access, and new content keeps children engaged. The discussion of screen […]
The Importance of finding a Trauma-Informed Clinician When I was a teenager I experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse in my dating relationship. For six years I stayed in this abusive dating relationship for a variety of factors and reasons. According to Prevnet, 12% of youth in Canada have reported experiencing physical dating violence. One […]
Parenting Through the Years Parenting is one of the hardest yet most rewarding things a person can do. Our children don’t come with manuals, and they’re all different, even in the same family. Just when we think we have it figured out, they grow up and change. I often hear parents saying they wish they’d […]
Skillful Striving Perfectionism is when someone strives for flawlessness, setting standards that are impossibly high and only achievable through great effort or not at all. Perfectionism leads to frustration, self-criticism, and procrastination (to avoid the discomfort inevitable in the perfectionist ideal). Below are some tips on how to be a high achiever without falling into […]
Grief and Loss We often associate grief with death. However, there are many different types of loss in our lives that may leave us with conflicting emotions. Financial loss, changing jobs or schools, loss of trust, loss of safety, loss of a family pet, or loss of a close friend may all stir up strong […]
Addictions: Gaining Understanding and Finding the Path to Recovery “Addiction is not a choice that anybody makes; it’s not a moral failure. What it actually is: it’s a response to human suffering.” – Dr. Gabor Maté Five years ago, I discovered my passion of supporting people with substance use disorders as a student at a […]
Activities that You Love often find myself discussing the importance of hobbies and interests with clients. Our mental health can be impacted by many different things, but one often overlooked factor is doing activities that you enjoy; otherwise known as hobbies. A hobby can be something related to creativity, sports, or academics. A hobby can […]
Connection – Joy – Gratitude We are wired for connection. The human connection of feeling seen and feeling validated allows us to feel a sense of belonging and love. When a disconnect in our lives occurs, our mental wellbeing becomes affected in so many ways. Dr. Jody Carrington a clinical psychologist from Olds, Alberta has […]
