Give Your Body a Break
Madeline shares how to introduce simple movements into your daily routine to provide the body relief when you're stuck sitting or in one position for long periods
Men’s Mental Health and Grief
Following Father’s Day, Dominic continues the conversation by exploring what meaningful support during grief can look like, and why it matters.
Thought Challenging
Associate Therapist, Jaden Epplette, describes thought challenging as a technique towards self-awareness and self-regulation.
SMART Goals
Associate Therapist, Dominic Willson, explains SMART Goals for increased momentum towards your aspirations.
Box Breathing
Associate Therapist, Madeline Kang, describes how to use box breathing to soothe anxiety.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique
Counselling for All Associate Therapists, Cassey, Jialin and Mariya explain the 5-4-3-2-1 technique as a grounding tool for anxiety.
Emotional Regulation with STOP
Many people come to counselling with concerns about anxiety. It’s such a common complaint, and yet the person experiencing anxiety can often feel completely isolated and alone.
Financial Stress and its Effect on Relationships
Cost of living and employment insecurity is a frequent source of stress. In the United States, almost a third of people in a relationship identified financial issues as a significant issue with their partner (American Psychological Association, 2015).
Dealing with Resentment
Holding on to resentment can poison your life. Holding on to any negative emotions can shift your perspective about life. Combating that resentment can be very challenging, but it’s important to make changes for your own mental health.
Benefits of Group Therapy
One of the most important benefits of group therapy is the sense of community that is gained from sharing experiences. Those participating in group therapy can frequently find some comfort in the fact that they have not been the only one to experience a similar challenge or issue.
Addressing Insomnia
Chronic insomnia is a condition that few people acknowledge and therefore attempt to address it on their own without asking for help (Harvey, et al., 2014). General symptoms can include being unable to function at your regular energy level during the day as well as negative effects on mental health.
Learning to Set Boundaries between Your Personal and Professional Life
Boundaries are not only about knowing when to say “no”, but they are also about setting an expectation about the treatment you receive from others.
Storytelling as a Way to Teach
It’s interesting to note that stories are told in every culture, and in every culture their fairy tales started out as histories of the people. They are all transfers of knowledge, and acculturation. Learning through stories shows what is of value to society.
Codependency
This is a maladaptive relationship dynamic where one person assumes the role of the giver or the caretaker, and the other person assumes the role of the taker or receiver.
Binge Eating Disorder and Coping Skills
Understanding BED and adopting healthy coping skills are essential in overcoming this disorder and developing a healthier relationship with food.
Mindful Meditation for Skeptics: Embracing the Present Without the Pressure
I’ve since learned that mindful meditation isn’t about emptying the mind or achieving a state of nothingness. It’s about being present, even when your mind feels busy, and bringing attention to the moment with curiosity, openness, and acceptance.
The Anger Iceberg
Anger is experienced differently by everyone, but common signs include an increased heart rate, muscle tension, a flushed face, rapid breathing, shaking or trembling, confusion or "blanking out," and an upset stomach.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict shines a light on something that is not working, so use this opportunity to learn about yourself and others.
A Youth Guide to Using CBT Skills to Manage OCD
Living with OCD can be overwhelming, however, CBT skills have been proven one of the most effective treatments for OCD.
Panic Attacks
If you’ve had a panic attack you know what it is. You feel like you are going to die. It’s terrible. Thoughts are racing and yet you can’t think at all.
Handling Grief: Losing a Loved One While Living Far From Home
Losing a loved one—whether suddenly or after a prolonged illness is never easy. The pain can be overwhelming, even more so when you are physically far from home and family.
Addressing Burnout from Informal Caregiving
Informal caregiving can be defined as providing care for a family member, friend or acquaintance without pay and often without any specific training in providing care.
My Journaling Practice
Committing to a routine journaling practice can support one's mental health, emotional awareness, and self-wisdom.
Coping with Chronic Pain through Counselling
Chronic pain can begin in many ways, often with an injury that does not heal, or it can appear due to mental health issues.
Hyper Self-Reliance
Hyper self-reliance can be a trauma response. Sometime in the past, you have learned that you have no one else but yourself to rely upon so you do everything yourself.
Navigating a Career Change in Midlife
For many people, their careers carry more meaning than a paycheck, it can also mean a sent of identity which some are reluctant to change.
When You Have More than One Home
What or where is home? If you're someone who has been brave, who has said yes to new opportunity - with a new job or academic program afar, or simply on the pursuit of adventure - you find yourself making more than one home in your life.
Fostering a Love for Learning: Parenting Tips for Encouraging Cognitive Growth in Early Childhood
Cognitive growth in young children involves not only the acquisition of knowledge but also the development of curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning.
Building Physical Health and Motor Skills: Engaging Activities for Every Age
Regular movement enhances physical fitness, boosts mental health, and builds the foundation for a lifelong appreciation of active living.
Supporting a Child with FASD
With more widespread awareness and research into FASD parents who consumed alcohol during pregnancy are reaching out on how to get support, not just for their children, but for themselves too.
Family Communication
Every family is unique. However, here are some tips that every family can try to help improve their communication skills and their relationship with one another.
Consent
It is important to understand and practice consent to keep ourselves and others safe and respected.
Coping with Workplace Stress
Workplace stress is something that affects many people in all types of working environments. However, the effects of workplace stress can be harmful and can be caused for several reasons
First Date Safety Planning
Often, our goal after matching is meeting them in person and slowly building a connection with mutual interest, objectives, intentions, and consent. Now that you have been chatting with someone you fi
Helping Parents Support Children and Youth Who Self-Harm
As a parent, finding out that your child is self-harming can be difficult to accept and it is okay to feel powerless, anxious, and upset. This can be something very difficult to address with your child, but there are ways that you can support them.
Rumination
Thinking of negative experiences can re-traumatize us and make it more difficult for us to move on. So how do we stop ruminating?
Dealing with Loss and Grief During the Holiday Season
Dealing with grief and loss is difficult no matter what day it is, but the holidays are one of the more difficult times of year to navigate after a loss.
Helping Your Child Develop Healthy Routines: The Importance of Structure and Consistency
Routines help children and adolescents feel secure, develop healthy habits, and build the emotional resilience they need to navigate life’s challenges.
Do You Like to Learn?
"You are the same as you will be five years from now, except for two things: the books you read, and the people you meet.” ---In my notes from years ago, I thought that I’d written that down as a Chin
Self-Reflection: An integral part of Growth
Examining what you have learned from your past experiences and asking yourself what you could have done differently allows you to make better decisions in the future.
Feeling Lost in Our Roles: Understanding and Moving Forward
In life, we all play many roles—friend, partner, parent, teacher, student, and so much more. Sometimes, the demands of these roles can feel overwhelming, leaving us feeling stuck, uncertain, or even l
Cycle of Violence
Abusive relationships can follow a pattern called the “cycle of violence”, it happens, and it repeats itself. It makes you feel trapped because the pattern occurs over and over again, and the honeymoon and calm phase justify sometimes for the tension and violence phase.
Grief and the Latino/a/x Community
In Spanish grief is translated to pesadumbre, which is routed in the word pesado meaning heavy or weighty. This word reflects the burden of carrying your grief with you and living your life for those who have gone before you.
Guiding Teens Through Peer Pressure and Building Healthy Friendships
Adolescence is a time of transformation, where friendships and peer relationships take center stage in a teen's life.
Self-Compassion
We have all had at least one no good, very bad day. The kind of day where you sleep through your alarm, you spill your coffee (usually on yourself), you can’t find your keys when you are already late,
Showing Yourself Compassion
Compassion is something that many people practice for others, but are unfamiliar with practicing for themselves. Self-compassion can be difficult to evoke for many people as they have had to be self-reliant and independent. It can be hard to trust a softer emotion. We are our own worst critics, often disparaging ourselves as we know all the things we do wrong.
Visiting Family; Preemptive Self-care
Oftentimes, society can influence us to think that we need to enjoy every moment with our families and feel excited to go visit them. This simply is not always the case. We need to know that it is okay if you do not feel that way.
Fostering a Love for Learning: Parenting Tips for Encouraging Cognitive Growth in Early Childhood
Cognitive growth in young children involves not only the acquisition of knowledge but also the development of curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning.
How to Talk to an Adult You Trust About Your Mental Health
There is nothing easy about being a teenager. There are a lot of teens who want emotional support or feel that they are struggling with a mental health issue, but they aren’t sure how to tell their parents, or they are afraid to bring it up.
Self-Care is Different for Everyone Else
You’d think it would be easy. To self-care to self-improve, to better your world and the worlds of others who enter into your orbit. It sounds amazing.
Is Self-awareness the Same as Awareness of Self?
Explore the different facets of self-awareness
Preventing Burnout
After severe burnout, recovery can take years. This affects so many people and isn’t limited to one area of your life. You can be burnt out at work, or at home, with family or friends. You can be burnt out of any or all aspects of your life.
The Phenomenon of Ghosting Help, I Have Been Ghosted
Ghosting is the phenomenon of cutting off all communication technologically and in-person avenues as a way to end a relationship or time of dating, seemingly without an explanation whatsoever.
Learning to Self Advocate through Counselling
Many people struggle when advocating for themselves for various reasons. These challenges can lead to a sense of not being in control of their own life or that one must simply endure any situation that is negatively impacting them.
From Fear to Freedom: Breaking the Cycle of People-Pleasing
It’s completely natural to feel unsure or fearful when making independent decisions, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time relying on others. Fear and lack of confidence can hold us back from growing into our independence.
Adulthood Development (18+ Years): Navigating Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Changes
This post explores how adults develop and how you can offer meaningful support during each phase.
Calming an Active Nervous System
Involving your senses to ground you allows you to stay in the moment. How do we do this?
Have You Checked In With Your Emotional Consent?
When we hear the word consent, we are accustomed to using it in relation to physical boundaries. What is emotional consent? Emotional consent referrals to the permission we give or receive regarding emotional sharing, intimacy, and being vulnerable.
Understanding Grief and Loss: Finding Support Through Connection
Many people instinctively withdraw, believing they need to handle their grief on their own. But healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it's through connection, sharing, and support that we begin to find our way forward.
Middle Childhood Development (6-12 Years): Nurturing Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, and Social Growth
Middle childhood, from ages 6 to 12, is a critical period of growth and self-discovery. During this time, children refine their cognitive abilities, improve physical skills, become more emotionally aware, and develop stronger social connections.
Understanding Control Issues Stemming from Past Trauma
If you’ve experienced trauma, you might find yourself needing to control everything around you—whether it's your schedule, your surroundings, or even how others behave.
Stuck in a Time of Change...Now What?
It’s ironic, to be stuck in a sticking point and not know what to do about it. It’s just like you wandered out of the woods only to get stuck in the mud and tar that’s clogging your airways and you can’t seem to be able to breathe anymore.
Rituals
Rituals anchor us to the person that we want to be. Routines are meaningful activities that support our mental, physical, and emotional health.
Online Sexual Harassment (OSH) – Can You Get Sexually Assaulted Online?
Learn about how to protect yourself from unwanted advances online
Creating a New Story Through Therapy
Have you ever had a painful memory that you just could not stop thinking about? It’s the kind of memory where all you can see is what you could have done differently or why you were at fault. Would you like to explore finding a way to modify the story, one where these memories can turn into something more tolerable if not more positive?
Early Childhood Development: Supporting Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, and Social Growth in 2-6 Year-Olds
Early childhood, spanning from ages 2 to 6, is a transformative time in a child's life. This period marks tremendous growth across cognitive, physical, emotional, and social domains. As caregivers, yo
The Wounded Healer
The 'wounded healer' was initially based on a Greek myth about Chiron, a skilled healer who was ailed by persistent suffering. To tend to this eternal physical and internal wound, it was essential to foster his gift of being able to heal others.
Myths About Meditation
As I continued to develop my knowledge of meditation, I thought of misconceptions I had during my learning experience. As these myths may be shared amongst our readers, I aim to provide some insight.
Anxious Ambivalent Attachment Style and How It Affects Your Relationships
Attachment styles are how we form bonds with other people. This starts at birth, beginning with how you bonded with your parents and caregivers in childhood, particularly in the first 18 months of life. This strongly affects your self-worth, your ability to show care, and how you relate to the world as an adult.
Online Dating Resource
Our world has been changing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we move into a new digital world, our dating life is now sparked through online dating apps. With life requirements, expenses, and post-lockdown, we became more comfortable socializing online rather than meeting new people in public.
Sibling Position
According to Bowen, Alder, and Toman's theories and family research, sibling positions can be markers of distinct characteristics and behaviours.
Navigating Cultural Attitudes and the Generational Gap in Dating
Dating can be a difficult time and activity to navigate for everyone. Aspects that affect this can be age, family expectations, and cultural attitudes.
I Never Met a Change I Didn’t Like…Except That One.
I know you know the one. The change that rocked your world upside down. Maybe you’re still living in its shadow. Maybe the shadow went inside and you can’t figure out how to hide from it, run from it, embrace it, throw it away, shake it off, make it stop; make it go away. But it won’t.
The Benefits of Art Therapy
Creating art has always been something that has helped me through challenging times. Not only as a way of expressing emotion, but also to uncover hidden feelings. If we delve into the aspects of why art can have a positive effect on the mental health of individuals, it will become apparent why art as a therapeutic modality can benefit both children (Malboeuf-Hurtubise, et al., 2021) and adults (Moula, 2024; Sheridan & Van Lith, 2024).
Morning Routine
A morning routine refers to a habitual practice one goes through at the start of the day; it's the first hit of dopamine our brain receives. Dopamine plays a significant role in many areas of our human lives; as a hormone, a part of the brain's reward system, it impacts pleasure and drive.
Bridging the Gap: Self-Awareness
One of the most critical roles self-awareness plays is in helping us recognize whether our behaviors align with our values and long-term goals. When there’s a mismatch between what you truly want and how you’re behaving, it can lead to feelings of frustration, dissatisfaction, or even anxiety.
Recognizing Trauma in Children and How to Support Them
When a child goes through a traumatic event, they can experience very strong emotions and physical reactions. These reactions may resolve in the weeks that follow or they may be complicated by individual or situational factors such as family/peer support, personal coping skills, family history, or previous trauma.
Why Do We Mimic Facial Expressions?
Facial mimicry is an automatic response where we unconsciously replicate the facial expressions of those around us. This response is deeply rooted in the brain’s mirror neuron system.
Change in the Unknown
Recently I was asked if people could change. Certainly, I thought. I’ve changed this sentence structure to place the subject into anonymity; a passive construction that most people wouldn’t pick up on
The First Year of Life: A Journey of Mental, Physical, and Emotional Growth in Babies
The first year of a child’s life is an incredible period marked by rapid development across physical, cognitive, and emotional domains. Understanding this growth can help parents and caregivers suppor
Self-love is not Selfish
Do you remember being asked about things you love about yourself but having nothing or minimum things to say? However, you feel more comfortable counting things you love about others. Growing up in an
The Benefits of Counselling for Individuals with ADHD
The Benefits of Counselling for Individuals with ADHDAs someone who frequently works with young adults who have a disability, I have often encountered persons who have experienced challenges due to At
Navigating the Complexities of Modern Dating
Discover how to navigate dating and relationships with a grounded approach
Being Aware of Your Social Battery
Discover how to balance time for yourself and relationships
Overcoming Avoidant Behaviors Rooted in Anxiety
Avoidant behaviors often arise as a coping mechanism for anxiety, providing temporary relief but ultimately reinforcing the very anxiety they are meant to mitigate. If you're struggling with avoidant
Boundaries
Learn about boundaries and how they help maintain healthy relationships and personal well-being
Managing Burnout
Strategies you can learn from how Associate Therapist Breann manages burnout