October 15 is marked as the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in many countries. I would like to take this moment to share my personal story of what this day means to me. My first job as a psychologist changed my career path forever. In my final stages of receiving my masters degree, I was required to complete a … Read More
It’s okay to say “I’m not okay, I’m hurting” and the path to happiness.
All too often I see on my Facebook feed, social media in general – false positivity, proclaiming that something is awesome as a way of hiding that in private you are hurting. I’m not saying we shouldn’t share our positive thoughts, but we should not falsify our feelings. It is crucial to your emotional health to recognize your feelings and … Read More
Just get over it
“Just get over it” “Think positive” “You’ll feel better if you just come out for a bit” “I don’t understand, your life is good” “Life isn’t fair, you need to just pull up your boot straps” These are a few of the statements that people with depression may have heard in their lifetime. Maybe you’ve heard these comments or something similar. … Read More
How to choose a psychologist
Part of my job as the owner of Serenity Now Wellness is to be looking for ways to get our name out there. And it is getting increasingly difficult because there is so much information out there. As I was working with my marketing team, I started to describe how much things have changed in the past 7 years … Read More
Chronic Pain During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is wonderful! That is the saying you will hear time and time again, rarely will you hear someone say “I had pain during pregnancy”. However the truth of the matter is that pregnancy is difficult and can pose many new health challenges, such as gestational diabetes, chronic pain and various other issues. In 2013, a reality TV starlet, Kim Kardashian shared that … Read More
Life After Betrayal
Ashley Madison – most people are aware of the website that promotes infidelity – and if they weren’t aware before, they certainly are now. Following a security breach that left thousands of user’s emails and information exposed, the Ashley Madison fallout is far from over. I certainly have heard the gamut of opinions on this situation. However, I am much more concerned with … Read More
660 News: Tessa discusses spike in addiction during economic downturn
Tessa Martin, Owner/ Registered Psychologist at Serenity Now, discusses The Increase in Addictions During Economic Downturns
Pockets of Presence
I find it hard to be present and just breathe in life. I am sure this is a common experience amongst busy working people, balancing commitments, family, friends, fun, children and work. My colleague recently wrote about being present (click here for that blog) and I felt moved to share how I stay present in life. Like many of you, … Read More
Outpatient Program For Addicts To Heal the Pain And Create Freedom
Aug. 19, 2015, Calgary, Alta — Addiction comes in a lot of forms, but the defining characteristics are the same. When it comes to looking for recovery, the treatment must fit the patient. Serenity Now Wellness is launching an outpatient program in September that works with people struggling with addictions to alcohol, drugs, food and technology. This is an opportunity … Read More
What exactly happens to the body during trauma response?
Often clients are interested to know what is occurring in the body when they are experiencing a flashback, trauma response or engrained pattern based on childhood trauma. We can think of the body as a system with multiple subsystems. Many of our experiences with past trauma centers on our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS regulates the functions of our … Read More