The Blog

The past few months sure have brought many new challenges to our lives. Sometimes it has felt like being trapped in a box! Perhaps you’ve been experiencing increased stress or isolation or had to deal with becoming a teacher to your kids while still working full time. Whatever your stressors may be, there are techniques to manage emotions under stress. … Read More

I just received the unfortunate news that my friend was permanently laid off from his job. He worked for his company for several years and they decided that the impact of COVID-19 was far too great to bring him back. With so many people struggling with layoffs during this time, I thought it would be a good idea to do … Read More

As a queer practitioner, it is important to use my voice and place of privilege to give voice to issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community. However, during this Pride Month, I have found it hard to find the right words to demonstrate my support for my LGBTQ+ community. Every time I have tried to write something empowering or relatable I … Read More

Validation is the act of confirming something to be true, worthy, or legitimate. When others validate us we feel understood and accepted, and our relationships can flourish. Self-validation can have similar positive impacts – but it can be hard. Self-validation is accepting your own experiences, thoughts, and feelings as true. This may sound simple, but when you have been through … Read More

Individuals may notice themselves feeling heightened levels of anxiety, especially due to an increased number of stressful events that have been occurring around the globe. Clients who experience anxiety may benefit from talk therapy, as this can help Clients develop skills and strategies to manage symptoms of anxiety and stress. During talk therapy, trained professionals help guide Clients toward implementing … Read More

For several years now, many people thought that Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ “Five Stages of Grief” were supposed to happen in a ‘linear way’. More specifically, these stages were used to help someone mourning the death of a loved one. Briefly, these stages included: Denial (& Isolation) Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance After the stages ended, grief was supposedly put in it’s … Read More

Alright, this is for those who have body focused repetitive behaviours (BFRB) that include your face or hands  (e.g, eyelash or eyebrow hair pulling; skin picking on face; picking skin on hands/sides of nails; biting nails/chewing nails or fingers etc.). Anyone who experiences BFRBs knows how hard it can be at the best of times to manage these behaviours. Most … Read More

Invalidation occurs when feelings are rejected, dismissed, or denied. The Individual being invalidated then feels that their experiences are inaccurate or irrelevant. This can create emotional distance from the experience, the emotion, or the individual invalidating. When an individual invalidates themselves, they create space from their experience, from harmful feelings, or from the part of themselves that wants to be … Read More

It is important to remember that self-care looks different for everyone. Some people can be recharged through meditation – while others might find such an activity isn’t helpful. Some people might enjoy reading or crafting – while others feel drained by the effort of such tasks. If you haven’t found the activities or tasks that help you recharge and take … Read More

Ever since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated by dreams. Why do we have them? Are they useful? Can we learn anything from them? What about bad dreams? Pretty terrifying and real aren’t they? Waking up in an anxious cold sweat isn’t a pleasant experience! There’s an interesting article that talks about bad dreams. The author, Ben Healy … Read More