Parenting a child with special needs is a challenge that is seldom spoken about in a meaningful way. You often hear something said along these lines; “I could never do what you do; you are so strong!" as if you had a choice other than rising to the occasion and trying your best to parent [...]
Boundaries are a vast topic, easily taken up by surface level, pop psychology, or Instagram-worthy short quips – “Saying no isn’t selfish!". That being said, we are innately more complicated as human beings than what can be captured by our social media feeds. Boundaries are a cornerstone of healthy living, bolstering our mental wellness, and [...]
As I sit here to write this blog, I hear the chimes of incoming emails, feel the gentle pulsing of my smartwatch on my wrist indicating it’s time to stand up and I sense the vibration of a text arriving on my phone. Part of me desperately wants to focus on the task of writing [...]
It’s the first day of school! Is that exclamation mark one of excitement or anxiousness? Going back to school for some parents and children can bring about feelings of anxiety depending on past experiences and how school has been going for the child (thus far). Covid has created anxiety for those who may have not [...]
Hello, insomniacs! Are you reading this blog post in the wee hours of the night? If so, you are not alone. Many of you may have been counting sheep for a number of years. Others, new to insomnia, have been losing sleep since things around the world have started looking a bit, you know, “apocalyptic”. [...]
High school graduation season has arrived! Graduates and their loved ones have been anticipating this event for years. Yes, years! Graduating from high school is a noteworthy achievement. It is the culmination of thirteen years of commitment and personal growth. It is the hopeful beginning of adulthood. Traditionally, we acknowledge this milestone with a whirlwind [...]
Raise your hand if you have struggled with food cravings, emotional eating, or even just managing regular eating patterns. It is natural to deal with these at different times in our lives depending on stress, work, school, parenting and just dealing with life. Then….a pandemic is thrown into the mix and perhaps many of the [...]
The most common goal I hear from couples in counselling is that they want to improve their communication when they fight. Many couples experience discord when trying to work through disagreements, hurts, betrayals, and disappointments, and they have a sense that there is a better way. However, research done by well-known couple counselling researcher, [...]
Caring for yourself through and after trauma can take many different forms and varieties from the spiritual to the practical. As the world responded to multiple crises in 2020: pandemic, the opioid epidemic, racial injustice, and gender-based crimes you may have read that we are going through collective trauma. Being alert to survival is a common, normal [...]
Winter can be a challenging time. There is less sunlight, the holidays may evoke feelings of stress and loneliness, and it’s a time of year when family conflict and old wounds rise to the surface. The need to practice self-care is important year-round, but it is especially important during times that place extra demands [...]
