The first year is often the hardest experiencing holidays, birthdays, and weddings etc., for the first time, often in years, without their coping mechanism while still trying to learn new ways to cope. Below are a few ways you can support yourself if you are in recovery as well as some ways other people can be supportive of those they know or don’t know who may be in recovery or choosing not to use alcohol or other substances this holiday season.

For the past almost 2 years we have been living in a constantly changing and unknown world. From masks to no masks and back to masks again; From going to the office daily to working from home to splitting our work time from home and the office; Home schooling to online school to classrooms. We have now reached the point where we are back to as close to “normal” as we have been.

In the IFS model, which is supported by modern neuropsychological research, the psyche is considered to be a complex system of interactive parts, where each part has a positive intention and value, and gets activated at different times. The different parts have agendas of their own, and their roles and strategy for helping or coping may not necessarily be the best, as they may distort the present based on experiences in the past.

“Parts Work” is a common phrase in Internal Family Systems therapy which is an evidence-based modality utilizing modern research and neurophysiology to understand our complex personality structures and sense of self.

The hard truth is, many individuals suffer in silence after childbirth, unaware that their childbirth experience can be viewed as traumatic. Birth trauma can come from adverse physical experiences, mental and emotional experiences, and interpersonal experiences. No one can label your experience other than you.

There is so much emphasis on the birth process, or the adoption process, that once babies arrive new parents are scrambling to adapt to their new reality. It is important to think about the time after the baby arrives before the baby arrives. In this article, we plant some seeds for helping your partnership bond become strong through times of stress rather than devolve.

Have you ever told yourself to stop thinking about something or someone? Maybe it’s an ex-partner, the drawer full of candy, the pack of cigarettes in your purse, or the wine in the fridge. Maybe it’s the anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach you fear, or the work day that you’re dreading in the morning.

This Fall has been challenging for many students returning to school – school looks different. Different is hard for anyone, different is unknown. For children, this often can be scarier than for adults; for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) even more so.

2020 has been quite the year, especially as a parent, who plays multiple roles. Having children at home can be quite the struggle, there was a time when as parents, we would have a routine, and life seemed ok, but now we are adjusting to life at home, school at home, art class at home, and movie nights at home.

If there was ever a time for an existential crisis, this might be it.

COVID-19.

Just the name evokes so much emotion and so many different kinds of reactions that I hardly know where to begin. It has pretty effectively turned our world upside-down. The pandemic is everywhere. Everyone in the world is being impacted, but all in our own unique ways. The first thing I want to do is normalize that there is no normal.

New parenthood is tough enough, and then throw a worldwide pandemic in the mix and it can really take a toll on your mental health. Now, more than ever is a time to pay attention to your mental health and educate yourself about postpartum depression and anxiety so that you can spot the symptoms and seek the help that is required.

Do you feel stuck for ideas on how to make this summer fun now that you’re stuck at home? We’ve got 30 fun suggestions for you.

It is often said that the opposite of addiction is connection and during these uncertain times many of those who are in recovery are struggling with feelings of disconnection. So often being in recovery entails having a strong support network, going to meetings, talking to a counsellor, spending time with sober friends, etc. And yet these opportunities have been limited during COVID-19. So how can you support someone you care about?

Through Covid-19 we have been told to wash our hands, frequently and thoroughly. This has been our first line of defence, and it has worked. We have been taught to be afraid of COVID-19 contamination and we must protect ourselves and others. But for some of us, these fears become all-consuming, taking up the vast majority of our time. Our behaviour becomes ritualized, with incessant worries about contamination and non-stop washing to reduce our anxiety. When this is the case, we may want to look at whether or not this is OCD.

Lisa Catallo recently read the book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”. Here are 5 ways to help you take steps to slow down in life.

Anxiety and fear are common human emotions. They are your body’s natural alarm system, telling you there is some kind of danger present. Your heart races, your shoulders tense up, your hands begin to sweat… all of the physical sensations associated with anxiety are your body’s way of preparing to fight, take flight, or freeze.

When we experience a trauma our mind becomes highly alert to potential danger and it triggers a set of emotional, physiological, and behavioural responses, which often causes us to feel stuck. A common misperception that people have is that they feel their brain isn’t working, while others might say things like “I feel broken”, “I’m not who I used to be”, “I feel stuck”, and so on. If we circle back to the black ice metaphor, we can rest assured that the car (just like our brain), in fact, is NOT broken but trauma does have a way of making us feel stuck in time.

In a world where we have become removed from our regular interactions with friends, family or our favourite Starbucks barista, the opportunity to connect with those who are important to us is a blessing…and a curse.

If you have been on Zoom, or FaceTime, Skype, or any other type of video call app, you may have noticed that you are more tired than you would be after seeing these people in person.  And yet they provide you with the opportunity to actually connect with people.  Why is that?

It can be difficult to care for yourself as you try to care for someone who is abusing alcohol or drugs. San Samra shares five ways that can help you navigate a relationship where someone you love is struggling with substance abuse.

What does it mean to feel emotionally safe with another person? As Mahima Jacob shares, it starts with creating an anchor within yourself. This anchor can help you begin to believe that “people closest to me care enough to care for me” and secondly that “I am worthy of their attention and love”.