How often do you find yourself reminding yourself to breathe? Maybe you’ve picked up the kids, and are thinking about what to make for dinner, while driving them over to swimming practice, all while worrying about the event that you are hosting tomorrow. Maybe you have finished a meeting, have 20 minutes to grab a bite, and are then presenting a big project at work. We live in a fast-paced world where slowing down to take a breath is a task that needs to be built into our day, a task that unfortunately most people forget.

I’ll have to say, 95% of the couples that come to me for counselling say their communication is the problem. Clients say they feel angry, annoyed, hurt, frustrated and eventually hopeless. Sometimes problems arise when your partner doesn’t agree with what you’re saying, or they have trouble understanding what you are trying to say.

When we become overwhelmed with stress, anxiety and/or emotion we revert to our basic survival responses. There are 4 primary survival responses - Which one does your brain tend to rely on?

Mornings. Some people love them, some people don’t. Do you wake up, rested, and ready to experience the possibilities of a new day? Or do you cringe when you hear the buzzing of the alarm clock, hit snooze, and pull the covers over your head to sleep a little longer? Perhaps you drag yourself out of bed, put one foot in front of the other and get going on the responsibilities of the day, lacking any real excitement. Whatever your morning looks like, how you start your day can have a dramatic effect on the rest of your day.

Addiction is “a state of psychological or physical dependence (or both) on the use of alcohol or other drugs” (American Psychological Association). Alcohol Addiction and other addictions often start as a way to cope with negative life events, trauma, and or emotions. Signs that you may have developed an addiction and what the road to recovery looks like…

One of the most important things we can do for our well-being is to put ourselves first. Many people may have a strong reaction to this idea - isn’t that selfish? Actually, no! Putting yourself first doesn’t mean you aren’t considering others. Here are some typical signs of how to tell when you’re not putting yourself first…

We have all been there. We have created a plan and it’s going along okay when all of a sudden, the unexpected happens- the proverbial curve ball. Coping with the unexpected…

Couples therapy.

It’s a term couples sometimes associate with a failed relationship, or when things aren’t going well. While this may be the reason that couples initially start to see a therapist, most couples wish they had done this earlier in their relationship- even when things were going well.

So, you’re new to counselling, or have had counselling in the past but never connected with your counsellor. This time you want a successful outcome. The key to success is the therapeutic relationship or the bond between you and your therapist.

Do you find yourself needing to be perfect? Have flawless skin? Wear just the right clothes? Have a certain body type? Say just the right thing? Execute your work without a single error? Achieve 100% on a test or in a course? Ensure your house is spotless and perfectly organized? Reach unattainable goals?

Your child has likely been out of school for a month now. Are they loving the break? Or are they feeling bored? Missing their friends or classmates yet? There can be a wide range of emotions for kids during summer.

Communication is a huge part of our day-to-day lives, from work or school to personal relationships, and all the little interactions with people along the way. It can be through in-person contact, email, text message, virtual meetings, and through nonverbal cues like our body language.

If you are someone who experiences anxiety, you may have been asked, “have you tried deep breathing?” or been told, “you need to learn grounding techniques!” Do you find these suggestions unhelpful, or struggle to put them to use?

The human attachment system is a natural and biological process that motivates us to stay in connection with others. Human beings have always lived in a community, and we depend on these connections for our survival.

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in awareness of mental health and its impact on individuals. However, I know such efforts don’t reach everyone, nor are they comprehensive or understood by all. To help make mental health more accessible to understand I’d like to illustrate the parallels or similarities of physical health/illness and mental health/illness, their impacts and their treatments

We all go through life transitions, and although most are exciting, they are also change and change is hard.

Life transitions often mean a shift in the way we view ourselves and the way others view us.

From the moment babies enter the world, they need a supportive, caring, helpful caregiver who is able to attend to their needs and soothe them when they are distressed. When the baby cries, the caregiver will notice they have a problem and seek to help solve that problem. Does the diaper need to be changed? Is the baby hungry or tired? Is the baby scared or lonely? Does gently rocking the baby help? When the caregiver takes action to help soothe the baby’s distress, they are helping the baby regulate; this is known as co-regulation.

If you are pregnant or you are a new parent, you probably have a variety of emotions right now.

If you are an animal lover, you have likely felt the deep love and connection that pets can bring into your life. Pets provide us with comfort, love, companionship, and overall meaningful relationships.

Critical incidents are defined as events that are sudden, powerful, out of our control and often unexpected.