No one is perfect and no parent is perfect. Additionally, being a parent is not a popularity contest and at times a parent must make unpopular decisions. Therefore, parents are going to make mistakes and make unpopular decisions as they are raising their children. These are facts every parent has to face, if they want […]
Many therapists, myself included, preach the virtues of mindfulness and meditation. Like our clients, we are imperfect practitioners. We experience the same frustrations our clients do. Jon Kabat-Zinn I was attempting to remedy the imperfections in my own practice by taking some video training in mindfulness from Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as the awareness […]
The Sacred Pause — Creating Space for Transformation Transformation does not happen in the constant momentum of doing. It happens in the quiet spaces we rarely give ourselves permission to enter. The Sacred Pause—a deliberate moment of stopping, softening, and coming home to yourself so your soul’s wisdom can rise above your conditioned reactions. Why […]
For many high-achieving, capable people, emotional abuse doesn’t look like the stereotypes. From the outside things can seem quiet, civilized and calm. There are no dramatic scenes or obvious cruelty. But you notice yourself : In constant self-doubt and second-guessing yourself Apologizing even when you didn’t do anything wrong Feeling responsible for someone else’s moods […]
DedicationFor my father and grandfather — father and son — whom I cared for at the same time for four years. Both lived with dementia. Both passed away in 2020, only three months apart. Caring for them changed me forever. Loving them changed me even more. This is for them, and for every caregiver […]
The holiday season is often painted as a time of joy, connection, and celebration. Yet, once the decorations are packed away and the festive music fades, many people are left grappling with an unexpected and unpleasant guest: the post-holiday blues. This feeling of loneliness and melancholy can hit hard, leaving you longing for the warmth […]
For many people in Alberta, life feels fuller than ever - full schedules, full inboxes, full expectations. We work hard, care for families, manage responsibilities, and try to hold everything together… but beneath the surface, stress, anxiety, loneliness, or emotional exhaustion can quietly build. In the past, counselling meant finding time to commute to an […]
Burnout rarely happens all at once. As a counsellor, I often see people reach out only when they are completely exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically. They have been coping for a long time, pushing through stress, and telling themselves they will slow down later. This reflects a common pattern. We tend to take physical health […]
What Creates Real Holiday Joy (and What Doesn’t) Spending money can create a brief rush, especially when there’s anticipation involved. But that rush fades quickly. The feeling most people hope for during the holidays – warmth, closeness, meaning, ease- comes from a different place entirely. Research and clinical experience both point to the same core […]
Teenagers like receiving gifts and they like when people are nice to them and help them. Many teenagers are fortunate enough to live in an area and have family and friends who give them very nice gifts and do very nice things for them especially during the Holidays. While teenagers enjoy receiving gifts and having […]
