Across conditions and across the lifespan, women and girls report more frequent and intense pain than men. Large electronic-medical-record analyses and decades of lab and clinical studies find higher pain reports among women for many diseases and experimental pain tasks. Mechanisms are biopsychosocial: hormones and immune pathways, sex-specific neurobiology, higher prevalence of pain conditions […]
Classrooms are more than places of academic learning—they are emotional ecosystems where children bring their full selves, including anxiety, anger, sadness, or fears. When a child struggles to regulate emotions, it can affect not only their own learning but also the classroom environment. Teachers often find themselves managing emotional outbursts without the training or support […]
What That Really Means—and How Couples Therapy Can Help Life gets busy. Between raising kids, working long hours, and managing daily tasks, it’s easy for romantic connection to take a back seat. Many couples come to therapy saying: “We’re not really fighting… we just feel more like roommates than partners.” If this resonates with you, […]
Anger, excitement, sadness, and frustration are all normal emotions in childhood. But school-aged children don’t instinctively know how to manage these big feelings. Emotion regulation—the ability to monitor, evaluate, and modify emotional reactions—is a crucial skill they must learn from the adults around them. As art therapists, caregivers, and educators, we play a critical […]
The journey to motherhood is often painted as a joyous, fulfilling time—and it can be. But for many women, pregnancy and the postpartum period also bring unexpected emotional challenges that can impact both mother and baby. This is where perinatal mental health becomes critically important. What Is Perinatal Mental Health? Perinatal mental health refers to […]
The term “re-parenting” is frequently used to describe the process of turning inward and providing our younger selves with the care and love we may have lacked in early childhood. This internal work is crucial because when our younger parts don’t receive the nurturing they need, we can develop various symptoms—many psychological diagnoses are linked […]
You may have been called “too sensitive” or “too much” growing up. Partners, friends, family or colleagues may have made you feel like your deep feelings were a burden for them. The reality is that you are simply wired to feel life deeply. The world around you can often be an overwhelming experience! There are […]
At the Montreal Art Therapy Centre, we are dedicated to supporting the well-being of children and youth, particularly those under the care of Youth Protection services, Batshaw Youth and Family Centres or under the care of foster families. Art therapy offers a unique avenue for healing and self-expression, addressing the complex needs of […]
Starting therapy can be an important and sometimes intimidating experience for children and adolescents. As a parent or caregiver, it’s natural to want to support your child through this process. Research shows that a strong foundation of support from family can significantly improve the outcomes of therapy for young people. Below are some strategies to […]
As a therapist, I often work with families navigating the complexities of blending two households into one. The process of forming a blended family can be both rewarding and challenging, as it involves merging different personalities, parenting styles, and life histories. Whether you’re remarried, welcoming stepchildren into your home, or adding new members to your […]
