We ALL occasionally have thoughts that are self-critical, toxic and destructive to our self-esteem. This may occur because of a traumatic or stressful event in one’s life, after a separation or divorce or some other life loss or stressor. What …
Forgiveness Activity
I see a lot of clients who struggle with forgiveness, whether it be forgiving someone who has wronged them or forgiving themselves for past behaviour. I often hear my clients express that they are aware that they need to forgive …
Processing emotions from the past
We all experience emotional events during our lives that we all wish we could forget and leave behind us. Situations that involve loss, betrayal, violence and abuse, and also misconduct on our part! Oftentimes these events will come back to …
Living Mindfully
Being Mindful is being fully aware and present in the moment. Oftentimes we are so busy and preoccupied that we miss out on important life moments and fail to appreciate what is around us. Mindfulness meditation can help us to …
Catastrophic Thinking – Another Cognitive Distortion
Everyone engages in catastrophic thinking from time to time, this is when one’s reaction to an event is overly intense, emotional and anxious. We often see this type of thinking in individuals who struggle with anxiety, their reactions are highly …
Disqualifying the Positive
Another common cognitive distortion that arises in counselling sessions is “disqualifying the positive”. This is when one overlooks and downplays their positive qualities and / or accomplishments and focuses on their negative traits, and perceived failures. People who regularly find …
Work-life Balance
The term work-life balance refers to one’s ability to successfully allot time and energy to both work commitments and personal wellness. An unbalanced life results when work becomes the main focus and leisure, social time and overall personal wellness are put on …
Expressing love in different ways
Many couples that I meet with often express that they aren’t feeling loved and appreciated by their partner. In my opinion, most conflict in any relationship stems from lack of communication and then becomes complicated by other resulting factors. One …
Defeating Depression
Many of my clients suffer from depression and it’s distressing symptoms. Depressed mood, pessimistic thinking, lack of motivation, low energy, poor sleep, suicidal thoughts and excessive feelings of guilt are only some of the symptoms that plague those with depression. …
Assertive Communication
Assertive communication is a skill that many people struggle with and I often see this in counselling sessions with my clients. Being assertive means being comfortable speaking your mind, sharing your opinion and saying no in a respectful and confident …