Let’s talk about mental health this month. January is a hard month as it is, especially since Christmas is over and the bills of said holiday are trickling in. It is also hard because the days are short and cold. So, what can one do to combat these winter blues? Get outside Even though it is cold and snowy, getting outside in the fresh, crisp air helps to boost one’s mood and mental health. It helps to get the heart pumping, thus increasing the endorphins that raise your mood. This is all positive. So, going out for a family walk, going sledding down the local hill with your kids, or even doi ..read more

The Netflix series “100 Humans” conducted a unique experiment to investigate the impact of praise and criticism on individuals. Experiment: Sixteen individuals were chosen to learn the art of plate spinning. They participated in a training session led by a talented plate spinner and were given two hours to practice.  Subsequently, their performance was assessed by the instructor and two judges. Before demonstrating their newly acquired talent, everyone was randomly assigned to receive either praise or criticism despite the outcome of their performance.  This was a blind study, and t ..read more

Two therapists, who work in the same office, have different views on this controversial topic…or do they? Leslie Yaffa and Amanda Backus, both from Vaughan Relationship Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, find themselves discussing issues or questions that might come up in their jobs. Rather than keeping these valuable discussions to themselves, they decided to share it with you. First up –  they discuss if your partner (in this example, they are speaking of people in a long-term, committed relationship) should have access to your phone? The first question both therapists would ask of a c ..read more

It’s no joke, relationships are complex and require both partners’ hard work, dedication, and commitment to be successful. Many couples struggle to effectively communicate, but communication that is open and honest can allow both partners to feel heard, respected, and understood. Setting boundaries is also necessary to ensure that both people in the relationship feel comfortable and secure, while also having their needs met!    Active Listening   Understanding each other’s differences and appreciating shared uniqueness is paramount. To do this effectively, slow down when you are ..read more

Taking time alone is a very important form of self-care. We have many clients who are seeking out therapy to cope with the stressors of the pandemic. Many people are reaching out to therapists to get the support they need to nurture their mental health, by putting it first.  Life in lockdown has posed many challenges. With social distancing orders still in place, we often find ourselves confined to our own homes with little time to be alone and reflect. Even though it can seem logistically impossible, therapy should not fall off your radar.   The flexibility and convenience of virtua ..read more

Building trust within your relationship is an integral piece to keeping it healthy. When trust is broken, however, it can be very difficult to rebuild. The idea of keeping a secret from the one you love can be seen as something negative and trust-breaking, but is it really? Some secrets may have good intentions and be best kept to yourself, while others are not. Read on to learn when it’s ok to keep something to yourself and when you should share with your significant other.   When is it ok to keep a secret from my partner? Every person deserves a level of privacy, even from your other ha ..read more

Oftentimes, psychologists and psychiatrists are thought of as the ultimate gurus in mental health and relationship counselling worlds; but they’re not the only ones with the skills and resources to help create meaningful change in their client’s lives or relationships.  Social workers are often overlooked for psychologists and psychiatrists when it comes to counselling. They’re looked at as community fixers and builders who are hired through an agency to intervene in negative situations in marginalized communities. But that’s just one strand of social work – we do so much more!  What ..read more

When seeking outside help for your relationship, it can be difficult to decide where to start or what the best course of action may be. You may contemplate having family or friends intervene, but typically having a neutral and objective view from a professional can be more successful. Even then, it can be difficult to decide on which type of counselling is best for you and your significant other. Take a look at the different types of couples therapy below:  Couples Counselling for One  You may want couples counselling, but your partner may have reservations. We encourage those w ..read more

As COVID cases continue to fluctuate and we approach the holidays, many families may find themselves disagreeing on how to spend the holiday season. With almost two years since the start of the pandemic, most of us are craving normalcy. Many families haven’t taken part in a true pandemic-free holiday season with friends and family for nearly two years. It’s safe to say patience is wearing thin and emotions are running high around how to handle this pandemic’s newest wave.  It certainly is easy to decide how you (and you alone) want to handle the holidays, but it’s important to have open c ..read more

Hope for a better future keeps us believing that the pandemic is coming to an end – but emotionally it’s tough to move past the negativity that Covid has brought when restrictions are still making us feel stuck. A taste of freedom, thanks to the warm weather and sunshine in the summer months helped us keep our mind off of the fact that things weren’t quite back to normal. With summer staycations over and autumn in full force, it’s not surprising if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Many of our clients have expressed they find themselves unmotivated, feeling down and easily triggered. Feeling stagnan ..read more