Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash   ‎”I’ve tried yoga, but I find stress less boring. Anonymous “I often come across the question, “What is your love language?” or “How can I learn what my love language is?” The concept coined by Baptist pastor Gary Chapman nearly thirty years ago became very popular among couples, friends and the dating world. The truth is that a recent paper explains that “despite weak empirical evidence for the love languages, it is still one of the most well-known lay theories on relationship processes.” The love language concept makes three ma ..read more

  Antonio Visalli  Of all possessions, a friend is the most precious. Herodotus Full disclosure!  Friendships, other than my psychotherapist, have been and continue to be one of the softest and most reliable places for me to land when searching for fun and waves of laughter, as much as when reaching out for warmth, active listening and honest support.  Some of my friendships today were born nearly forty-five years ago in my birth country, others more than twenty years since I arrived in Canada. Some friends I’ve met in other countries I lived in, and others have la ..read more

Photo by cottonbro studio   “In my early professional years, I was asking the question: How can I treat, cure, or change this person? Now, I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?” Carl R. Rogers It’s perfectly OK to start psychotherapy because we just need extra support. We don’t need to have a particular mental health issue or a big reason to reach out for help.  Quite the opposite, the space psychotherapy offers can be a preventive measure, like going to the dentist or the gym, to maintain ..read more

Bruno Aguirre   “In times of life crisis, whether wildfires or smouldering stress, the first thing I do is go back to basics … am I eating right, am I getting enough sleep, am I getting some physical and mental exercise every day?” Edward Albert Emotional fatigue builds up over time.  Feeling emotionally exhausted is not something new I have encountered in my psychotherapy practice when talking with clients.  Most of the time, we experience emotional exhaustion when we cannot change the stressors, causing us to feel we don’t have control over external circumstances ..read more

Photo: S. Crane   “Psychotherapy can be one of the greatest and most rewarding adventures, it can bring with it the deepest feelings of personal worth, of purpose and richness in living.” Eda LeShan As a psychotherapist located in Burlington, Ontario, with three decades of experience, I am used to responding to people’s first inquiries seeking therapy services. I feel incredibly honoured to be someone they rely on to share what brings them to therapy, sometimes for the first time. I know that it takes courage to make that first step of reaching out for help and support.  One of m ..read more

Photo: We are Image   “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” Brené Brown  “You are so strong! After everything you went through, you must be such a strong person.” How many times we’ve used those expressions, or we’ve heard someone pointing out our strengths?  Being emotionally strong enough to withstand pressure is a character trait most of us aspire to have. We feel emotionally strong when we move through challenging situations with enough confidence to adapt and recover from setbac ..read more

Created with Image, Margarita.   “The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.” -Anais Nin.   As a psychotherapist with nearly thirty years of experience, I became gradually more curious about the relationship between spirituality and mental health.  The intersection between mental health and spirituality has gained increasing attention in psychology research in recent years. Some studies have acknowledged spirituality as a contributor to promoting overall well-being and mental health.  In my personal life ..read more

  Photo: Margarita, 2012 -Image Remix from Original. “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity,” Pema Chödrön  September is Suicide Awareness Month. I want to offer some tools to support someone presenting with ideas of suicide. There is a stigma associated with talking about suicide. I invite you to consider conversing with your loved ones, friends, co-workers, and acqua ..read more

“Intimacy is not something freely given. It requires your attention, willingness, and intentional effort.” – Gillian Florence Sanger  As a psychotherapist, I have witnessed numerous individuals and couples grappling with codependent relationships. Some share that they grew up in a home where parents were engaged in codependent dynamics.   As a trauma and attachment-informed psychotherapist, I often witness the intricacies of codependent relationships and their effect on mental health. Shedding light on their dynamics and offering guidance on fostering healthy interdepend ..read more

The main thing is this — when you get up in the morning you must take your heart in your two hands,” the poet and storyteller turned activist Grace Paley’s father told her in what remains the finest advice on growing older. “You must do this every morning.” A few years ago, I was hiking through the Bruce Trail in Ontario and reflecting on a friendship I felt was on the verge of ending or needing some utter adjustments. Often, when a relationship doesn’t feel reciprocal, or we think we are not met as equal, it is a sign that we need a deeper conversation. At that time, I invited my friend to ..read more