Reflections on the New Year

2021 was a challenging year, with many of us feeling the effects of Covid isolation, combined with the unusually cold weather this...

Hobbies as a Form of Mindfulness

Hobbies play an important role in helping us stay present and in the moment. Before I learned Mindfulness, I thought a hobby’s only...

A Mindfulness Lesson from my Granddaughter

I read my 13-year-old granddaughter Kaylie’s blog the other day. She wrote that she steps back from her emotions and examines them as if...

All Logic, No Heart

When I think of someone who is void of emotion and interested only in facts, I think of a CEO who lays off hundreds of workers because...

Does Judging Increase Stress?

Have you ever noticed that judgmental people are miserable, while those who are accepting of others are content and at peace? A Little...

Does Happiness Elude You?

I am writing this article while vacationing in Mexico. It seems fitting to write about happiness in such a beautiful place. There was a...

How to be a Successful Client

I don’t recall ever having a client I didn’t like. On the contrary, I have genuinely liked and enjoyed most of my clients. My favorite...

My Life Story in a Nutshell

I am the middle child of six children. My father was a mill worker and my Mom worked part-time whenever money got tight. My brother...

Your Ex is Not a Reliable Source of Info About You

This week I’ve had an influx of client’s going through a break-up. It’s heartbreaking because each person turns themselves inside and out...

Direct & Indirect Communication Styles

Differences in communication styles can create misunderstandings between people. They can break up marriages, cause conflict at work, and...

Does Your Directness Get You in Trouble?

Sometimes a person comes for counselling, not because they want to, but because someone else insists they improve their communication...

Does Someone in Your Life Lack Empathy and Insight?

Empathy and insight are vital to all social relationships and critical to our survival as a species. So why is it so hard to get...

3 Easy Steps to Self-Acceptance

For over thirty years self-esteem has been a top priority for educators and therapists. Despite efforts to improve self-esteem, it...

How to Survive a Verbal Attack

I was in line one day at the airport when a woman arrived late and wasn’t permitted to board. She screamed obscenities at the West Jet...

Is it Love or Anxiety?

Are you in an intense, passionate love affair with someone that’s bad for you but you can’t let go? Have you distanced yourself from a...

Set Boundaries Without Being Controlling

In any relationship we can find ourselves upset or annoyed by another person’s behaviour. Often an open dialogue is enough to resolve our...

I’m Angry That You’re Angry

I observed an argument between two people last week and with little effort, I remained calm and objective. This week I was the one in a...

Using Marijuana to Regulate Emotions

If you struggle with alcohol, you likely know the consequences of over indulging. If you use marijuana excessively, you probably think...

When Emotions Run Your Life

In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Marsha Linehan describes each person as having three states of mind; emotion mind, reasonable...

Differentiating Between Emotions & Thoughts

Do you have difficulty separating your thoughts from your emotions? If you do, you may blame others for how you feel and behave. You may...

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