The Importance of Knowing Your Family History

The Importance of Knowing Your Family History For many people, an exploration into family-of-origin history can seem unnecessarily painful.  Parents are not often keen on sharing family histories that hold ancestors in a negative light (slave owners, Nazis, colonizers, et cetera), or share stories about ancestors who endured unimaginable traumas (such as genocide, incarceration, and […]

Our Many Selves

Our Many Selves Have you ever considered that you have many parts to your personality?     (*and no, I am not referring to dissociative identity disorder (once called “multiple personality disorder”).   Think about times when you may have felt challenged or conflicted.  A relatable example of this might be: a part of you wants to […]

Psycho-hygiene

Psycho-Hygiene Hygiene is defined as the many practices that foster and maintain optimal health.  People commonly use the term hygiene in relation to personal grooming, dental, or food practices.  Psycho-hygiene is a term not commonly used in our vernacular, but it should be.  Just as good grooming habits reduce the threat of harmful bacteria on […]

The Spirituality of Acceptance

The Spirituality of Acceptance   The truth is:  Belonging starts with self-acceptance.  Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you’re good enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable, and imperfect. ~Brene Brown I recognize that the word “spirituality” can cause […]

Motivation!

Motivation! Are you zapped of motivation? Here are some tips that can help: A biggie in upping your motivation game is to focus on your emotions. If you are feeling depressed or anxious notice that…but resist judging yourself or deem your emotions are “bad” (there are no good or bad, there are just different emotions […]

Just like the moon, we all go through phases

Just like the moon, we all go through phases We all make mistakes in life, but that doesn’t mean we have to pay for them the rest of their life.  Bad choices do not equate to us being bad people. I find there is a common struggle present with many of my adult clients, and […]

DISORDERED EATING

DISORDERED EATING While disordered eating may look like a lifestyle choice that simply requires behaviour modification, akin to addiction issues, successful treatment can not occur without an exploration of one’s social constructs and reconciling one’s trauma.  Eating disorder symptoms often reflect developmental processes (such as puberty), and life transitions (such as going to university).  However, […]

The Bandaged Place

The Bandaged Place Don’t turn away.  Keep your gaze on the bandaged place.  That’s where the light enters you.  ~Rumi The poet Rumi suggested that there is a correlation between our wounds and our awakening. Elizabeth Kubler Ross stated  “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known […]