One of the common themes that has arisen out of the isolating effects of Covid-19 is what appears to be an increase in symptoms of depression. Interestingly enough, an exploration into the effects of loneliness often gets people wondering if they are in fact depressed, lonely, or a bit of both. I will always remember having to battle the loneliness blues my first year of being separated. Although I had decided to not date anyone for a year so as to concentrate on healing mys

Dancing is perhaps one of the most energetic and fufilling ways to create movement. It is good for both the body and the brain as it has the ability to team up with the powerful effects of music. Sarah Robichaud is the founder of a Toronto based organization called "Dancing with Parkinsons." She is a classically trained dancer who created this program when she became inspired by the Mark Morris Dance Group’s innovative PD dance program. The mission statement at Dancing with

I love what Dr. Phil has to say to fathers who have daughters: "If you do not make your daughter feel valued - if she doesn't believe that there's at least one man in this world who believes that she is special, she will find it somewhere else. She will listen to the first ol' boy, the first young man that comes along and whispers in her ear all the things she wants to hear. Dads - you are not the only voice in your daughter's ear so you need to make sure you are the BEST voi

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one in which an individual may have difficulty both in communicating and in social interactions. We often see autistic children repeat certain patterns of behaviour, and have limited interests. Although ASD is considered a neurological disorder, there is also no exact cause; what is suspected is that genetics and environment both play a role. Autism Ontario is a website that can be quite useful in learning more about Autism Spectrum Disorde

In an article entitled "The Science Behind Smiling" featured on "Pick the Brain: Grow Yourself," we learn some interesting facts about smiling: -"When it comes to happiness, children clearly have an advantage over adults—they smile 400 times a day on average, as compared to 20 times a day for adults." Well, that explains a lot doesn't it? -"Research shows that when you smile, people treat you differently. Smiling instantly makes you appear more reliable, relaxed, sincere, a

In our last blog post in which we honour Mental Health Week, today we explore the importance of spirituality. Referring to our spiritual self in the context of our emotional health, it is really about the places and spaces in which we feel centered. For some they will find that settled feeling of peace in their religious practice, for others it might be in their relationship to God, a Higher Power, the Universe. Others will find it in nature, in a quiet space in their hom

In our fourth post honouring Mental Health Week, we examine the importance of movement and how it affects our emotional health. Our overall well being is affected by how much we feel we have control over our lives. Our work, relationships, spirituality, social life and self-identity are areas that without goals can begin to feel weighted or meaningless. This is why movement is essential to growth. When we aspire to things, when we consciously choose the design of our lives

Moving right along in our series in honour of Mental Health Week, today we examine a concept that has proven to be very helpful in getting us through challenging times and building resilience to adversity. That is: Acceptance. Think about how riled up we get when we are in an argument with someone; everything in our body is poised and our defense system is tuned up and we are ready to act. The same type of thing occurs in our minds when we fight against our feelings and inst

In honour of Mental Health Week, we are continuing our series on tips to creating optimal emotional health. Yesterday's post examined the foundational piece of needing to take care of ourselves, today's focus is on self-awareness . Will Mcavoy says it best with the quote, "The first step in solving a problem is recognizing there is one." When we aim to be more self-aware, we lean into our capacity to change. Many things can get in the way of our ability to be self-reflecti

In honour of Mental Health Week which starts today, I will do a 5 part series about things we can keep in mind when thinking about our mental health. It is meant to make us aware and mindful about our emotional health; to consider and possibly create change so as to optimize its function. Today's post focuses on taking care of ourselves. When we consciously aim to take care of our body, mind and spirit, we are creating our foundation. This may seem simple and perhaps goes w

We have a tendency to want to fix things. Part of this might come from learned behaviours and childhood roles; being responsible for others at a young age, being made to feel as though something was our fault, the tendency to people please or mediate. But perhaps it can also come from nature. One thing that I have learned from Avanti Kumar Singh 's podcast The Healing Catalyst , is that we all possess both masculine and feminine energy. Feminine energy tends to lend us our a

Sarcasm is one of those tricky forms of humour. Using irony as a way to prove a point can be a skillful way of bringing some laughter to the moment; however most people will use sarcasm as a way to mask their hostility. Those on the receiving end of a sarcastic remark will feel the put down; you can say something but because it's masked in "humour," you will most likely be accused of not being able to take a joke. Using sarcasm consistently as a way to get a message across t

I love this quote by Margaret Atwood: "In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." - Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard's Egg This time of year always reminds me of my childhood and the time spent outside in our rubber boots. Playing in the ditches, my sister and I would make little birch bark boats and we would follow them in the stream, we would walk to the pond at the back of the fields as it was always the biggest when waters made the earth swell; we came

I came across this passage that reminded me that we can continue to remain committed to our goal of staying the course. To remain committed to keeping our connections meaningful, to finding joy in the simplicity of routine, to search out and appreciate our blessings. This might be the year where instead of grand resolutions, we learn to love our stories. The moments together. The showing up when tired. The gift of the present. The bravery in the ordinary. The soul building o

May 3 - 9th, 2021 marks mental health week. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has a catchy theme this year: #GetReal about how you feel. Name it, don’t numb it. " This CMHA Mental Health Week, we focus on how naming, expressing, and dealing with our emotions — the ones we like and the ones we don’t — is important for our mental health." They offer downloadable toolkits and lots of information and articles about naming your feelings and understanding your emo

In the podcast episode "Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Brain Health" from Well Said , Dr. Gupta reminds us of the importance of brain health in maintaining cognitive function as we age. He spoke of 5 pillars of optimal brain health: Movement - which means more than just exercise. In fact, he believes that "activity is the cure for disease." Nourishment - how and what we eat. He speaks of an acronym "S.H.A.R.P" that we can all follow that helps to nourish our brain. Rest & relaxation

When we feel passionate about something, our emotions can run high. When we feel hurt by something our partner does, we can get pretty steamed. When our teenager acts disrespectfully towards us, we can see red. Natural response? Absolutely. But how do we want to react to these intense emotions? I worked with a man a few years back who sought counselling due to his short temper. A 34 year old father of a 4 year old and 2 year old, he came in after having realized that his 4 ye

I have been listening to a podcast called "The Healing Catalyst" with Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh who specializes in both western medicine and the eastern healing tradition of Ayurveda. In an episode entitled "Identifying Soft-Addictions to Reduce Inflammation," Dr. Singh speaks about inflammation and how it is often the common denominator of illness and chronic disease. Some of her wisdom that I pulled from the episode include: "There is a connection between the stressors we exp

Be yourself. We hear that everywhere. And yet what do I tell my young client, a woman in her early thirties, when she tells me that she doesn't know who she is. Parentified at a young age, she was left in charge of her younger siblings; forever the caregiver, never the one being taken care of. There was no time in her young life to discover who she was as an individual, and she carried the weight of an absent father and her mother's emotional troubles. We have done much work

When we first think of the opposite of gratitude, it is natural to think of being ungrateful. Not appreciating what you have, failing to see your blessings, not giving due return. Although we are on the right track, perhaps we can take it one step further and explore the idea that the opposite of gratitude is entitlement. As part of our emotional wellness, we focus a lot on self-care, the art of loving yourself, and what we deserve. When we are moving from a soulful, ground