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Have you ever had a moment where you felt like you were beginning to find your footing after a loss, only to suddenly feel overwhelmed by grief again? Maybe a song comes on that reminds you of them. Maybe you walk past a familiar place. Maybe a holiday, birthday, or meaningful date arrives. Or perhaps you simply have a quiet moment where the reality of what has changed feels heavy again. Grief is not a straight path. It does not move neatly from pain to healing, with each day becoming easier than the last. Grief moves in waves because love, attachment, and connection are not things we simply…

Appreciate the uniqueness of human emotions to be a great supporter John Lennon is often quoted as saying, “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” Ups and downs are part of the journey, but that doesn’t mean going through them is easy. When a loved one is sad, disappointed, frustrated, shocked or fearful, it can be hard to know how to help. Their behaviours may not be logical, practical or even rational, and while this is their experience, they may be confused by what they are thinking, feeling and doing as a result of that experience. Providing support during challenging…

As a somatic grief counsellor, I know in my body and mind that grief is unpredictable and shows up for us in the classic moments of a special holiday or date and also in the normal moments of daily life. It could be the smell of a blanket, someone’s voice, the quiet of sitting together, the taste of a soup or a feeling you have that awakens the memories. The rhythm of ordinary days continues even when remembering or experiencing a goodbye. In my own life, loss ebbed and flowed. I carry the grief of losing a sibling, my father, my cousin, grandparents, friends, and people I’ve walked alongside…

We live in a world that celebrates speed. We demand faster progress, faster responses, and faster healing. Even our self-care often comes with an undertone of urgency: “fix,” “optimize,” “get back to normal.” Our bodies don't move at the pace of urgency. They move at the pace of trust. In my work as a somatic therapist, I’ve learned that the moments of real transformation rarely happen in a rush. They happen in the quiet spaces, when someone slows down enough to feel what’s here right now. It happens when the breath deepens, when the eyes soften, and when the body begins to recognize safety…

Ever since my early teens, poetry has been a place of healing for me. I found kinship in the darkness of the words of poets like Sylvia Plath and Adrienne Rich. They were writing what I felt deeply in my heart and couldn't say. Throughout my life, I have held the words of poetry tightly. Pages full of poetic feels have held me in my own dark aloneness, rage and fear. Many points of my lifespan have been void of poetry. Maybe I was going too fast with all the things in my life, like thinking about what to feed the kids or whatever else is on my list of overwhelming to dos. It was a good friend…

It's not uncommon for people living with persistent pain to be reluctant about seeking help from a therapist. For some, it feels like admitting that their pain isn't real and that it is "all in their head." Others don't see how a mental health provider could help with something they see as a physical issue. This blog explores what we know about pain and how therapy can help. What do we get wrong about pain? We tend to misunderstand pain as a symptom of tissue damage. But we didn't just make this idea up. It dates back to nineteenth-century medical textbooks, which stated either that pain had…

Being in pain, emotionally or relationally, is what draws many people to find a therapist. Currently, therapy is enjoying a cultural moment of popularity. You may have heard a version of “everyone needs therapy” or “therapy is for you if you have experienced childhood.” While mostly light-hearted, these prompts speak to those who notice pain in themselves and those around them. The Purpose Of A Process Group A process group is an unstructured, collaborative therapy. By joining a process group, you commit to bringing up what is going on for you and being present with others who are doing the…

Even the mention of shame brings up a desire to avoid even talking about it. It is the worst feeling and experience. It can be experienced as a constant dull ache lurking to erupt if we give it any attention, to a sudden flash of heat and intense feeling of needing to disappear. Shame is a relational experience. In other words, we are shamed by others and we develop internal shaming to prevent further experiences of shame, including shaming others. This cycle of shame is hard to break. It can be useful to understand how this develops to find a way out and heal. Here are the steps: A bad thing…

Loneliness is a universal emotion experienced by individuals in various situations and at different times. Despite being in the company of others, this emotion can persist, causing internal distress. There are moments when this sense of isolation intensifies, leaving us in solitude and affecting various aspects of our lives. To overcome the grip of loneliness, it is essential to understand what can be done and how we can liberate ourselves from its clutches. Many of us have distanced ourselves from our true selves, contributing to the profound sense of isolation. Let's honestly acknowledge our…

October is breast cancer awareness month. Having worked with breast cancer patients since 2017, I have heard from so many patients about how this disease has impacted them. I thought I would share a few themes that I have noticed over the years (in no particular order): Navigating the medical system can be confusing and/or stressful – With a diagnosis of breast cancer, patients can find themselves with multiple doctors and medical professionals involved in their care. It is typical to have a surgeon/specialist, a medical oncologist (a doctor who prescribes chemotherapy if needed and monitors…