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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
Photo by Kid Circus. Childhood is often portrayed as a time of innocence, laughter, and boundless joy. Yet, for some, it can be a time of confusion, loneliness, pain, and emotional scars that linger into adulthood. Childhood relational trauma is a silent struggle that many individuals face. Still,
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
“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
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
I first heard about the "sober curious lifestyle" during conversations with some clients about Depression, Anxiety, Sleep challenges and Alertness. Then, given my curious nature, I looked more in-depth into what that means and why many people concerned about their mental health are introducing this concept in their lives.
M. Nohassi We often encounter a wide range of personalities and emotional behaviours in our daily interactions with others. Some individuals demonstrate high emotional maturity, while others may exhibit of emotional immaturity. Even the more emotionally mature people can occasionally show emotional immaturity when under stress or
“Losing will not always amount to a loss, sometimes you have to lose those toxic relationships and bad habits to create a space for better things.” ― Gift Gugu Mona Toxic relationships can manifest in various aspects of our lives, from personal connections to the workplace environment. These detrimental dynamics
Pramod Tiwari “We need much less than we think we need.” ― Maya Angelou In pursuing a fulfilling life, we often chase happiness, believing it to be the ultimate destination. We yearn for the rush of excitement, the thrill of success, and the exhilaration of new experiences. Yet,
Alice Alinari “It is one of the great paradoxes of the human condition – we ask some variation of the question, “How are you feeling?” over and over, which would lead on to assume that we attach some importance to it, yet we never expect or desire or provide
Steven Smith "Grief is not a disorder, a disease or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve." Earl Grollman Grief is a complex and deeply personal experience that
Evgeni Tcherkasski Grief is a powerful and complex emotion that accompanies losing a loved one. It can leave us feeling shattered, disoriented, and uncertain about our future. However, amidst the darkness, there is an opportunity for growth and relearning. One of the complexities of grief is that the
Marek Piwnicki In the realm of relationships, boundaries serve as the invisible force that defines our emotional and physical limits, shaping the dynamics we share with others. The first and perhaps more meaningful stage in which we learn how to locate ourselves in a relationship is
Jacek Dylag Recently, the demands placed on frontline workers have surged to unprecedented levels. The tireless efforts to safeguard lives and provide essential services have affected their mental and emotional well-being. Burnout, a state of chronic exhaustion, has become a pressing concern affecting frontline workers and their
Robert Anderson You are never to small to make a difference. Greta Thunberg In recent years, a growing concern has emerged among young adults regarding the state of our planet. This mounting worry about the environment, often called eco-anxiety, is a psychological response to the ongoing climate crisis
Life flies by, and it's easy to get lost in the blur. In adolescence, it's 'How do I fit in?' In your 20s, it's 'What do I want to do?' In your 30s, 'Is this what I'm meant to do?' I think the trick is living the questions. Not worrying
“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness
The forest bird. “Anything that is human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know
Love needs certainty and reciprocity. It's a process where each is forced to change while resisting the change. Esther Perel The challenges. As a psychotherapist, I have seen firsthand how narcissistic traits can create challenging relationship dynamics. Narcissistic traits can include a lack of empathy, an excessive need for