Trauma-Informed Care Matters Have you ever wondered whether a therapist will understand what you’ve been through? Perhaps you’ve experienced something painful and aren’t ready to talk about it. Maybe you’ve spent years feeling anxious, disconnected, or on edge without fully understanding why. In our psychotherapy practice in Burlington and across
Content note This post talks about sexual violence and its effects, including mental health impacts. Please take care of yourself as you read. If you need immediate support, SAVIS of Halton's crisis line is answered 24/7 at 905-875-1555, or call/text 9-8-8. You are not alone Recent headlines, including the case
Controlling and abusive relationships rarely start with a slammed door or a raised fist. If you've ever found yourself apologizing for things that weren't your fault, running your plans past someone before you dared make them, or feeling a small flutter of dread before your partner walks through the door.
What Is A Panic Attack? A Burlington Therapist Explains As a therapist located in Burlington, Ontario, this is how I hear my clients describe a panic attack: "My heart starts pounding. The room feels far away, or too close. I can't get a full breath in, and some part of
Trauma-Informed Sex Therapy that Speaks to You If you're reading this, there's a good chance something in your body or your relationships has been quietly (or not so quietly) telling you that sex, touch, or intimacy don't feel the way they're "supposed to." Maybe arousal feels tangled up with anxiety.
Am I Just Introverted or Socially Anxious? "Maybe I'm just introverted." It's one of the most common things people say to themselves after a party they left early, a work event they dreaded for a week beforehand, or a group chat invite they stared at for twenty minutes before declining.
Choosing The Right Therapist in Burlington, Halton Region You've finally decided to reach out for support. Maybe it took months to get there. Maybe it took years. And now you're staring at a screen full of therapist profiles in Burlington, all of them saying more or less the same thing,
Why You Can't Just 'Get Over It': Trauma and Your Nervous System Have you ever snapped at someone you love over something small, and then felt confused about your own reaction? Or sat in a meeting feeling strangely foggy and far away, like you were watching yourself from behind glass?
Mental Health Support in Times of Crisis If you're reading this because things feel unbearable right now, please know: you don't have to have the right words, and you don't have to wait for a scheduled appointment to get support. The resources below are free, confidential, and available right
Can We Repair the Relationship after an Affair? If you're reading this at 2 a.m. with your stomach in knots, or sitting in your car outside work because you can't face going home yet, I want to say something first, before anything else: you are not broken, and neither is
You're Not "Too Much" — You're Carrying Too Much: A Guide to Trauma Therapy and Complex Trauma Healing If you've ever been told you're "too sensitive," that you need to "just move on," or that what happened to you "wasn't that bad," this post is for you. Trauma has a
The many faces of grief A Note From Margarita I have been a Registered Psychotherapist for over 30 years. In that time, I have sat with hundreds of people in the tender, disorienting space of grief, like people who have lost parents, partners, children, friendships, a pet, and
If you’ve ever found yourself typing “Why do I feel anxious all the time?” “How do I know I am dating a narcissist?” into ChatGPT at 1:12 a.m., you are very much not alone. Over the last few years, people have started using AI tools for everything from meal planning
Classic Breathing Technique. Breathing is free, science-backed, and always with you. Whether we’re facing a tight deadline, need to calm our minds before bed, or want to sharpen our focus before tackling a project, these techniques offer practical, research-backed tools we can try today. ✔ Slow, controlled breathing
What is Walk-and-Talk Therapy? It's not a secret how much I love and enjoy hiking, walking, and being in nature! When my colleague and associate Brent Jarden mentioned he wanted to add walk-and-talk therapy to our menu of services, I cannot deny how excited I felt! We are conveniently
Kelly Sikkema The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. Esther Perel Esther Perel's quote is undoubtedly a wise observation and an actual fact we can all relate to, given that relationships are an integral part of our existence, offering support and connections.
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
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,
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,
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
“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