What is resilient self-talk? Resilient self-talk is a kind, supportive and compassionate inner dialogue. What you say to yourself shapes the quality of your life. William Shakespeare wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Our internal dialogue can lift us up or pull us down. Resilient self-talk can be […]
Healing childhood trauma is a worthy and transformative endeavour. As the trauma expert and author of The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel vander Kolk wrote: “The challenge of recovery is to reestablish ownership of your body and your mind—of yourself. This means feeling free to know what you know and to feel what you feel […]
The Urge to Fix People is a Common Theme in Counseling Therapy In counseling therapy sessions, a recurring theme often surfaces: the urge to fix people, especially loved ones. Whether in individual or couple counseling, this inclination to alter someone’s behavior or circumstance is a natural response to emotional pain. However, it can hinder personal […]
Book Summary The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. In September 2022, the renowned Canadian physician, trauma and addiction author, Gabor Maté with his son, Daniel Mate’ released “The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.” In this publication, he challenges our usual take-it-for-granted perspectives about […]
Childhood experiences can contribute brain patterns of non-compassionate and negative self-talk in our adult brains. But self-talk interventions can help.
Book Summary of Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them In the last several years, clients have increasingly expressed sadness and grief about experiences of family cut offs or estrangement. Dr. Karl Pillemer, author of Fault Lines refers to this dynamic as fractures. Here is a summary of his book, including the research, […]
Introduction to Ego State Therapy When you step into the realm of Psychology 101, you inevitably encounter Freud’s ego states of id, ego, and super ego. The concept attempts to describe our self-identity, and childhood influences on our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. But it doesn’t stop there. Understanding ego states really flourished when, in the […]
While both stress and trauma can be challenging to navigate, they are fundamentally distinct experiences with differing consequences for our mental and physical well-being.
Book Summary: Return to Center: Simple Strategies to Navigate Distress, Depression, and Disconnection. Recipient of the Canadian Counselling and Psychology Association 2024 counselling book award! Fascinated by Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory (See The Polyvagal Institute), I embarked on a journey of sharing valuable tips and implementing new strategies with my counseling clients. Alongside this, […]
Childhood, adolescent, and sometimes adult experiences can create core negative beliefs. In childhood, these beliefs can be planted by the absence of parental or caregiver attention and security.
This is a book summary of Outgrowing the Pain: A Book for and About Adults Abused as Children by child psychologist, Eliana Gil. It proved to be a Godsend for many who found healing wisdom in its simplicity and clarity. Indeed, it did for me. It was in 1984 that I graduated with an MA […]
In Real’s book, Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship, he challenges traditional masculinity, gender role training, and more.