Many people have long-held beliefs about not being worthy, or not being good enough, which contribute to unhappiness.  Whether unhappiness is steeped in traumatic experiences, or whether it’s the result of negative messages internalized over the years, it’s helpful to get to know the parts of us that hold these old beliefs, and compassionately unburden them.  Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a very useful therapeutic approach to address and resolve these kinds of concerns.  The result is creating space for long-term, meaningful change to happen.  And that’s something to be happy about.

If you’re unhappy and need some support in finding something different for your life, take the first step, Talk to Fran.

When the busyness of the holidays has quietened down and the visitors have gone home, many people experience a letdown kind of feeling, likean emotional hangover, with accompanying weight gain and hefty credit card bills.  That feeling can settle into the winter blues when missed opportunities, losses, and unrealized dreams seem to overtake hopes for the future.  Because wintertime still presents many dark, gloomy days, winter blues can easily be confused with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) with its characteristic apathy and fatigue, food cravings, lack of concentration, and emotional indifference.

A talk with a therapist can help you clarify what you’re experiencing, and give you a powerful hand up.  There are effective ways to cope, whether it’s the winter blues or depression.

If you or someone you love is struggling, take the first step — Talk to Fran.

That depends. Some employers have extended health plans with coverage for a portion of the cost of counselling, usually around 80%.  Other employers have employee assistance plans for short-term counselling.  Costs for victims of motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, or crime may be paid by third party insurers.

Counsellors are not covered by the publicly funded Medical Services Plan.  For this reason, most clients pay for counselling on their own.  They often describe the service as a valuable investment in themselves.

Some counsellors offer a sliding scale for people of modest income.  As well, there are a number of free services in town, such as those at Mental Health, so the cost should never prevent people from seeking necessary help.

Anyone!  Counselling can be helpful to everyone.  Sometimes people think they need to have enormous problems to seek out a counsellor.  Not true.   While counselling indeed provides relief for people suffering from things like anxiety, depression, or trauma,it is also very helpful to men and women who want to feel more satisfied with life, have a better marriage, experience less stress, or navigate life changes such as career shifts, retirement, or loss.  Counselling helps people achieve the changes they desire and deal with obstacles such as old habits, unhelpful beliefs or patterns of thinking, or the residue of negative life experiences, once and for all.  Then, space is created for a happier, more meaningful life.  People find the process helpful, rewarding – and even fun!

Summer’s here.  Sunshine, long days, beaches, barbeques, and parties.   Best time of the year, right?

Summer is a fabulous time to kick back and relax, experience new things, slow down and de-stress.  However, it can also expose inner turmoil such as anxiety, depression, or relationship conflicts.  It may appear that others are having all the fun, leaving a person feeling left out, lonely and vulnerable.  Summer vacations can be inspiring, or can open old wounds.  Some issues aren’t solved by the sunshine.  It’s a good time to reach out for support.  The need for professional help doesn’t take a summer vacation.

If summer isn’t working out as happily as you hoped it would, take the first step to help yourself feel better.  Make the call, and talk to Fran.

If you’re not attending classes through a church, a couple’s counsellor is a good choice for pre-marital counselling.

Love, trust and commitment are essential to a good marriage, and so are skills.  In pre-marital counselling, we address:

• Compassionate communication
• Problem-solving and interpersonal conflict
• Financial management
• Relationship nurturance and intimacy
• Expectations and differences between you
• Relationships with extended family
• Fulfilling each other’s dreams

Pre-marital counselling is a great investment in your relationship.  It’s possible to have a marriage as beautiful as your wedding.  It can be fun, too!

Over fifty percent of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions in the first month!   That doesn’t mean New Year’s resolutions are bad – just that the goal might need to be redefined. Perhaps it was too general, or overly optimistic.  Goals that are clear and specific, manageable in terms of time and energy, and are deeply meaningful are more likely to be achieved.  At the same time, new behaviors are hard to maintain until they’ve been hardwired in the brain.  Don’t let a sense of failure or procrastination get in the way of achieving your dreams.  Never, ever give up!

Need some help defining your goals, and achieving them?  Registered Clinical Counsellors can  help.

Yes, there definitely is hope. Because many people don’t know how to express themselves when they feel pressure, they resort to blaming and yelling. Many couples tend to fight over the same things repeatedly, without resolution.

However, it is possible to learn how to disagree and even fight in a productive manner. Here are three key suggestions:

• Set aside the need to be right.
• Learn how to really listen, to understand each other’s true concerns.
• Learn how to repair a relationship quickly after an argument.

There’s lots of hope, particularly if both parties are willing to put in the effort required to develop better relational patterns. A skilled counsellor knows how to help.

The very best gifts are those that transform lives.  There are many ways to open doors, or to give gifts that will last a lifetime.  In addition to the many options through charitable donations, here are a few very personal ideas:

• Contribution to a (grand)child’s Registered Education Savings Plan
• Gift certificate for pre-marital counselling for a newly engaged couple
• Micro-financing loan through an organization such as Kiva
• Commitment to spend time every week with a child, teen, or adult learning to read
• Showing someone how to plant and maintain a garden, and helpingthem do it

Give a gift that transforms, one that lasts a lifetime.  If you need more ideas, Talk to Fran.

You can expect a professional but warm listener and a comfortable office.  The first session will be about you and the counsellor getting to know each other, and about sorting out the nature of the issues to be worked at.The counsellor will ask questions about your life and the struggles you’re having, as well as about the ways you’d like your life to be different.You can ask questions about the process of counselling and the counsellor’s approach.  You can expect that by the end of the first session, you will have a pretty good idea of what you’d like to achieve, as well as an approach to get there.  Expect the whole process to be collaborative.  Expect change.