How to Choose the Right Therapist
Written By: Albert Kwok, MEd, Registered Clinical Counsellor Recently, I’ve had some new potential clients wanting to chat and see if we’d be a good fit for counselling. These conversations typically offer a chance for you to ask any questions about your potential counsellor’s experience, qualifications, and more importantly, to see if you feel safe […]
Sleep 101: Exploring the Power of Sleep
Does sleep feel elusive at times? Do you remember the last time you woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start your day? There is a sleep deprivation epidemic happening in our society. Research indicates that two thirds of adults in developing countries do not get the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night (National […]
Gratitude: Does It Live Up To The Hype?
Have you ever wondered if the claims about gratitude are exaggerated? Can gratitude really help your physical and emotional wellbeing? Well, it depends. Do you implement gratitude daily? How do you interpret the small kindness others show you? If the answer is a resounding yes, then the claims are true. Studies have consistently found that […]
Why Do You Lie?
Most of you may think that you are an honest person. But research shows that the average adult lies 1 to 2 times a day and is lied to 10 to 200 times a day. The psych-illogical thing is, none of us want to be lied to, but all of us lie to others. […]
How To Recover from Psychological Trauma
How do you know if you’ve experienced psychological trauma? What exactly is it? The word “trauma” has been tossed around somewhat casually by the general population as an expression of feeling scared or startled (e.g., “OMG, you totally traumatized me”), or having a negative experience (e.g., “that was so traumatizing”). With the word “trauma” […]
How Self-Compassion Can Help with Self-Criticism, Low Self-Worth, and Shame
Many of my clients come from families where they were regularly criticized or shamed for doing something that their parents deemed “wrong” or “bad”. Parents would often explain that criticizing or shaming was how they “taught” their children to do better in life and not make the same mistakes. Unfortunately, parents have been misguided in […]
10 Mistakes You May Be Making to Perpetuate Your Depression
When a new client tells me about their depression, they often wonder why they aren’t getting any better or perhaps even getting worse. Some have been taking antidepressants for years or even decades, but haven’t seen much improvement. The psych-illogical thing is, your depression doesn’t magically disappear by taking antidepressants. You have to deal with […]
Be Your Own Therapist with this Technique!
Written by: Dr. Nardeen Awadalla, PsyD, Doctoral Clinician Sometimes it can feel like life is happening to you and you’re trying to keep your head above water. In times like this, while it might look like everything is fine on the outside, you might be feeling dissatisfied or uneasy on the inside without really knowing […]
Take Control of Your Panic Attacks in 6 Simple Steps
Panic attacks can happen out of the blue and feel terrifying. They are a sudden and intense fear when there is no clear danger. Panic attacks can be triggered or spontaneous. Often your heart is racing, you’re struggling to breathe, you feel light headed and dizzy, you have chest pain and a fear of being […]
6 Creative Ways to be With Your Anger!
Have you been told “anger is bad”, or “people who are angry are out of control”, or “if you express your anger, you will be rejected”? Anger Gets a Bad Rap Anger is actually a healthy response to having your boundaries crossed – telling you what is ok and what is not ok. For example, anger teaches […]