What is Borderline Personality Disorder?
So you’ve probably heard of this diagnosis before which is Borderline Personality Disorder. Also referred to in the mental health profession as BPD. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a ” a […]
Welcome
Are there 5 Stages of Grief and Loss?
In our culture, you have probably heard a reference to the 5 stages of grief and loss. So in my previous post on grief, I mentioned grief is characterized by […]
Connect and Redirect Parenting Strategy
Before we begin, I must provide some psychoeducation around the brain and mind. The brain has many different parts, with different functions. What is important for you to know in […]
#BellLetsTalk 2017
Well it is the annual #BellLetsTalk Day for 2017 and I hope this day has been generating some thought and awareness around mental health in our society. As a mental […]
Adolescence
So one of my passions is to work with youth! I just love their love for life, curiosity, and sense of adventure. Whenever I’m working with parents, teachers, or anyone […]
Making SMART Goals
Well it’s a new year so I am anticipating many of you may or may not have set new year resolutions! Whether it be in counselling or everyday life, it […]
Myers-Briggs Type Inventory – Personality Test
The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory is one of the most common assessments used by counsellors and psychologists for a deeper insight into a person’s personality. The MBTI® developed out of Carl Jung’s […]
Amphetamines
Crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth) is a powerful central nervous stimulant with highly addictive properties. I find it very troubling how prevalent this drug is among young people. Prevalence in Vancouver A […]
Bell Let’s Talk 2016
Talking is the best way to start breaking down the barriers associated with mental illness. About Bell Let’s Talk For one day each year, Bell encourages everyone across Canada to […]
the Stages of Change
Since it is a new year and many of us have created new years resolutions, why not write a post about the Stages of Change?! What is the Stages of […]
Insomnia
Approximately, 40% of Canadians will experience a sleep disorder during their lifetime, which can lead to serious health risks over time (Morin et al., 2011). In this blog post, I will […]
Methadone vs. Suboxone
Suboxone and Methadone are used to treat patients with opioid dependency or addiction. They are both synthetic opioids. When someone has been taking opioids (heroine, oxycodone, percocet, and fentanyl) on […]
Mental Health Awareness Week #IAmStigmaFree
We are in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Week October 4 – October 10th this year. Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed […]
Group Therapy – Would you ever try it?
During my graduate degree, I had to take a course on Group Psychotherapy. It was an experiential course, which meant I actually did group therapy with my classmates. I would […]
Infidelity in Relationships
The Ashley Madison hack has been all over the news lately and I decided to write a blog post about infidelity. Infidelity doesn’t always just mean sex, it can also […]
Hold Me Tight – Dr. Sue Johnson
I came across Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy developed by Dr. Sue Johnston when I was in graduate school taking a Marriage and Family Therapy course. A fun fact is that […]
Dangers of Fentanyl
With recent media reports of deadly overdoses on fentanyl, I feel it is imperative the community is aware of the dangers of fentanyl because there is little knowledge about this […]
Gender as a Continuum
In honour of Pride Week, I thought I would do a post on gender. This post is largely from a paper I wrote in 2012 called “The Implications of Restrictive […]
The Science behind “Hangry”
A recent article came out from CNN about “The Science Of ‘Hangry’, Or Why Some People Get Grumpy When They’re Hungry.” I’ve definitely been guilty of snapping at someone when […]
Change
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety,” Abraham Maslow, psychologist Change is often uncomfortable and may even be […]
Pharmacotherapy & Depression
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, this blog post was put together by the information I’ve gathered from research, my education, presentations from mental health professionals, and my own […]
Following Your Passion
This is my story of how I found my passion – counselling and mental health. Did I know when I graduated high school what I wanted to be? No, I […]
How to Talk to Your Kids about Drugs and Alcohol
A few months ago I facilitated a presentation out in the community about How to Talk to Your Kids about Drugs and Alcohol. Talking about drugs and alcohol to your […]
Risk Factors for Depression
What Causes Depression? Many people have asked me “So what causes depression?” There has been extensive research on depression and what we’ve learned is that there is no single cause […]
Mental Health Week
Mental Health Week has started today!!! It is from May 4-10, 2015 this year. 1 in 4 Canadians (25% of the population) today are likely to experience a diagnosable mental illness. From […]
Concussions & Mental Health
What are concussions? Over the past two decades, we have been learning more and more about concussions. Concussions are a bruising of the brain that can result in severe neurocognitive […]