Are you in your 40s or 50s and feeling empty and low for no apparent reason? If so, you may be in the throes of a midlife crisis. At times you may question whether this could be depression, however, what you are feeling is a normal shift in the aging process. Research tells us that midlife is the time when we are most likely to feel down. The Happiness U-Curve, taken from a collection of … [Read more...]
Attachment Styles: What Everyone Needs to Know
“We do as we have been done by.”― John Bowlby Have you ever noticed yourself repeating certain patterns of behaviour in your romantic relationships? Perhaps you wonder why you always attract the same kind of person, or why you often end up in the same negative cycle when you fight with your partner. Many of these behaviours evolve from your attachment style, a way of relating to others … [Read more...]
5 Ways To Feel Better Right Now Without Therapy: Part One, Cultivate Awareness
I'm a therapist, so believe me when I say that therapy is good and helpful and a lifeline for many people. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be in the field. However, therapy is not always accessible. Community services out there are growing, but unfortunately we have a long way to go before mental healthcare is available to all Canadians in the same way as physical healthcare. Thankfully, … [Read more...]
What to Do When You Can’t Change the Outcome
Have you ever felt powerless? As though you are no longer in the driving seat and not really sure if you ever were? No need to answer; it's part of the human condition. We like to be in control—to know that the small plot of land we are in charge of, namely our own lives, are ours to groom, pull out weeds and plant seeds as we wish. But our neat little gardens rarely stay well manicured—before … [Read more...]
Why Self-Love is a Necessary Part of Loving Others
"Your problem is you’re too busy holding onto your unworthiness.”- Ram Dass If you had asked me a decade ago whether I loved myself the question would have baffled me. Self-love? What does that even mean? Does anyone really love themselves? And if they do, isn't that the bedrock of egoism and navel gazing? It wouldn't have taken me long to give you an answer; that is, if I was feeling … [Read more...]
Managing Depression: 13 Lifestyle Changes That Heal
“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain I'll preface this article by saying you won't find anything new about depression in here. No miracle cure, no breakthrough … [Read more...]