There is a belief that once someone has been cured of cancer, they should feel ecstatically happy.? Why wouldn’t they?? The treatments are over!? They are cancer-free!? The battle has been won!? ?However, many of the people I have met during this stage of their cancer journey don’t feel like it’s time for a party.? … Continue reading Now That You’re Cured…The Second Half of the Journey
If someone asked you how you know something, what would you answer? I learned it at school. My parents taught me. I checked on Google. When we’re talking about facts or skills, it’s often easy to remember how or when the information came to us. However, if I asked you about a personality trait or … Continue reading Core Beliefs…We’ve All Got Them!
There is an old saying…”We can’t climb into another person’s skin.”? The meaning I take from this is that, while we can show empathy to others, we don’t know their intimate experience–mental health included.? That’s why it’s useful to hear directly from others.? The following First Person article, was published in the July 23, 2018 … Continue reading One Perspective: I’ve learned to live with my mental illness
Whether you are in the process of finding your first or twenty-first career, we are often told to “Find your passion” and all will be well.? According to the following article published in the July 12, 2018 online edition of The Atlantic, following this advice may not be a good idea. This is such a … Continue reading “Find Your Passion”…Apparently Not a Good Idea!
In Part One of this three-part series, we explored the specific parts of the Caregiver’s Journey–the beginning, middle and end stages–what can be expected at each stage and ways to cope.? Last week, in Part Two, we looked at caregiver burnout–the risk factors and warning signs.? Today, we’ll look at what happens when the caregiver … Continue reading The Caregiver’s Journey–Part 3
I recently attended a one-day conference (organized by Hospice Waterloo Region) for caregivers and professionals who support them.? ?As I sat with the other participants and heard the stories of people who are actively being a ‘care partner’ for a loved one(s), I was struck by the love and dedication that helped them to make … Continue reading The Caregiver’s Journey–Part 1
Once upon a time…this may be one of the most magical phrases ever written.? Young and old alike know that with these four little words they are about to be swept to another world…joy, sorrow, danger, who knows?? I suggest that when someone says “Once upon a time” we settle into our seats and prepare … Continue reading Once Upon a Time…
As I continue on my travels, the following post from the archives explores how we can have adventures (in therapy) without even leaving home! In February 2015, I was able to spend two weeks in Thailand. ?While it was a once-in-a-lifetime, amazing trip; getting to my destination was a challenge. ?Travel time was over 24 … Continue reading Travel and Therapy–Both Are Adventures
The recent Spring-like weather may have some of us thinking about Spring Cleaning! If this is you, here is a post from the archives that may be helpful. Enjoy! We often think of grief and loss as relating to life events such as the death of a loved one or being let go from a … Continue reading The Grief of Saying Goodbye…to our stuff
Another common question I hear from clients during therapy is “Is this normal?”. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there are many definitions depending on the area of ‘normal’ you are looking at. Since we’re not talking about the areas of science or math, I’m using the definition of “conforming to a type, standard, or regular … Continue reading Is This Normal?