Spirit Psychological

The new school year is starting soon, and you might have concerns about your child/teen’s learning. This can feel very overwhelming for you as a parent.

To make the next school year a better experience for your child/teen or young adult, it is important to start before the beginning of the school year.

Our expert team assesses and supports individuals with all kinds of learning challenges including Learning Disability, Intellectual Disability/Delay and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We also offer screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as follow-up behavioral support services that are attachment-focused and trauma-informed.

As part of your child/teen or young adult’s learning assessment, we always provide a detailed diagnostic report containing personalized learning strategies for home and school. We are proud to advocate on your child/teen’s behalf with outside agencies. Our goal is to help children and youth achieve their best life outcomes – thriving, not just surviving.

To ease the stress of missing work, we have weekend options available.

Schedule your intake appointment with us today and take the first step toward a comprehensive assessment and guidance for your child/teen or young adult.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Panic attacks have a way of blindsiding you. These attacks often leave you with a feeling of intense fear, like you are losing control.

When a panic attack happens, it’s important to have tools that can help support yourself through the distress. These 5 affirmations will help you recognize that panic attacks are not harmful, that you are safe, and may bring yourself comfort.

Save this post or share with someone you know who experiences panic attacks.

A new school year is just around the corner. If you are a parent seeking a speech or language assessment for your child, this is for you.

At Spirit Psychological, we offer comprehensive speech and language assessments with experienced speech-language pathologists, Jennifer Mealiea and Francesa Chan.

If you notice your child is starting to fall behind, this is the best time for a speech or language assessment. This may be when you notice something at home through conversation with your child, or you may learn from the school or daycare that they are not succeeding as expected. If your child is young, you may feel they are not meeting certain developmental milestones and have concern for their early development.

What happens during the assessment? Our Speech Language Pathologist will evaluate your child’s strengths and challenges thoroughly and create a therapeutic plan. With your input, this plan will contain specific goals for your child that can be worked on at home and school. We provide consultation to teachers to ensure everyone is doing all that they can to help your child gain skills and succeed.

Reach out today and schedule your intake appointment with us. Take that first step toward knowing what you need to do to best support and guide your child.

📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

The beginning of a new school year should be an exciting time for children, but for some, it can be extremely stressful and cause them to feel anxious. Some children adapt quickly to change, others struggle with it.

Why do some children have anxiety when they start a new school year? Here are a few reasons why:

🔹Unfamiliar teachers and classrooms
🔹 Making new friends, wanting to fit in
🔹 Concerns about appearance (especially older children and teens)
🔹 Earlier wake up times
🔹 How to reconnect with friends they might not have seen all summer
🔹 Scared about being away from their parents, for first-timers

There are steps you can take to help ease your child back into a new routine to help ease these feelings.

Use these tips to offer your support at home. This will help your child/teen manage their anxiety about starting the new school year, and make things smoother and less scary for them.

If you feel your child/teen needs further support for anxiety, reach out to Spirit today.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100

If you are a post-secondary student starting classes this fall and think you may have ADHD, this is for you!

Our expert team of Registered Psychologists completes a comprehensive assessment and provides a confidential report containing diagnostic information. Alongside diagnostic information, we also provide personalized and practical recommendations tailored to your needs and academic situation.

At Spirit, we take the time to explain your results to you, empowering you to advocate effectively for yourself and achieve your goals. You and your success are our priority.

Schedule your intake appointment with Spirit today!

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

The new school year is starting soon, and you might have concerns about your child/teen’s learning. This can feel very overwhelming for you as a parent.

To make the next school year a better experience for your child/teen or young adult, it is important to start before the beginning of the school year.

Our expert team assesses and supports individuals with all kinds of learning challenges including Learning Disability, Intellectual Disability/Delay and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We also offer screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as follow-up behavioral support services that are attachment-focused and trauma-informed.

As part of your child/teen or young adult’s learning assessment, we always provide a detailed diagnostic report containing personalized learning strategies for home and school. We are proud to advocate on your child/teen’s behalf with outside agencies. Our goal is to help children and youth achieve their best life outcomes – thriving, not just surviving.

To ease the stress of missing work, we have weekend options available.

Schedule your intake appointment with us today and take the first step toward a comprehensive assessment and guidance for your child/teen or young adult.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Do you have a child or teen struggling with literacy, math or other learning differences? 📚👉

At Spirit Psychological, our Learning Strategists will work individually with your child/teen using a plan designed to meet their specialized learning needs.

Reach out to Spirit today to begin support for your child/teen before the school year begins.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Did you know there are 7 types of rest you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you feel renewed?

These are the 7 types of rest: 👇

✅Mental rest
✅ Emotional rest
✅ Physical rest
✅ Sensory rest
✅ Creative rest
✅ Social rest
✅ Spiritual rest

Many of us have busy schedules that are nonstop. This can lead to feelings of exhaustion, burnout, and feeling overwhelmed. 😫

You might think that getting enough sleep is the answer, but it goes much deeper than that. Each of these seven types of rest serves an individual unique purpose and plays a vital role in our overall health and mental health. By incorporating these into your daily routine, you will start to feel like you have more energy, and more balanced.

Start slow and find what works for you! Take time to recharge every part of you.

If you found this helpful, don’t forget to save this for later 💾

We provide online/remote therapy at Spirit Psychological to everyone in Nova Scotia with our team member Sukanya Mutherjee✨

Sukanya utilizes CBT, DBT, mindfulness and solution-focused therapy lenses to assist her clients. Sukanya also has training in Trauma-Informed Couples Therapy (Gottman), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). She is a certified trauma therapist with advanced certification in grief counselling. Sukanya’s skills assist those affected by trauma, anxiety, mood, eating disorders, anger/stress management and more.

Sukanya is currently accepting new clients. Her areas of focus include:

🔹Trauma (chronic, complex, PTSD, relational, attachment, childhood trauma)
🔹 Anxiety disorder (GAD, OCD, Social Anxiety etc.)
🔹 Mood disorders (Depression and Bipolar)
🔹 Couples/ Relationship Counselling
🔹 LGBTQ+
🔹 Anger management
🔹 Grief, stress management
🔹 Body image, eating disorder and self-esteem
🔹 Family therapy

Sukanya speaks English, Bengali, Spanish and Hindi and strives to provide culturally sensitive and racially informed therapy to individuals, couples, and families.

Book an intake for sessions with Sukanya today.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Do you have a child or teen struggling with literacy, math or other learning differences? 📚

At Spirit Psychological, our Learning Strategists will work individually with your child/teen using a plan designed to meet their specialized learning needs.

Our literacy and math interventions are comprehensive, and research-backed. In the area of literacy, we target all areas including not only reading but also writing and spelling.

Math challenges are approached from a strengths-based, foundational perspective. Our Learning Strategists foster feelings of self-confidence in our math learners while appreciating the anxiety math challenges sometimes cause.

Reach out to Spirit today to begin summer support for your child/teen before the school year begins.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Feeling anxious? Let’s focus on slow deep breathing with this five-finger breathing technique 🖐🏼

What is it?

Five-finger breathing is a simple technique that you can practice anywhere. It involves focusing on both your breath and the sensation of one hand tracing the fingers of the other, creating a multisensory experience. It helps to reduce stress, calms anxiety, and your mind.

How to do this exercise: 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

1. Hold up one hand (base hand) and spread your fingers
2. Place the index finger of your other hand (tracing hand) at the bottom of your thumb
3. Trace you index finger up to the tip of your thumb while inhaling
4. Trace down the other side of your thumb while exhaling
5. Repeat for each finger on your base hand
6. After tracing all fingers, start at the base of your pinky finger and repeat

Do not rush the process. Allow yourself to feel relaxed and notice how you feel. Repeat the exercise a few times until you feel calm.

Double tap if you found this helpful ❤️

Fill in the blank: What’s your goal for today! Let’s focus on ONE goal! 🙌

✨ How does setting a goal help with your mental health? Even if it is one small goal you set for the day, it can still feel like a huge accomplishment. Setting goals can be an important step in your recovery process from substance abuse, mental illness and more. They can be Long-term or short-term.

What is goal? It is something very specific that you want to achieve. By setting goals for yourself, it helps you to develop a sense of accomplishment and you might even feel satisfied when you achieve the goals you set. 🔑

✨ Let’s talk about why we set goals. When you set a goal or a list of them, they help you work towards something, help you feel like you are in control, keep your therapy on track, motivate you to try new things. We get it! Trying new things that you have never done before can be scary and it takes courage and strength if you have never done that one thing you talked about wanting to try for a long time. You got this! Lastly, setting goals can help you track your progress.

🤔 So now you are wondering how you can set a goal or a list of goals. Think about what is important to you. Are they realistic? Focus on your strengths and experiences to help you set and achieve your goals.

Most importantly, having support when you are looking at creating your list of goals increases your chances of achieving them. At Spirit Psychological, we can offer this support for you if you find you are struggling to get back on track.

Reach out to us today!

A few weeks ago, we gave you a peek into our children’s therapy space. 💖 This week, we thought we would show you another peek into one of our therapy rooms for individual or couple work.

Created with our client in mind, our spaces are designed to feel like a home away from home - where you can feel relaxed and be yourself. A space where you can kick off your shoes, curl up on the couch, grab a fidget or enjoy a snack or drink – comfortable, like we are coming to see you and not the other way around. 🏡☕

We know that people often come with people too - so for your loved one who is accompanying you, there is free parking and a cozy wait room.

At Spirit Psychological, we are client-centered, compassionate with a personalized focus on you. We have a diverse team specializing in a variety of concerns including:

Individual and Couples/Partner Therapy, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Trauma Integration, EMDR for Children, Teens & Adults - and more.

Want to experience us? Reach out and book an intake on-line today.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

At Spirit Psychological, we approach couple/partner counseling using emotion-focused-therapy (EFT)

What is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and how can it help your relationship? 💑

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on identifying and shifting harmful behavior cycles in relationships. Based on emotions and attachment theory, EFT helps to improve communication and rebuild the foundational attachment bond. By increasing emotional awareness and fostering transformative conversations, couples/partners achieve a more secure and satisfying relationship.

At Spirit Psychological, we want to help you build stronger and fulfilling connections with the people in your life, especially in long-term partnerships.

Reach out today and start your journey towards healthier relationships.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

What’s keeping you feeling stuck? 💙

We frequently experience a sense of being stuck when we’ve exhausted all our ideas to change our circumstances, yet nothing seems to improve. You may find yourself repeatedly thinking the same negative thoughts, leading to feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, or hopelessness.

One important thing to remember: how you feel at this moment is valid. You won’t always feel stuck. At Spirit Psychological, we are here to help you.

Our practice is centered on compassion, collaboration, and a personalized focus on you. Reach out to Spirit today.

At Spirit Psychological, we want our young clients to feel safe and comfortable in a soft, colorful, and calming environment. 💞 Here is a peek into one of our many Therapy Rooms.

We know that when bodies feel safe and relaxed, good work can be done with difficult thoughts and big feelings. For our younger clients, this means a mindful, non-clinical space – creating feelings of safety and trust. Feeding bodies and minds alike, we also offer snacks and drinks to all our clients.

This is brave work for children – and at Spirit, we feel privileged to accompany your child in that work.

Services we provide for children:

🌟Play and talk therapy
🌟 EMDR trauma reprocessing
🌟 Autism pre-screening
🌟 Speech and language
🌟 ADHD assessments and coaching
🌟 Educational assessments and psychoeducation

Reach out today and schedule your intake appointment with us. Your child’s wellness and safety is our priority.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

When our mental health suffers, it affects us both physically and emotionally. We might start to withdraw and isolate ourselves from others around us. Sometimes the symptoms of anxiety and depression can be extremely debilitating. Our bodies will feel tired, causing low energy and other uncomfortable feelings.

Take a few moments to focus on your breathing, and ground yourself with every breath, calming your mind. Let your breath be your anchor and the storm will pass.

Today June 27th is National PTSD awareness day.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has detrimental effects on those who suffer from it, and the lives of the people that are close to them. More people each year are diagnosed with PTSD after experiencing traumatic events, and there are many that stay silent due to the stigma associated with PTSD.

It is crucial to raise awareness and educate the public about this significant day, while ending the stigma, and have a better understanding of PTSD. By learning more about the signs, we will be able to support those who have been affected by it and help them seek better care.

Some of the signs of PTSD could be: 👇

↪️ Trouble sleeping
↪️ Depression
↪️ Anxiety
↪️ Feeling on edge
↪️ Reliving the memories of the traumatic event
↪️ Avoiding things or places that remind you or the event

At Spirit, we offer a trauma-informed approach to your healing and have Registered Counselling Therapists who are trained and certified in (EMDR) eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, to treat PTSD.

Book EMDR today with Spirit Psychological. We are here to help.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Do you have a child or teen struggling with literacy or other learning differences? With school coming to an end, learning does not have to stop there. 📚

At Spirit Psychological, our learning strategist team can help your child or teen overcome these challenges with our individualized literacy program during the summer months.

This specialized, intensive program is designed and tailored to meet each child/teen’s specific needs and challenges. Each literacy program contains reading, writing, and spelling components.

Reach out to Spirit today to learn more.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

🌈 Wishing you a Happy Pride Month from everyone at Spirit! 🏳️‍🌈 ‍

Pride Month is a time to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community, acknowledge the ongoing fight for rights and equality. It’s a month dedicated to uplifting voices, celebrating diverse cultures, and championing support of LGBTQIA+ rights. At Spirit Psychological, we stand with you. Let’s come together in solidarity, inclusivity, and spread love. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

People with Dyslexia just need to try harder to read. You might have heard this one common misconception on Dyslexia👇

Did you know that learning disorders primarily affecting reading, sometimes termed dyslexia, are not related to intelligence or vision? Understanding the facts is the first step in supporting your child/teen effectively.

If you are concerned about your child/teen and think they may have a learning disorder affecting reading, like dyslexia, reach out to Spirit today. Our team of psychologists can help. We offer a short wait time for assessment and weekend appointments to limit disruption to work and school.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

Concerned that school is almost out for the year, and you still have concerns about your child/teen’s learning? 👇

Are you looking for answers before the next school year passes too? Spirit Psychological currently has the shortest waitlist in HRM for psycho-educational and learning assessments. We also offer weekend assessment times to lessen the disruption to school and work.

At Spirit Psychological, our expert team of Registered Psychologists provide comprehensive psychoeducational (learning) assessments that give answers to your questions about your child/teen’s learning. We specialize in assessing and supporting individuals with all kinds of learning challenges including Learning Disability, Intellectual Disability/Delay, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as follow-up support services that are attachment-focused and trauma-informed.

You will receive a detailed diagnostic report containing personalized learning strategies for home and school as well as our advocacy on your child/teen’s behalf with outside agencies. We want to help children and youth achieve their best life– thriving, not just surviving.

Don’t let any more time pass - schedule your intake appointment with us today.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca

True connection begins with vulnerability. When we can start to let down our walls that might surround us, and open our hearts, we create space for authentic bonds to flourish.

This helps us in our relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Embrace your true self and then you will discover the profound connections that await. 💞

Summer can impact our mental health in both positive and negative ways. These are 5 positive ways to help support you during the summer months. 👉

Summer is an exciting season for many of us. We view it as a season full of opportunities for outdoor activities, vacations, and more time spent in nature. But did you also know that for some people, the summer months can also bring feelings of being overwhelmed?

This time of year can offer numerous opportunities to practice good mental health. It’s the perfect time to invest in habits that support your mental well-being. What’s your favorite summer activity?

Found this helpful? Save it for later or share it with someone that you think this could help 📌

If you are a parent seeking a speech and language assessment for your child, this is for you 👉


At Spirit Psychological, we offer comprehensive speech and language assessments with experienced speech-language pathologists, Jennifer Mealiea and Francesa Chan.

Spirit Psychological currently has the shortest waitlist in HRM for speech and language assessments. We also offer weekend assessment times to lessen disruption to school and work.

Reach out today and schedule your intake appointment with us. Take that first step toward knowing what you need to do to best support and guide your child.

Spirit Psychological
📞 (902) 445 – 6100
💻 www.spiritpsychological.ca