LoveDay Counselling Services

Free virtual workshops offered through Keystone. Please visit https://www.keystonebrucegrey.org/events/ for all of their upcoming events.

Canada Day is a very different one this year for my family and myself. We will be quietly spending the long weekend reflecting on the past, speaking of hope for a better future, and mourning the loss of Indigenous lives.

Often in my office I discuss the need for active listening with my clients and the importance of that for growth. Here I recognize is my time to put that into practice myself. I choose to listen, to be open to education and to promote solidarity. 🧡

Having grown up with a mom who is a Registered Nurse, I was all too familiar with the difficult schedules that nurses face and with it, the adjusting of holidays to accommodate shifts, the long hours that meant missing games or other activities, and the cancelled plans when something came up and extra hands were needed in the Emergency department. Despite this my sister followed in my mom’s footsteps becoming an RN as well. My close relationship with nurses extends outside of my family to several close friends as well which provided further brief glimpses into the career of a nurse. And with each glimpse, I have always come to the conclusion of “l’d never want to do what they do”.

Then came 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic along with the Covid-19 virus. In this time full of unknown, I watched these individuals selflessly go to work despite the risks, the fatigue, and the sacrifices the would have to make.

Fast forward to today over a year later and these individuals are still tirelessly stepping up to face all the new challenges and developments that have been added to an already demanding career.

To my nurse friends and family, and all of the other nurses out there thank you for doing what you do each and every day of the year! You truly are heroes without capes❤️

Fingers crossed that courses are open again by June 24th in order to get out and support youth in Grey/ Bruce!

Want to support youth in Grey/Bruce? You can help by becoming a sponsor at the Keystone Child, Youth & Family Services 7th Annual Charity Golf Tournament or register your team for a great day of golf! Check out the tournament and sponsorship opportunities below: https://buff.ly/3b9zlfH

Exactly one year ago today I made a very intimidating but so very rewarding decision to open my own practice LoveDay Counselling, amidst the beginning of the pandemic. With the support of my colleagues, my wonderful family, and many terrific clients I could not be happier with what this previous year has given me. I have learned a lot and look forward to taking all of these lessons forward with me in the years to come. My biggest gratitude from this position is the ability to go to work and actually come home more energized then when I left because I can feel the difference I am making and love what I am doing! I love going to work, seeing my clients,and helping as best I can. I just want to thank everyone who has made this opportunity possible!

So what does opening up the conversation about mental health really look like ?

It’s means so much more than just being aware that mental illness exists and instead looking more at the broader picture of mental health that exists inside all of us. It’s about recognizing that our mental health is just as important as our physical health and therefore should be treated as so. It means having a lot of really important conversations, and it’s about remembering that all good conversations involve two major components -talking and sharing but also truly being open to listening.

Gratitude, thankfulness, and reflection are topics we discuss in psychotherapy quite often, but those things all take on some extra meaning today. Today we honour, thank, and remember those who fought for their country, sacrificed so much, and who have given us our peace. We honour them a little differently today but we shall never forget. 🌺

This is my first post in awhile after taking a little break, and practicing what I tell others so often. Self-care is so so important! Especially in times of heightened stress, slowing life down and taking time to take part in the things we enjoy and that recharge us is essential. Self-care means taking part in activities that after we do them we just feel better, feel a little more energy than before and feel more ready to handle the world around us. What does self-care look like for you ?

For me, the biggest concern for those working in schools is not actually for Covid-19 itself, but all the pieces that will go along with it. I worry about teacher burnout as they deal with the increased emotional distress of students struggling with things at home after the shutdown occurred. I worry for their stress in relation to calls from home from parents who have heard a student was not wearing a mask or following the new rules, even though the student was told, and their learning difficulties mean needing extra reminders daily. I worry for the support staff who will be forced into policing hand washing and rule compliance rather than supporting the kids who really need their help, and of course worry for the students who will therefore go without the help they needed. I worry for all the staff melting under the anxiety and stress, but who will go without support because they see their colleagues are also too mentally strapped to support them. And most of all, I worry for every person in the school that empathy, patience, and kindness will not be given as WE ALL WORRY about the safety of our children.

Let’s all remember to show gratitude to build positive emotions, focus on supporting others, looking at the positives of the situation, and helping where we can to lighten the load for each other. We were there to cheer on our health care workers and support them, now let’s show that same appreciation and support to the school staff.

It’s something I say to people so often, your mental health is JUST as important as your physical health!

Your mental health is so interconnected to everything else in your life- your relationships, your quality of life, your work, and your physical health. If you are not looking after it you will see impacts in some if not all of these important areas.

Check in with yourself, pay attention to how you are feeling, and make sure you are making your mental health a priority.

There are so many benefits for ourselves and those around us that we can take advantage of when we show gratitude including: making ourselves and others feel better mentally and physically, and strengthening relationships with those we care for. Creating a relationship based around gratitude can also make it easier to get through difficult times in our life. This list offers just a few easy things we can do to increase our use of gratitude and with it, increase our positive mindset. **just be mindful that at this time those who you are hugging are within your social bubble**

Supporting a loved one with anxiety is not always an easy task. Sometimes we may feel stressed ourselves not knowing what to do, exhausted, unappreciated and lost. But there are definitely some positive things we can do to support those individuals. They may seem simple but they can have a big impact on those we are supporting and through helping them, can make us feel better about what we are doing also. It may not be easy but it’s such an important role you are playing!

As I sit here a little stressed and overwhelmed thinking it has certainly been a long week, I look over to find my calendar and spot that it is only Wednesday .... What a perfect time for me to practice a skill I often suggest to clients!

Positive thinking is not always an easy thing to put into place but approaching stress and anxiety from a positive outlook can certainly be a more productive mindset and feels a lot better than choosing to stay in a negative hole.

I had to remind myself over and over that the things I have experienced though sucky, are only short term. I have amazing loved ones helping me through it, and most importantly everything could have been worse.

Positive thinking does not mean I am ignoring the fact that negative things happened or pretending it didn’t bother me, but instead choosing to see the silver linings and focusing on the positives in my life. I am the one in driver’s seat and I will steer out of the negativity.

When we have so many bits of information, thoughts, emotions and memories all flooding our minds at a time, it can be so hard to work through all of that noise to manage stress, anxiety, and your overall mental health.

I recommended journaling to so many clients because there are lots of benefits for people of any age! Whether it’s used to track negative thoughts, challenge anxious fears, listing gratitudes, or mindfully noting what is happening around you, there are so many ways journaling provides a medium to tangibly see things in front of us to help promote positive mental health.

Journaling can be a great way to work through situational stressors on your own or be a great tool to use outside of psychotherapy sessions.

Give it a try!

**Low Cost Therapeutic Services Are Available**

I firmly believe everyone should be able to access mental health services regardless of their financial status. I worry that there are people in the community who are choosing not to pursue counselling and psychotherapy out of concern for affording other life necessities and I find that very disheartening.

I will say that I understand that good and well trained psychotherapists can be costly, but the help they can provide is worth every penny! However, at the end of the day paying those session fees can be a barrier.

If you are needing support but Covid or other life circumstances have created a lack of finances to be able to afford regular rates please let me know and we can discuss how to work with your budget. There are options available!

Today we honour all the fathers in our lives. To all the positive role models, supportive individuals, and those present is a child’s life, I hope you feel loved and appreciated today. Happy Father’s Day💙

I have heard this proverb before, but the whole pandemic really brought these words to life for myself and my family. I found the uncertainty of everything, the time away from family and friends, and the lack of help with kids to be very difficult and almost overwhelming at times. But it’s been arguably just as hard on the little ones. The scary outfits that people - especially their doctors are wearing, the lack of a social environment during such a critical time in their development, and the vicarious stress they have witnessed are all things I wonder about and watch the effects of. Though slowly my world returns to a similar version of normal, I worry that theirs is far from it. What a weird time for them.

As things begin opening up around the province, I have been very excited for what that means for myself and my family, but I am also reminded that this may not be the feelings others are experiencing. I think it’s important to be mindful that though the storm is over for some of us with life returning to “normal”, for others that storm may still be carrying on or even just beginning. I am reminded of the need for continued support, patience, taking things slow, and checking in with loved ones.

Growing up I was told you can never make everyone happy, and I have had to remind myself of that quite often in these current times. Taking this one step further, there will always be people that judge your decisions, completely disagree with your actions, or who choose to act negatively towards you because of something you have done. But, at the end of the day no one else knows what you are going through, sees the circumstances that led to your decisions, or can tell you what’s best for you.

I have heard a lot of stories lately of rude looks and judgement from others and I find that so sad that in such a scary time we have to create more worry in our lives about what others will think of our actions. I have heard people receiving judging looks when they must take their kids with them grocery shopping, judgement from neighbours when families have had a relative over to babysit while parents went to work, fear of being judged for wanting to go to the garden centre because it doesn’t seem like an essential purchase, being yelled at after accidentally going the wrong way in a grocery aisle, and the list goes on. We may not be experiencing the same type of storm, but we are all in it together. Remember we don’t know the circumstances of those around us, we don’t know what led to their decision making, and even if we did we may not agree with it and that’s okay because we don’t have to. Let’s judge less and instead look at each other with empathy and consider alternative perspectives that may explain behaviours that are against our beliefs, and replace judgement with kindness. If we judge less maybe we can take a little of the stress and worry out of this time, maybe we can make things a little easier.

It's now easier to email LoveDay Counselling Services

Living in my small community has certainly impacted me during this difficult time. I miss my family who live only minutes from me, I miss walking down the trails and exchanging pleasantries with members of the community, and I miss visits and play dates with friends. This makes me sad. I know many of my friends and family work in essential roles and I worry for them everyday, and I worry for others who face job uncertainty. This makes me sad. I go on social media and see all the negative events happening in the world from deaths, to horrible inhumane acts, and reports of misdirected fear that has led to actions of hatred. This makes me sad.
But I control how I feel. There are things I can do to not let myself be bogged down by the things that make me sad and to not let that sadness overwhelm me. It takes work, and I need to remind myself daily of what I told myself I will do to keep myself positive during this time. I will choose to focus on the good in this, and see the positive. I will choose to let this situation change my way of life for the better. I will choose to appreciate things I had not before. I choose to see what is good.

It’s okay to not feel okay right now! I certainly have been catching myself getting anxious and having to practice the skills I teach to others. I have to force myself to flip the switch and look at the positives, stay off of social media at times and utilize calming breathing. I remind myself that I am not alone in this. I may not be able to see my family and friends in person, but I certainly call them often to check-in and gain support. I know in time this will pass and I will have learned some positive lessons from it including valuing time spent with people much more! I know I can do this and so can you! Always remember there are people out there to support you and help you if you are struggling!

The current situation is difficult for each of us for many different reasons, but the best thing we can do is reframe negative thoughts and focus on the positives. Positive thinking encourages positive feelings! I encourage you all to look at the situation and truly think of the positives, whether that’s time with your family, a chance to catch up on reading, or simple a time to slow down and just take stock of what you have. Utilize statements like”if my fears happen, I will be okay because ___________.” Personally, even though I am worried for my family, I know I will be okay because I have a great supportive community and people who love me. Stay safe and stay healthy everyone, we will get through this together!

In this time of uncertainty with so much unknown, looking after our mental health remains very important. The situation may look different for each one of us, but the feelings you are experiencing are being felt by others too. Anxious, scared, lonely, worried or feeling overwhelmed? It’s okay! Take a deep breath, practice mindfulness and reach out if you need help. Though we are social distancing for everyone’s safety, you are not alone.
Counselling sessions are available through virtual services if you need to speak with a professional.

I am incredibly excited and honoured to announce that with the help and support of an invaluable mentor and colleague, I am opening LoveDay Counselling Services in Owen Sound! Services are available now with no wait list!. I am very passionate about mental health advocacy and cannot be more excited to be offering psychometric assessments and counselling services to the members of my community. Check out my website for more information and if you have any questions feel free to contact me!

LoveDay Counselling Services updated their business hours.

LoveDay Counselling Services updated their website address.