The Importance of Hope

Last week, I presented two talks on the challenges of mental and emotional wellness when a person is experiencing physical illness.  One major theme centered around the importance of hope.  Whether the condition is acute or chronic, there can be a loss of hope when someone is forced to contend with a medical issue.  It can feel difficult to feel hopeful for the future when there is so much uncertainty (see this post).  Yet hope is crucial to resilience and forward movement in the long run.…

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Recommended Reading – Mindful Magazine

Today's recommended reading comes in the form of a favourite magazine of mine - Mindful Magazine.  You are likely not surprised to see that mindfulness is again making an appearance on the blog here; the relevancy and benefits of mindfulness within health management are key beliefs of mine. On the Mindful site, you will find articles that describe the science behind mindfulness, as well as anecdotal support from individual contributors.  Plus there is ample space devoted to describing specific mindful practices you can incorporate into your…

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Technology

This past weekend I attended a discussion group that touched on the topic what it means to be human and what is the influence of technology on being human (Please visit the Philosophy Dinners site for more information on such events in your city).  There were some rich conversations examining both how we are helped and hindered by our increasingly techological society. Since much of the counselling work that I do centers around the psychological needs of those with medical conditions, this topic naturally got me…

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Uncertainty

Pema Chodron is an inspiration for me both in my personal life and also in my counselling practice.  Buddhist practices are often relevant to my clients who are facing health and medical crises.  These experiences entail a great deal of waiting... such as waiting for appointments, tests, and results.  My clients speak of the significant distress they go through while all this waiting is taking place. Very often, these challenges are related to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.  Once we have information, we are able to…

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A Generous Link

A friend sent me a link to this article from The Huffington Post that I would like to share with you: How Generous Are You Willing To Be? Often when we consider generosity we see it as an altruistic act towards another person.  This piece of writing is a refreshing take on how sometimes generosity is expressed through allowing our beautiful gifts to shine in the world.  So often it is the simple, yet brave, act of sharing our authentic selves that brings enrichment to the…

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Moving – One of Life’s Many Changes and Challenges

I moved apartments this past weekend.  Distance wise, it wasn't far, but it certainly reminded me of the distress that can occur with change.  Life's transitions may be good or bad (and often both) and it is disorienting and taxing on our emotions and mental health. It seemed a metaphor for life as I sorted through my belongings and chose which objects to keep and which to discard.  Even the items that I knew were old and no longer useful held sentimental attachment and it took…

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A Quirky Quote

The theme of suffering has presented itself to me in many ways over the last week.  I have encountered multiple perspectives on the nature of suffering and the question of the necessity of suffering in the pursuit of meaning and purpose. While I will not attempt to unpack such deep topics here, I will share this Woody Allen quote: This quote is a gentle and humorous reminder that despite the inevitable challenges and frustrations in our lives, most of us still have a drive to participate…

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Diabetes Webinar Link

Last month I was thrilled to present for the Canadian Diabetes Association on the topic of "Diabetes Burnout".  It's a subject I am familiar with both as a person with diabetes and as a counsellor who sees clients who struggle with burnout.  Sometimes the daily management tasks can wear us down.  When they do we need to be gentle with ourselves as we harness our strengths and resources to get back on track. The slides from the presentation can be viewed below.    

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Recommended Reading – The Gift of Therapy

There are many writers and teachers who inspire my work and one such individual is Dr. Irvin Yalom.  He is an American psychiatrist who developed Existential Psychotherapy.  Dr. Yalom's writings are personable and at times quite humourous as he illustrates the dance of therapy through case anecdotes in The Gift of Therapy. Existential therapy is highly relevant to many of my clients who are coping with unexpected transitions and life challenges often in relation to their health.  When we are unexpectedly faced with a crisis, we…

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Our Natural Discomfort with Endings

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Last week marked the end of the Daring Way (tm) group experience.  I feel fortunate to have spent the past two months co-facilitating, learning and growing with a remarkable group of women.  As the final session approached, I was reminded of the necessity for endings in life and how under-prepared we typically are for the emotional response. For many of us, the end of any relationship is marked as a sad, often sudden, and unwanted transition.  The ending may be due to death, break-up, moving or…

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