Turning Pages Psychology

05/06/2025

10/23/2024

I love using guided imagery to help people relax and experience stress relief. I wanted to make this practice even more accessible by writing and recording my own, inspired by some local gems here in Alberta. This way, if you feel drawn to visit one in real life, you won't need to get on a plane to do so! I have posted the first reflection on my blog, including a downloadable PDF and an audio recording.

Johnston Canyon: A Guided Imagery Reflection

Escape into the tranquility of Johnston Canyon with this calming guided imagery reflection. Take a moment to journey through the canyon’s peaceful paths, connecting with nature and yourself. Whether you need a mental reset or just a few minutes of serenity, this experience will help you unwind and recharge.

https://www.turningpagespsych.ca/post/johnston-canyon-a-guided-imagery-reflection

07/16/2024

I am excited to share that my most recent guest blog piece has been posted by the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association 😊 Social connection is such an important part of mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Community Associations like the HSCA can be excellent resources for enhancing your social landscape!

If you'd like to read more check out the HSCA blog at: https://www.hsca.ca/blog/2024/7/15/social-connection

06/21/2024

NEW BLOG POST: Emotions, and Why We Love to Hate them.

Emotions serve an important function in our lives, and yet we find ourselves doing acrobatics to avoid them 🤸‍♀️

Join me in this exploration of why we love to hate our emotions and how we can start to reconnect with this innate, adaptive form of intelligence 🧠❤️

Read more at: https://www.turningpagespsych.ca/post/emotions-and-why-we-love-to-hate-them

06/21/2024

Disappointment is an emotion that we experience when we stumble into the gap between expectation and reality. It is that heavy sinking feeling we may get when we realize a hope, dream, expectation, need, or want will go unfulfilled. It often comes with a sense of loss, and a mixture of other emotions such as anger, sadness, frustration, and at times, hopelessness.

Disappointment can be painful, overwhelming, discouraging, and demotivating. When we experience disappointment and we don’t have the resources it takes to get back up again, it can be crushing. Sometimes when we experience disappointment we need to take time to rest and let ourselves wallow and mourn.

Disappointment can also be a wake-up call that pushes us to reevaluate our hopes, expectations, and relationships with others. It can push us to let go of what’s not working, change strategies, or double down and try harder.

What are your go-to ways for coping with disappointment?

04/17/2024

It frustrates me that people experiencing burnout are told by their employers that they just need a change of attitude or better self-care, when in truth organizations are the ones responsible for causing burnout in their workers. Organizational leadership must shift towards treating their employees as humans, deserving of appreciation, support, and appropriate compensation; deserving of environments that build strong, healthy collegial relationships rather than toxic ones; deserving of having a voice, being treated justly, and being able to live and work to their values.

Unfortunately, because the causes of burnout are mainly environmental, that leaves us with very limited options for improving burnout ourselves… We can focus on alleviating our symptoms through targeted self-care (boundaries, rest, nutrition, exercise etc.), social connection, medical support, and mental health support. However, if the organizational issues that led to burnout do not change, it is possible that burnout will be an ongoing battle. Ultimately, a break or long-term change in work environment may be necessary.

This infographic is based on the areas of mismatch defined by Maslach and Leiter’s (2016) work on burnout and recovery.

04/03/2024

Exciting news! I am now able to offer couples therapy sessions using the Gottman Method! The Gottman Method is a powerful evidence-based couples therapy approach grounded in decades of research and practice.

Together, we can work on strengthening your relationship through nurturing a sense of fun and friendship, enhancing communication, and deepening understanding and connection.

03/31/2024

BREAKING THE BURNOUT CYCLE

Part of my journey to becoming a mental health professional involved completing a master's thesis–an extensive academic research project. For a year, I spent my days and nights pouring over interview transcripts, news articles, academic publications, and book after book, all in the hopes of better understanding my research topic–critical care nurses’ experiences of burnout and recovery while working the pandemic frontlines.

I read extensively on related concepts to gain an understanding of the broader context of my topic, delving into decades of burnout research from around the world, and numerous studies focused on other healthcare professions, mental health professionals, educators, and shift workers. It would be impossible to contain everything I found valuable in this research in a single blog post, so I have started with a more general and basic focus.

This blog post is about the insidious underlying causes of burnout, and some steps that you can take to initiate recovery.

https://www.turningpagespsych.ca/post/breaking-the-burnout-cycle

03/02/2024

Contentment is a state of being satisfied and at peace with one's current situation. It is a sense of fulfillment and happiness that comes from within, rather than being dependent on external factors such as material possessions, achievements, or the actions of others. Contentment is not about having everything you want but rather appreciating what you have and finding enjoyment in the present moment.

We can work towards experiencing contentment through the active practice of self-exploration, reflection, being in the present, accepting our circumstances, and accepting those around us. As contentment is a less intense or extreme emotion than many others, it can be sustained for longer periods of time.

Contentment is a highly underrated emotion and state of being. Many philosophers from around the world, both ancient and modern (rooted in Buddhism, Taoism, Stoicism), believe that the pursuit of contentment is much more realistic, achievable, and satisfying than the pursuit of happiness. This is in direct contrast with the constant messages we receive through advertisements, social media, and pop culture that tell us we must always be positive, happy, attractive, loved, admired, high achieving, impressive, impactful, and perfect.

Does this mean we should always be content, accepting of our circumstances, and unmoved by what we observe around us? Absolutely not! Too much of any one thing can become problematic (we need water to live, and yet water intoxication is an observed phenomenon).

When things become overwhelming it can be a very helpful sign to check in with ourselves, do some self-exploration, and try to be more present and accepting.

What are your thoughts on the pursuit of contentment as an alternative to the pursuit of happiness?