Following Seas Psychotherapy

09/28/2025

Here is the uncomfortable truth. You can be a skilled therapist and still miss the mark completely if you are not paying attention to culture.

First responders do not just carry trauma. They carry identity, community, and belonging. If we skip the cultural lens, we risk losing the heart of their story. Cultural sensitivity is not an optional skill set. It is the foundation of trust, safety, and effective therapy.

So how do we bring this into the room?
It means slowing down instead of racing through protocol.

It means noticing your own blind spots and owning them.

It means asking open questions that invite clients to show up as their whole selves.

Here are three things you can start practicing right away:

Ask your clients how they define strength or healing and then use their language.

Get curious about your own biases and how they might show up in session.

Pay attention to silence. Often it tells you more than the words.

When we bring cultural sensitivity into EMDR, the work goes deeper and becomes more powerful. For first responders, who live in a world shaped by identity and service, this makes all the difference.

This winter I am running a consultation group for EMDR therapists who want to sharpen their cultural awareness, build confidence with complex cases, and feel more supported in this work. Send me a message if you would like the details or want to grab a spot.

09/27/2025

Who comes up with these things 😂

09/26/2025

Love all these suggestions - what would you add?

09/24/2025

Being with a paramedic means sharing life with someone who sees things most people will never face.

It’s common for partners to feel:
💔 Shut out by silence
💔 Invisible next to the job
💔 Starved for connection

If that’s you, you’re not alone. And you’re not selfish for wanting more. Your needs matter too. Taking care of yourself allows you to keep standing beside them without losing yourself in the process.

If you love a first responder, what’s one small way you could care for yourself this week?

09/23/2025

Who loves conflict?! 🦗…

Conflict can be hard, even when no one is raising their voice.

For many people, the fear comes not from shouting but from silence, withdrawal, or unpredictability. Our bodies remember what it felt like to walk on eggshells or to never know what version of someone we were going to get.

So when a partner sighs, a coworker changes tone, or a friend goes quiet, your body might react as if danger is near. Your heart races, your chest tightens, and it feels like something bad is about to happen.

This is not you being dramatic. This is your nervous system remembering old patterns and trying to protect you.

Healing means helping your body notice that you are safe now and that repair and connection are possible.

You are not broken. You are wired for survival. And survival mode can be softened with care.

09/22/2025

09/22/2025

For many veterans, the deepest wounds weren’t on the battlefield.
They happened in the places that were supposed to feel like family: the barracks, the base, the unit.

Harassment in the military leaves a scar layered with betrayal.
It tells your nervous system: “Even here, you’re not safe. Even here, you don’t belong.”

If that’s your story, I want you to hear me: it was not your fault.
And you don’t have to carry the silence forever.

Healing means giving yourself what the military never gave you: safety, respect, and the right to belong without being harmed.

What would it feel like to tell your younger self (the one who stayed silent to survive) “You never deserved this”?

09/21/2025

💜

09/19/2025

We wonder why we feel anxious, scattered, and exhausted…but the truth is, our nervous systems were designed for survival, not for Slack pings, endless texts, breaking news alerts, and doomscrolling at 11pm.

You are not “bad at coping.” You are a human with a brain that gets fried when it never gets a break.

Save this for the next time your phone is buzzing and your brain is spiraling. And maybe, just maybe, take that as your cue to unplug for a minute.

09/18/2025

Physicians carry enormous responsibility, and sometimes that weight becomes unbearable.

Suicidal thoughts don’t make you weak. They make you human.
They are a signal from your body and mind that you need care, compassion, and connection. The same care you give to others every day. You are deserving of that too.

If you are reading this and relate: you are not alone. You deserve help. You deserve safety. And you deserve hope.

Who could you reach out to today, to share some of the burden you’ve been carrying?

09/17/2025

What a wonderful event to memorialize those cherished animals we have loved and lost 💜🐶

There is still room for a couple more people for this FREE event. Please email tendertailscare@gmail.com to register.

🌿 Tender Tails Memorial Rock Painting 🌿

As part of the annual Grief Gatherings events, Tender Tails is hosting a Memorial Rock Painting activity for those who have experienced pet loss.

📍 Halifax – Canada Games Centre (Arts & Crafts Room, wheelchair accessible)
📅 Saturday, September 27th
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

This gathering offers a way to honour the memory of a beloved companion animal. No prior artistic experience is required—all necessary supplies (rocks and painting markers) will be provided.

✨ Details:
Free to attend (optional donations to Bide Awhile Animal Shelter)
Space is limited to 10 participants.

To register, email Kathleen at tendertailscare@gmail.com
Your loss need not be recent—everyone is welcome to join in reflection and remembrance.