Manon Dulude Counseling Services

11/26/2025

Aloneness isn’t loneliness and knowing the difference matters.

Last month, I took some time to walk by the lake in Oakville. I had a coffee, watched the water, and let the day unfold quietly. Time alone, when chosen with intention, can be calming and restorative. That’s aloneness.

But sometimes, aloneness slips into something else: loneliness. That feeling of disconnection, of wanting to reach out and finding no one there in that moment.

In this video, I reflect on how to recognize where you are on that spectrum—and why both connection and solitude have a place in a healthy, grounded life.

📍 In-person and virtual sessions available
📞 905-703-0003
🔗 www.manondulude.com

11/20/2025

Steps You Can Take Now to Help You Rebound from a Serious Illness or Accident
by Manon Dulude, Ph.D.

When a serious illness or accident strikes, it can be devastating. Whether it’s an acute event such as a motor vehicle collision, heart attack, or aneurysm, or a frightening diagnosis like cancer or diabetes, for most people, the first reaction is “How can this be true?”.

A sudden health challenge can make us feel cheated by life and betrayed by our body. Our usual sense of being in control can feel ripped away, leaving us feeling emotionally destabilized and vulnerable. This can trigger an avalanche of emotions, including sadness, fear, and anger, and we may vacillate rapidly from one to another. In turn, these emotions can cause a multitude of questions. What’s next for me? What’s safe to do now, and what should I avoid? How will I cope with losses, such as mobility, strength, or the ability to drive? How will I manage my job? And, most importantly, will I still be able to lead a fulfilling life?

The illness or accident can be such a marker in life that we might come to view life as having two distinct periods: the time before and the time after whatever occurred. Further, if unchecked, it can begin to define our identity and impact how we perceive ourselves and the choices we make. If this happens, there can be a great benefit in working through the emotional impact of what’s taken place as part of the recovery process, just as we would undergo physiotherapy to help with the physiological aspects of healing.

Continued at https://manondulude.com/steps-you-can-take-now-to-help-you-rebound-from-a-serious-illness-or-accident

11/18/2025

11/13/2025

What makes life meaningful—for you?

A meaningful life doesn’t come from the job title you hold or the size of your paycheque. It starts with how you show up.

Does your day feel purposeful? Are you doing something, big or small, that makes someone’s life a little better?

Meaning isn’t about what others think of you. It’s about how you feel when you know you’ve contributed. Whether it’s listening, supporting, creating, or helping someone through a tough moment, these are the experiences that build a life with meaning.

In this short video, I share a few thoughts on how we can all find more fulfilment by focusing less on status and more on impact.

📍 In-person and virtual sessions available
📞 905-703-0003
🔗 www.manondulude.com

11/10/2025

When someone you care about might be thinking of su***de, it can feel terrifying to say the wrong thing — but not saying anything can be more dangerous. Canadian Mental Health Association educator Dustin Day teaches Safe Talk, a course that helps people notice warning signs like sudden mood or behaviour changes, withdrawal, increased talk about death, or taking more risks, especially after losses or major stress. He says people rarely say outright that they’re suicidal; instead they leave “little hints,” and what helps most is gently naming what you’ve noticed and then asking directly if they’re having thoughts of su***de. You’re not “putting the idea in their head,” he stresses — you’re opening a door they may be desperate to walk through.

The Safe Talk model uses the TALK steps: tell the person what you’ve noticed, ask clearly about su***de, listen without judgement instead of trying to “fix” everything, and keep them safe by connecting them to supports such as 988, Kids Help Phone, local mental health clinics, or crisis lines. Day and colleagues like peer supporter Ebony Wade say anyone can experience suicidal thoughts, and some signs can even look like sudden relief after a long low period. Their goal is to make open, honest conversations about su***de feel less taboo, so more people get help before a crisis turns fatal.

📌 This is an AI-generated summary of an article by Jennifer Sweet for CBC News. To read the article, Google “Recognizing the signs that someone is thinking of su***de — and what to do.”

11/09/2025

People Who Hug Daily Are Less Depressed
by Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D.

Hugs make us feel better.

Sometimes when we feel down and out, a heartfelt hug from a friend can save the day. Moreover, getting a hug before a stressful situation like a job interview or an exam may make the situation feel less stressful. Thus, hugging can improve mental health after something bad has happened, but it can also have a protective effect, so we do not feel so bad if something bad is happening. Thus, anecdotal evidence from everyday life suggests that hugging frequently may be associated with better mental health. What has been missing so far, however, are large-scale scientific studies assessing whether hugs are actually linked to slower scores in questionnaires on mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

A new study published October 25, 2025, in the Journal of Public Health now focused on the associations between hugging and depression and anxiety in a large sample from Germany (Hajek and co-workers, 2025). In the study, the scientists conducted an online survey with over 3200 volunteers aged from 18 to 74 years. A little bit more than half of the group was female, the rest was male. The volunteers filled out the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, a widely used mental health questionnaire to assess depression. They also filled out the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire to assess anxiety symptoms. Moreover, the volunteers had to indicate the average daily number of people they hugged between 0 and 99 and gave some further information about themselves, like their level of education.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202510/people-who-hug-daily-are-less-depressed

11/04/2025

Wh do you think of Esther Perell’s views on modern monogamy ?

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16aBWCaeeX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

11/03/2025

Last month, I took a quiet morning drive to Oakville on a sunny fall day and walked by the lake. The light, the water, the stillness - it was exactly what I needed.

For me, water is grounding. Whether it’s a lake, a pool, or the ocean, it calms and restores me. For you, it might be something else: a good cup of coffee, a favourite book, a walk with a friend, or even a simple hello from a stranger at the gym.

We all need people, places, and things that remind us we’re connected. That sense of being tethered, however small, can make all the difference to our well-being.

Take a moment today and ask yourself: What helps me feel grounded?

📍 Therapy sessions available in Halton Hills
💻 Virtual sessions across Ontario
📞 905-703-0003
🔗 www.manondulude.com

10/27/2025

Betrayal can shake your world to the core.

It’s not just the broken trust - it’s the shock, the self-doubt, the overwhelming question of “How did I not see this coming?”

Whether the betrayal comes from a partner, a family member, or someone you trusted in business, the emotional aftermath can feel disorienting and deeply painful. Many people question their judgment, their worth, and even their ability to trust themselves.

In this video, I speak about what betrayal does to us emotionally and how healing begins with grieving the future you thought you had, setting boundaries that protect your well-being, and taking small steps forward.

If you’re navigating betrayal and feeling lost in the process, you’re not alone. Support is available when you’re ready.

📍 In-person therapy in Halton Hills
💻 Virtual appointments across Ontario
📞 905-703-0003
🔗 www.manondulude.com

10/25/2025

How Mental Disorders Run in Families: New Insights
Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D.

Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety are common conditions that affect millions of people in the United States. Importantly, not everyone has the same risk of developing such disorders.

One well-known risk factor is having one or several family members who already suffer from a mental health disorder. For example, when both parents suffer from depression, a child has a higher chance of also being diagnosed with depression.

A New Study on the Familial Risk of Mental Health Disorders
A new large-scale study from Denmark focused on how the risk of developing a mental health disorder looks in people with family members who are diagnosed with the same disorders compared to people who have no cases in their family (Pedersen et al., 2025). The study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, was led by Professor Carsten Bøcker Pedersen from the National Centre for Register-Based Research at Aarhus University in Denmark.

The research team analysed data from a so-called prospective cohort study. In this type of clinical psychological study, scientists follow a group of people (called a cohort in research) over a long period of time to see whether they develop a condition or not, and which factors influence the onset of a disorder. The data in the study were collected over 50 years, from 1970 to 2021. The scientists used data from Danish population registers to link data on mental health disorders between family members.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202507/how-mental-disorders-run-in-families-new-insights