Manon Dulude Counseling Services

03/11/2026

Have you ever heard the term corporate relational trauma?

We often talk about workplace toxicity or the importance of healthy leadership, but we don’t talk enough about the relational trauma that can happen in professional environments.

Relational trauma occurs when a relationship that feels stable, trusting, and collaborative suddenly shifts. One moment there is partnership and mutual respect, and the next there is criticism, rejection, or blame. When that change is abrupt, it can be deeply disarming and distressing.

Recently, I spoke with a senior leader who experienced exactly this. After a significant issue arose on a client account, the client escalated the situation and began attacking the relationship, ultimately stating they no longer wanted this leader involved. For someone who takes great pride in their work and is deeply committed, the experience was incredibly hurtful.

When a relationship changes this quickly, the impact goes beyond the situation itself. It can erode trust not only in that relationship, but in other professional relationships as well. Sometimes it can even affect the trust we have in ourselves.

Relational trauma does not only happen in our personal lives. It can also happen in the workplace, often rooted in a sense of betrayal or a sudden shift in how we are treated.

If you have experienced something like this and are finding it difficult to recover, know that support is available.

Manon Dulude, Ph.D., RP, PCC
Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Executive Coach
Over 35 years of experience in human development
In-person therapy in Halton Hills
Virtual sessions across Ontario
📞 905-703-0003
🌐 www.manondulude.com

03/07/2026

How to Start Living Your Best Life
by Susan Krauss Whitbourne PhD, ABPP

When your days become filled with humdrum but necessary duties, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. You get up, go to work or school and/or tend to family, and then rinse and repeat the next day. Some of these duties you enjoy, but many leave you frustrated and feeling empty. You wonder how your life evolved to this particular point, and whether you could tweak it so that the pleasure outweighs the pain.

Even the humblest and most boring of tasks can have their little joys. Kitchen chores don’t particularly turn you on, but maybe you can glean some rewards from shining your countertop to glowing perfection. If these little moments are few and far between, what could you do to stretch them further?

The Joys of Inner Motivation

A new paper on motivation and personality by Australian Catholic University’s Richard Ryan (2025) offers some useful suggestions. Ryan is the coauthor of one of the most well-known motivation theories in psychology known as “Self Determination Theory,” or SDT. This theory proposes that people are most motivated when they can feel internally, or autonomously, driven. However, getting through those humdrum days that most people experience is often a matter of answering to the bidding of others. A boss gives you deadlines, a family expects food on the table, and even your friends expect you to show up when they need you. SDT’s answer to this dilemma is to suggest that yes, all of this is true, but the more autonomy you can carve out within these constraints, the better. When you don’t see much room to maneuver, this is when you’ll feel burned out.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-at-any-age/202602/to-live-your-best-life-ask-yourself-whats-truly-important

03/06/2026

03/01/2026

Looking Back, Reaching Forward
by Manon Dulude Ph.D.

When one looks back over the events of their life, it is most often with one of three mindsets: as a victim, as a survivor, or as a thriver.

If we view past events as a victim, we give new life to an uncomfortable story every time we think of it. This creates a barrier that prevents us from moving forward. We feel sorry for ourselves and keep the unwanted past event alive.

When we view a past experience as a survivor, we have acknowledged our ability to overcome an adverse situation, but we still give life to that story, even if our present shows promise of moving forward. Again, we are held back from completely moving forward by the need to give life to the past.

If our perspective is one of a thriver, we accept that negative events are included in our story to date, but rather than focus on them specifically, we view each experience as a life lesson. Our focus becomes more about how we can apply what we’ve learned going forward than about giving life to the story that got us here.

Which one are you?

Continued at https://manondulude.com/looking-back-reaching-forward/

02/28/2026

Have Boundaries Made Us Lonely?
by Rachel McLaren Ph.D.

In a time of social loneliness and a lack of social connection, have we become too boundaried? Boundaries have become part of our social understanding in recent years—the importance of setting boundaries has been the focus of many social media posts, books, podcasts, and blog posts right here on this site. And of course, boundaries are important: They delineate the separation between what is us and what is ours to manage and what belongs to someone else and is theirs to manage. As Prentis Hemphill said, "Boundaries are the distance I can love you and me simultaneously." Boundaries keep us safe.

What I'm referring to here is boundaries around what we're willing to spend our time on and who we are willing to spend our time with. Sometimes, we use boundaries as an excuse to avoid social contact and the annoyances and inconveniences that come with interacting with other humans in an effort to live a "frictionless existence.” The digital world is incredibly enticing: We can order everything to be delivered to our door without having to talk to another human. We can avoid many of the annoyances of everyday life by retreating into our digital world. We can even avoid some of the potentially cringeworthy or awkward moments that might happen when we engage with other humans, like the person in the checkout line or that colleague at work. It can feel like a heavy lift to get out of our comfort zone and overcome the powerful draw to scroll endlessly on our phones.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/conflict-and-communication/202601/have-boundaries-made-us-lonely

02/27/2026

Growing Older Without Growing Old: The Secret Hidden in Time
Cynthia Baum-Baicker Ph.D.

One of the keys to well-being for older adults lies in chronoception, the perceived duration of time. Anyone over a certain age can well attest to how time sense has changed. In childhood, the two months of summer felt like an eternity; with advanced age, those same two months seem to fly by in a blink. For aging adults, it seems as though time’s velocity increases with each advancing year. Grasp it as much as we may want, we cannot stop the clock. There are, however, ways to reconnect with that long-ago sense of growth and change.

Is it possible to recapture that sense of slowed-down time? Einstein did it:

“People like you and me never grow old,” he wrote a friend later in life. “We never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”

Novelty and curiosity are the food of childhood. We seek out, explore, and immerse ourselves in situations with the potential for new information and/or experiences. This is the key to vitality: It is how we, as older adults, can grow via our own activity rather than submit completely to decline.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/clinical-wisdom-for-a-new-world/202601/growing-older-without-growing-old-the-secret-hidden-in

02/23/2026

This is important self-care. ♥️ ~ Nanea

02/22/2026

Believe it or not, the human brain is wired to fight more than it is to make peace. We are designed to either become defensive or retreat to keep ourselves safe when the conversation gets tough. Using the following tips should help your brain stay calmer and engaged. difficult conversation

1. Sit facing each other. When we sit side by side, we end up giving each other a lot of darting sideways looks which your brain registers as threats. This could involuntarily escalate the tone of the conversation. Consequently, it is best to avoid discussing big issues in the car or on walks.

2 . Stop trying to reconstruct the event that led to a disagreement. Who did what is not as important as understanding what was the real issue at hand.

3 . Take the time to ask yourself what you really need from the other person. Talk about your needs and how having them fulfilled will impact you and your satisfaction level with the relationship. Be ready to listen to the other party’s needs as well.

4. When you notice the other person is reacting negatively (agitated or withdrawn) to the conversation, slow things down. Remind them that you are on the same side and that you want to sort it out in a manner that makes both of you happy. If you are not in that frame of mind yourself, call a time out, “I don’t think I am in a good place right now, can we pick this up in a couple of hours when I have calmed myself down?”

5. Your brain is also wired to watch eyes and mouths very closely as a means of detecting danger. As a result, a smile can often relax a tensed atmosphere.

Next time you need to prepare for a difficult conversation, take a deep breath and think though what it will take to ease the tension and relieve the pressure from both of you.

Manon Dulude, Ph.D., RP, PCC
Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Executive Coach
Over 35 years of experience in human development
In-person therapy in Halton Hills
Virtual sessions across Ontario
📞 905-703-0003
🌐 www.manondulude.com

02/21/2026

The True Costs of Hopelessness
by Robyne Hanley-Dafoe Ed.D.

The pace and weight of the world can feel like a lot right now. For some, it’s becoming harder to hold onto hope as uncertainty, fear, and a deep sense of sadness take root. There seems to be a growing tension between what we wish for and what we believe is possible, leaving people feeling heavy, discouraged, and unsure about what the future holds.

Even as we remain more connected than ever, many people feel alone. Mental health challenges are rising. Confidence in systems meant to support us has weakened. Job insecurity, burnout, political polarization, widening inequality, and growing climate anxiety weigh heavily on individuals, families, and communities.

Hopelessness is not a passive state. It is an active process of erosion. In my latest book, I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It’s Hard, I explore, among other things, the effects of hopelessness on individuals, families, organizations, and society as a whole.

When people lose hope, the consequences are profound. We stop imagining a brighter future. We stop recognizing our own strengths, talents, gifts, and potential. Goals feel out of reach, effort feels pointless, and the belief that our actions matter slowly fades away. Apathy and cynicism creep in. Physical, mental, and emotional well-being begin to suffer. People begin to believe that the way things are now is the way they will always be.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/everyday-resilience/202601/the-true-costs-of-hopelessness

02/19/2026

"He Just Loves His Screen Time"
Ragnar Purje Ph.D.

We arrived at a small café for a pleasant afternoon lunch with a group of friends. When we arrived, everyone was seated and chatting. There was a toddler in a pram between his parents. The toddler was absorbed by looking at a device attached to the pram.

Even before we sat down, there were welcoming smiles, and delightful conversations immediately flowed; lots of laughter and banter filled the air as we decided what to order. The toddler did not look up.

The parents were delightfully attentive. The toddler was clearly content and happy, looking and tapping at the screen.

“He just loves his screen time," said one of the parents. "When he’s tapping, he’s happy. The only time he’s unhappy is when he’s not playing games with his cartoon friends. It’s great to see how happy he is.” We were all happy at this gathering. A great time was had by one and all.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/recovery-from-brain-injury/202602/he-just-loves-his-screen-time