Ocean Tides Counselling and Therapy

26/12/2023

10/05/2021

With the Covid lockdown, my blog on supporting your resilience may provide some inspiration.

Resilience is the ability to recover from adverse experiences, to bounce back and perhaps be even stronger than we were before. By nature we are resilient, with an innate drive to grow and thrive. There’s never been a more crucial time to have resilience. We can think of external and internal reso...

24/04/2021

So pleased to have a professional video about my service, created by CEED, showing off my beautiful office. Learn about my services!

Learn about how I can help you!

14/04/2021

Enjoyed doing my workshop Build Your Resilience in Difficult Times online for the library in March. Great engagement by the participants!

16/03/2021

Just two more days before the free webinar Build Your Resilience in Difficult Times. March 18 at 7 p.m. Click below to find out more and register.

Hosted on Zoom by the Library These are difficult times as we live through a pandemic and the many changes in how our lives are now and may be in the future. Resilience skills can help us manage these challenges and even come through them as stronger individuals. In this workshop, we will identify w...

11/03/2021

With the challenges of the pandemic, we need to be resilient now more than ever. My free webinar "Build Your Resilience in Difficult Times" is coming up next Thursday at 7 p.m. See below for more and to register.

Hosted on Zoom by the Library These are difficult times as we live through a pandemic and the many changes in how our lives are now and may be in the future. Resilience skills can help us manage these challenges and even come through them as stronger individuals. In this workshop, we will identify w...

03/03/2021

I'm pleased to invite you to a free webinar on resilience skills I'm providing through the Halifax Library, Tuesday March 18, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Click here to find out more and to register!

Hosted on Zoom by the Library These are difficult times as we live through a pandemic and the many changes in how our lives are now and may be in the future. Resilience skills can help us manage these challenges and even come through them as stronger individuals. In this workshop, we will identify w...

25/02/2021

Breaking news! I am now licensed to provide counselling services to Ontario residents via telephone and video. I will continue providing counselling in person, and via telephone and video to Nova Scotia residents. Here is me talking about video counselling.

Donna McLean from Ocean Tides Counselling & Therapy invites you to access her services through video counselling.

18/02/2021

Connecting with others can help us manage pandemic anxiety. Read my blog with some tips on how.
https://www.oceantidescounselling.ca/post/three-tips-for-countering-pandemic-anxiety-through-social-connection?fbclid=IwAR3vqpjt1J4sIjDROTKldPeSu8HmYSLdIgQcgFHpRDyd9_T4hAFEnBJbwBo

When we become anxious about a situation that is beyond our control, such as the pandemic, we can want to pull into ourselves, and this can lead us to become more isolated. In contrast, reminding ourselves that we are not alone and that we have connections to others, can help calm our fears.

02/02/2021

As the pandemic drags on, our struggles don't go away. Here is the second in my series of blogs on managing pandemic anxiety, with a practice that may be helpful for you!

We are in the middle of a pandemic and don’t know when it will end. This can feel frightening for us. Anxiety is a natural emotion that is a response to a perceived threat. One thing you can do is accept your thoughts and emotions rather than fighting them. Here's a meditation practice

22/01/2021

The pandemic is still here and feelings of anxiety can build up. Here are some tips for preventing or reducing anxiety.

In the middle of pandemic, there is a lot of uncertainty and fear, and we can become overly anxious. Here are a few tips to help prevent getting too anxious by taking care of your mental, physical, and spiritual health.

02/11/2020

30/10/2020

As a social worker doing counselling, people often ask me how what I do is different than a psychologist. Here is my understanding of the difference, with a bit of research.

In my practice as a social worker, I often get asked about the difference between a social worker and a psychologist. Many people believe that if they need a psychologist for counselling. Both social workers and psychologists can provide psychotherapy, but their training and orientation is different...

20/10/2020

Anxiety thrives on uncertainty and these are uncertain times. My blog provides tips for managing the anxiety we may be experiencing.

These are uncertain times. We are in the middle of rapid changes with a pandemic and don’t know when it will end, and we’re uncertain about how life will look in the future. Anxiety thrives on uncertainty. Here are five tips for managing our anxiety.

06/10/2020

Kittens have a natural drive to grow and thrive. That's resilience, which we all have and which we can nurture and support to help us through difficult times like we are living now. My blog gives you tips for supporting your resilience.

Resilience is the ability to recover from adverse experiences, to bounce back and perhaps be even stronger than we were before. By nature we are resilient, with an innate drive to grow and thrive. There’s never been a more crucial time to have resilience. We can think of external and internal reso...

24/09/2020

With the pandemic, we may not feel as connected to others, and we all have a drive for social connection and feeling like we belong. My blog provides tips for cultivating a sense of belonging.

We all have a need to have a sense of belonging and social connectedness. Why is it important and how can you foster it in Covid 19?

10/09/2020

It's a tough topic, but it's good to know what to do.

September 10 is World Su***de Prevention day. According to statistics from the Canadian Association for Su***de Prevention, every day in Canada 10 people die by su***de and leave behind 10-12 survivors who are profoundly affected. These are concerning numbers, showing that su***de has a far-reaching...

06/09/2020

A more sensitive title for my blog.

Collective trauma is the reactions shared by a group of people who experience a cataclysmic event. In order to fully embrace the opportuniti

04/09/2020

Globally we are experiencing trauma related to the pandemic. Systemic inequalities are coming to the foreground. My blog looks at the question- how can we collectively heal and grow through collective trauma?

Collective trauma is the reactions shared by a group of people who experience a cataclysmic event. In order to fully embrace the opportuniti

28/08/2020

Is being vulnerable a sign of weakness, or is it a courageous act? Why would we want to be vulnerable? Find out more in my blog.

Being vulnerable isn't easy. It can feel uncomfortable and scary. Yet vulnerability can connect us to love, belonging, and joy, and can help build trust in our relationships.

20/08/2020

Here's a nice article on how to communicate well as a couple. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/lifetime-connections/201605/10-steps-effective-couples-communication

How can you make discussions with your partner more productive?

13/08/2020

My blog reminds us of the importance of showing appreciation, especially to our intimate partners. What's the difference between appreciation and gratitude? Read on!

Lets remember to show appreciation to our intimate partners. It nurtures connection, trust, and intimacy in the relationship. Find out how appreciation and gratitude differ.

07/08/2020

Assertive communication is different than aggressive communication. Find out more in my blog, with tips for communicating in a clear and respectful way.

Assertive communication is about expressing our point of view clearly and directly, and in a way that is respectful of the other person. We look at how to communicate assertively, which can help us have our needs met and get along better with others.

30/07/2020

Active listening is a skill that we can further develop. My blog looks how this secret communication ingredient works and what you can do.

Do you ever get frustrated when you are trying to talk to someone, and they have that "look” that tells you they aren’t really listening?

22/07/2020

I just returned from the wilderness of Cape Breton relaxed and rejuvenated. What is the secret behind the healing power of nature? My blog explores this question.

I recently spent four days in Cape Breton at a friend’s wilderness retreat. I returned to “civilization” relaxed, rejuvenated and with new energy. So why does nature have such a positive impact on us? And what about the biological impact of the natural world?

15/07/2020

My new blog asks whether having a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives matters. I draw on new research, and a classic book by a holocaust survivor.

It seems to be human nature to want meaning and purpose in life. The idea of meaning in life can be broken down into three areas: Believing that life makes sense and that you have some control in your life. Having a sense of purpose, such as goals that you work towards Having a sense that your life....

08/07/2020

Cultivating gratitude can truly impact how we view our lives. My blog talks about my personal experience writing a gratitude journal after an accident, and how gratitude helps.

Struggling with loss of independence from an accident, a friend suggested I start writing a gratitude journal. Cultivating gratitude helped me see the richness of what I had. It helped me accept that I could not do it all myself and that I needed the support of others. It helped me appreciate what t...

02/07/2020

Having clear values can act as a compass to guide us to meaningful activity. See more in my blog.

When was the last time you stopped to think about what was important to you? To think about the kind of person you want to be and the way you want to live your life? Most of us are so busy getting through the day that we don’t take the time to explore these bigger questions. And yet, when we don.....

25/06/2020

We tend to push away our difficult thoughts and emotions. My blog is about how we can accept them, backed by a study which shows that acceptance helps us better manage stress

Can we accept difficult thoughts and emotions, like a grandmother lovingly holding her grandchild? Practicing acceptance means learning how

18/06/2020

The uncertainties and changes with the Covid 19 pandemic are stressful, and chronic stress has adverse effects on our physical and mental health. My blog looks at ways of managing stress and some recent research on "tend and befriend."

We're stressed out! Chronic stress adversely affects our physical and mental health. Ways of managing our stress like supporting our relaxation response, connecting with others and accepting our thoughts and feelings.