Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW

Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW Help for parenting, family life, relationships and individual issues: www.yoursocialworker.com, He/Him All services are provided using ZOOM.

Working from my home in Keswick, Ontario, I provide a range of counseling and conflict resolution (peacemaking) services to support people and their relationships.

When on vacation and you can't take your pets with you, it's wonderful to have someone who can stay with your pet and in...
01/12/2026

When on vacation and you can't take your pets with you, it's wonderful to have someone who can stay with your pet and in your own home.

This is Bette and she stayed with Sidney so we could vacation with the peace of mind knowing he was in good hands.

Sidney cried when Bette left this morning.

That's the sign of the love shared and the care provided.

Truth is, I am not a big traveler. However, this was a wonderful experience. We cruised the Caribbean with a luxury crui...
01/12/2026

Truth is, I am not a big traveler. However, this was a wonderful experience.

We cruised the Caribbean with a luxury cruise line, Silversea.

In the scheme of things, they operate smaller cruise ships. Ours carried some 390 passengers as opposed to the 2,500 to 5,000 of the larger ships. There was almost an equal number of staff.

All rooms have a balcony. The bathrooms have two sinks, and separate shower and bathtub. The rooms include a small yet walk-in closet and a sitting room with coffee table, chair, loveseat and counter/makeup mirror.

Everything is included, even a butler. You can order anything to your room, day and night. The food and bar service was amazing (we aren't big drinkers ourselves, yet still enjoyed).

As for the food, there were buffets as well as table service. You could order as much as you wanted. This is all inclusive with no limits.

The staff... oh the staff!

It was clear that this cruise line hires first on the basis of personality and temperament. All persons were gracious and hospitable. They sought to serve and make the cruise experience as good as possible.

We asked for a daily fruit tray at 4:00 pm as well as fresh milk for my tea. They included a few cookies. This was always delivered on time.

We love our dark chocolate. Turns out the turn down service included two pieces in the evening. Arlene asked for an additional two pieces and it was always received.

It was as if our wish was their command (we were always polite and never demanding).

The cruise also included daily excursions. For a fee, there were also more elaborate or adventursome excursions. Of course you didn't have to leave the ship. You could stay on board and be pampered..

This was just such a delightful experience.

It coincided with the shut down of airspace owing to the incursion into Venezuela by the US. This posed an extraordinary challenge as many didn't arrive in time for departure. The ship stayed an extra night in port to accommodate late arriving passengers.

We missed one destination as a result. It just didn't matter to our wonderful experience. Kudos to the Captain and crew for their problem solving to meet the immediate and challenging demands of the unusual situation, truly beyond their control.

It wasn't an inexpensive cruise. However, even if a once in a lifetime experience, it is well worth considering this cruise line.

And by the way, this is not a paid endorsement. I am just sharing my experience for those who may have wondered. Check them out for pricing. They have a fleet of similar ships throughout the world.

Feel free to say I sent you.

I should be on file, in case they don't remember me, but I'll bet their file has every request we made so it could be repeated should we choose to return.

It's likely one day.

01/12/2026

Back from vacation at 1:30 am. Up this morning to provide a presentation to the senior management team at Southlake Health.

The presentation was to inform about the Volunteer Patient Survey Program.

In order to facilitate ongoing change and continuous quality improvement, I had the pleasure of working with a team of staff and other volunteers to develop a system for conducting patient surveys on their date of discharge.

The goal was to move the needle from a 6% response rate by email, to 20% with this new approach.

We have since developed and implemented this novel program and hopefully will gather more information as to the patient experience to direct and improve service over time.

With a staff of some 6,000 persons and an emergency department that alone sees about 120,000 patients annually in a facility built for 80,000 patient visits, in a political environment that has squeezed healthcare budgets, it can be quite a challenge to keep all patients pleased with the service provided.

The importance of the patient experience extends to the actual health outcomes. The better one's experience with their clinicians and service, the better the health outcomes generally.

People who are pleased with their service tend to follow medical advice more readily and are more likely to followup with aftercare instructions and appointments.

It was delightful to provide this presentation this morning. Southlake values the patient experience and strives to continually improve.

BTW, if you or a loved one has been served at Southlake, you too may become a Patient Experience Partner, volunteering your time to help provide guidance to the ongoing development of staff and services. Just give the volunteer office a call to discuss.

It is delightful to continue to serve our community as a Southlake volunteer.

Southlake Health

11:15 pm. We will soon land in Toronto and then about 90 minutes later, should be home.Great trip.Looking forward to see...
01/12/2026

11:15 pm. We will soon land in Toronto and then about 90 minutes later, should be home.

Great trip.

Looking forward to seeing Sidney... and our bed.

Thanks for following along with my posts describing my experience with some Americans on vacation.

I never intended for those. Indeed, I didn't think I would be posting but I felt compelled to talk about it.

Saying goodnight.....

01/12/2026

The last thing we did in Saint Martin, was a rum tour. They asked for two volunteers, one to play chef and the other, bartender.

Here I am with friend, Val.

Cooking with rum.

01/11/2026

As we sat waiting for a performance to begin on board ship, we chatted.

She and husband were Canadian and lived in Florida.

She had hoped her friend would visit. She explained her friend could take a flight on a Canadian airline and not spend money, staying with her. That way her friend could come but not feel she was supporting America.

Her friend declined, not wanting to travel in the US under the current administration.

I told her we were the same and that I worried that because of my social media, I was concerned I would be flagged and have problems.

She said that the US had a right to restrict people on the basis of their social media. I was taken aback.

I said what about free speech.

She said it wouldn't apply to me as I wasn't American. She was defending the policy.

The conversation fizzled quickly after that.

It was clear I was anti-Trump and she, although formerly Canadian, had from my perspective, drank the kool-aid.

She adjusted herself in her seat. She was no longer engaged. The conversation was definitely over.

Speaking of kool-aid, it did get cold.

Canadian, eh?

01/10/2026

The reason we don't throw it in their face when people come around is so they feel safe with us.

We want to build relationships.

The value of that is that through relationships, connectedness, we can further support and influence reasonable thinking.

That helps protect against further or future indoctrination.

That keeps us all safer.

Guadeloupe....
01/10/2026

Guadeloupe....

01/10/2026

When they come around, don't say, "I told you so." Instead say, "Thank you, I appreciate your open mind."

01/10/2026

If you don't speak out because you are afraid of backlash, they already own you.
Something to consider.

01/10/2026

I know some are afraid to post on their own page with regard to their views of Trump and the far right.

They worry about what either family or friends may think or comment with.

It may be time to let that go.

Being nice, silent, conforming, is enabling the spread of that with which you oppose. Your kindness or fear of upsetting another is being used against you to allow their views to continue.

If you decide to post views that confront those of the far right, the haters, and they respond with demands, criticism, false information, hostility or anything that makes you at all uncomfortable, know you don't have to answer.

You can hold your thumb on their comment for a menu of choices to appear. You can delete their comment or block them from your page, or both.

You do not owe any explanation.

Gone.

Same if their posts of far right nonsense show up on your page. Click on the three dots for the menu of choices. Delete their post and/or block them.

No more exploitation of you to be there as their safe place to spew views that are contrary to reality or decency.

That is why my page is a safe place. I just don't allow such to stand.

If by chance someone seeks to follow up with a message through other means, I do not respond, even if family, even if in person.

Nonsense doesn't need a reply. I am on no one's hot seat. I am not here to be indoctrinated or to consume their Kool-Aid.

This is all up to you.

However, I only ask, isn't it time?

This is how we at least slow them down. This is an action we can all take that is well within our control and ability.

Click, click.

Now you have agency, power.

01/10/2026

Fascism. Best explanation came from the US as Heather Cox Richardson explains....

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Hi folks. I work from my home in Keswick, Ontario. People can see me in person or through video conferencing worldwide. I provide a range of counseling and conflict resolution (peacemaking) services to support people, families, relationships and children. Need help? Please see my services and fees on my website: www.yoursocialworker.com