Calming Tree Counselling

Calming Tree Counselling Calming Tree Counselling is an inclusive and experienced counselling practice in Doon South, Kitchener, Ontario.

Calming Tree Counselling is an experienced social work practice where everyone; regardless of race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or age, will be met with warmth, empathy and confidentiality. Counsellors employ a personalized, holistic and client-centred approach that ensures clients feel safe, respected and understood.

We, as therapists, we feel angry.We sit with people every day who share stories of harm, betrayal, abuse, and injustice....
03/02/2026

We, as therapists, we feel angry.

We sit with people every day who share stories of harm, betrayal, abuse, and injustice. We witness what it has affected you and the way it’s shaped your nervous system, your relationships, and your sense of safety in the world.

And then we step outside the therapy room and see the same systems that failed you continue to exist (often unchanged and unaccountable).

It’s hard to witness, because what’s happened to you never should have happened in the first place.

If you carry rage, grief, confusion, or disbelief about what you have lived through, we know there is nothing wrong with you; you’re reacting to what’s happened to you.

➙Your anger makes sense.
➙Your pain makes sense.
➙Your nervous system adapted in the ways it needed to.

And part of our humanity is feeling the weight of it alongside you.

➙You deserve to be believed.
➙You deserve to be supported.
➙You deserve a world that does better.

At Calming tree, we hold space for every emotion you have because we’re here for you AND with you!

🤍

02/27/2026

But not everyone who hurts or frustrates you is a narcissist.
When we overuse clinical labels, we lose the nuance of what is actually happening. People can be selfish, immature, avoidant, unhealed, or harmful, without meeting the criteria for a personality disorder.

And while the label might bring temporary clarity (because it’s fair to search for the “why”), it can also keep you focused on diagnosing them instead of caring for yourself.

The more important question is not “what is wrong with them?” It’s “how did this impact you?”

You deserve to focus on you!

Hey! Chels here!A chosen family is one of the most beautiful things a person can create.It’s the family you build yourse...
02/25/2026

Hey! Chels here!

A chosen family is one of the most beautiful things a person can create.

It’s the family you build yourself, from the ground up. The people who show up on purpose. The ones who see you, support you, and love you for who you are, even if you’re not biologically related.

Many of the q***r and trans folks I work with have built these families over their lifetimes. And, while chosen family can be deeply healing, it can also exist alongside grief.

It’s okay to wish your biological family could be there in the same way. It’s okay to feel the loss of what you hoped for. And, it’s okay to hold both gratitude and sadness at the same time.
We’re often taught that “blood is thicker than water”. But, for many people, love, safety, and belonging are found elsewhere.
Chosen family can be the people who sit beside you in the hardest moments, and the people you sit beside in theirs.

Both the grief and the love deserve space.

if this is something you find yourself struggling with, reach out to Calming Tree to book a session.

Chels

With the rise in screen time, we’re seeing more children struggling with social skills, anxiety, and isolation than ever...
02/23/2026

With the rise in screen time, we’re seeing more children struggling with social skills, anxiety, and isolation than ever before.

Screens are being introduced earlier and earlier in the most important developmental years.

Children learn through exposure. They learn how to share, how to read relational cues, how to tolerate boredom, how to navigate discomfort, and how to exist alongside other people.

These skills are not taught through scrolling.

If you’ve ever raised a puppy, you know that socialization matters. Without it, they struggle later. Children are no different. They need healthy exposure to people, environments, and real-life interaction to build confidence and independence.

Many of us grew up watching movies. Stories with character development, emotional arcs, connective dialogue, and entertainment elements.

Now, many children are consuming short bursts of content, alone, fast, isolated. They are consuming without conversation and without context.

This is not about never using screens. Parents need breaks. That’s human.

But there is a difference between putting on a movie and watching it together, and handing over a device that replaces interaction.

You can add parental controls. You can try to limit it. But no one can monitor everything.

The real question becomes: what is this replacing?

Children need boredom - it triggers their imagination. They need face-to-face connection. They need to learn how to be uncomfortable and figure it out.

We want families to feel empowered to make small shifts that support their children long-term.

Connection is ALWAYS the safety net, and it’s never too late to reconnect.

What’s happening in the world right now is not okay, and your nervous system knows it.Our brains and bodies were not des...
02/19/2026

What’s happening in the world right now is not okay, and your nervous system knows it.

Our brains and bodies were not designed to absorb this much trauma on a daily basis. The grief, the fear, the anger, the helplessness - none of it is something we’re meant to normalize.

If you feel overwhelmed, heavy, distracted, or exhausted by it all, there is nothing wrong with you. Your reactions are human and your compassion is human.

You may hear people say, “Just turn it off. Stop watching. Go take a bath.”

And while rest and care matter, it’s also a privilege to look away completely. Because change doesn’t happen when everyone disengages.

We need to find ways to not look away, while also caring for ourselves enough to stay present.

Our voices matter. Our advocacy matters. Our conversations matter. Our votes matter.

Have the hard conversations with the people in your life. Speak up. Challenge what doesn’t align with your values. Be firm in your humanity.

It may not be happening directly to you, but you still have influence, and you still have power.

Ultimately, the world needs people who are willing to care.
🤍

We need to talk about boundaries, especially the idea that no contact is the only “healthy” option.It isn’t.Boundaries a...
02/16/2026

We need to talk about boundaries, especially the idea that no contact is the only “healthy” option.

It isn’t.

Boundaries and going no contact are not the same thing.

Boundaries are about adjusting access and creating distance.
It might look like fewer conversations, clearer limits, less emotional labour, or choosing what topics are off-limits.

Boundaries say: I’m protecting my capacity while staying connected in a way that feels safer.

“No contact” is different. It’s often the result of repeated harm, broken repair, or boundaries that were ignored again and again.

No contact says: Connection itself is no longer safe for me.

Boundaries can be preventative. No contact is protective.
Both require courage, both come with grief, and neither is easy.

The problem is when we treat no contact as a casual solution, instead of what it usually is: a last resort after significant damage.

For many people, no contact doesn’t come with relief at first. Instead, it comes with guilt, loss, confusion, and mourning the relationship they wished could exist.

And for others, setting boundaries is exactly what allows a relationship to survive, with limits, realism, and less harm.
If you’re wrestling with this decision, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

These choices are complex because relationships are complex.
Reach out for support!

There’s a growing trend of consuming therapeutic content online as if it applies to everyone.As therapists and people wh...
02/13/2026

There’s a growing trend of consuming therapeutic content online as if it applies to everyone.

As therapists and people who seek therapy, we can confirm that you cannot condense real therapeutic change into a 60 second reel.

You can consider takeaways and reflections, but the work doesn’t happen by content consumption.

Research consistently shows that the majority of change in therapy (around 80%) comes from the relationship itself.

Feeling seen, heard, valued, and understood by someone who knows you, not a general audience, not an algorithm, and not some “quick fix” rage bait.

If “10 nuggets in 60 seconds” were enough, we wouldn’t still need therapy rooms.

Therapy isn’t about generic insight. It’s about someone seeing you, your body language, your reactions, your behaviour, and your wounds. It’s about someone really seeing you, understanding where the wounds are and how they inform your reactions and then supporting you to show up in your life your whole authentic self.

TikTok can’t fix your marriage, saved posts can’t heal betrayal, and moments of insight are not going to walk you through trauma.

Therapy isn’t content; it’s a relationship that supports your journey and your goals.

Address

10 Pioneer Drive, Unit 109
Kitchener, ON
N2P2A4

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 9pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 8pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 9pm
Thursday 9:30am - 9pm
Friday 9:30am - 12:30pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+15192082256

Website

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