Lavender Counselling

10/23/2025

Honouring the voices of bereaved Garnet Families through research and collaboration

It was an honour to have the Surviving Families Program researched by Dr. Heidi Cramm and presented at the 2025 Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research Forum.

Dr. Cramm’s research continues to bring forward and amplify the experiences of Garnet Families, made up of military, veteran, first responder, and public safety families.

Her presentation, “I didn’t have to hold it together for everyone else,” a qualitative exploration of the Surviving Families Program, reflected her deep sincerity and honoured the voices of past participants.

Claudine Barrette and I co-founded the Surviving Families Program, which is a five-day residential program designed to assist immediate family members who have lost a service member to the line of duty or to su***de.

This program is delivered nationally by Wounded Warriors Canada, whose partnership and commitment continue to make this work possible.

It’s inspiring to see this collaboration between research, clinical practice, and community partnership continue to expand and strengthen support for Garnet Families across Canada.

We are gearing up for CIMVHR Forum 2025!

As you might be able to relate to, members of Families Matter Research Group (FMRG) research team wear several different hats in their research careers. At Forum, many of our researchers will be presenting work they have done while wearing their FMRG hats, and some will be presenting work they’ve done while wearing other research hats. We are excited to share details of all these presentations with you over the next week and showcase the hard work of our team!

FMRG presentations kick off with Dr. Heidi Cramm on Monday, October 20 from 11:30-11:50 AM. Join Dr. Cramm to learn about the elements of residential intensive grief treatment that participants report as impactful, as well as considerations for program development.

See you in Ottawa 👋 Let us know if you will be at this year in the comments ⬇️

10/08/2025

We are hosting a complimentary zoom workshop for caregivers who have loved ones struggling with self harm on Oct 16th from 7-8:30pm.

This workshop teaches what's behind the behavior and offers concrete ways to support your child or teen as they seek to cope.

09/23/2025

Q: "What does dissociation need to heal?"

The 3 needs of dissociation

1. To be seen for what it is, as an adaptive pattern of protection that took roots in times of unsafety, emotional and/or physical, misattunement, pressure and wounding.

Dissociation as an adaptive pattern needs to be a short-term strategy of survival. However, for most of us has become the place we live in.

Make dissociation, feel seen in its wisdom and see what happens.

2. To be heard.

Instead of seeing dissociation as a problem to fix, we can listen to its messages:

“The nervous system feels really overwhelmed and unsafe. Too much pressure"

“There’s too much energy in seeking safety through the mind. You need to invite your body more into your life."

"You've gone too far away from yourself. Time to come home, to your truth."

"You want growth and healing, but not enough resources and energy are present. Ask less, pace, orient to resources."

"You root in identities that no longer serve you."

3. To be felt.

When the dissociation is chronic, you might not want to emphasize feeling in the body right away. Maybe a gentle acknowledgment is enough.

If the dissociation is not so strong, you can explore gentle ways of feeling in the body, equally what feels tense and constricting and what feels a bit more open and soft.

Healing from dissociation is not about forcing yourself to feel more; it’s about creating an inner environment where reconnection is safe.

How can we heal from dissociation if we don't feel the dissociation or what we're dissociated from?

When you feel the dissociation, you should also feel grief, sadness, relief, empowerment or a sense of connection with yourself, even a bit. Not all at once.

When you feel dissociation, there's more safety to feel the pain of having lived disconnected for so long from your needs, truth, body, heart, your pain and yourself.

If this resonates, my Self-Attunement Audio Toolkit offers various guided practices to reverse dissociation in a trauma-safe and nervous system-informed way.

Comment 'Attuned' or visit my profile to get your copy.

Love,
Ally.

09/18/2025

Learn to soften. Learn to open. Learn to fall in love with every part of your sweet, messy, broken self ❤️

Our $4 Elephant Academy short, self-paced course of 21 prompts to inspire contemplation and introspection is timeless—yet timely—for tough times 👉 https://bit.ly/21DaysTonicfortheseTimes

09/17/2025

09/15/2025

"To be let into someone's
internal world is one of the
greatest honors anyone
of us will ever be offered.
Take it seriously.
Hold it with deep care
and respect."
—VIENNA PHARAON

Artist yet unknown

09/10/2025

New thoughts of su***de can often feel scary because you don't know where they've come from or how they got there. You might feel like if you share them, others will have reactions. Sharing them with a counsellor can support you in making sense of the thoughts and helping them settle.

Credit: Beth Evans ()

***deprevention ***deloss ***deintervention ***deexperiences ***deeducation ***deprevention

09/10/2025

Schedule your appointment online Lavender Counselling

09/09/2025

🌱 Meet Our New Student Counsellor: Welcoming Stephen to Lavender Counselling!

We’re excited to welcome Stephen Anderson (he/him), a compassionate and inclusive student counsellor currently completing his Master of Counselling.

With over a decade of teaching experience, Stephen brings a deep understanding of the emotional and mental health needs of teens, adults, and helping professionals—including educators and caregivers. His practice is informed by lived experience, a strong commitment to equity and inclusion, and a trauma-informed, person-centred approach.

If you’re navigating challenges like:
-anxiety, depression, or grief
-burnout or compassion fatigue
-identity, self-worth, or life transitions
-feeling overwhelmed by an unclear future

Stephen offers a safe and supportive space to help you connect with your inner wisdom and move toward healing and growth.

Belonging to the 2SLGBTQ+ community himself, Stephen holds a welcoming space for all identities and backgrounds. He sees it as a privilege to walk alongside you in your story—offering curiosity, non-judgment, and care.

🌿 Now accepting new clients at our Langley Office

New Client Booking: Lavender Counselling offers a range of counselling options to ensure counselling is accessible.

08/29/2025

Good morning,

If you are a practicum student seeking a placement, we are hosting a complimentary workshop so you can learn about practicum placements in general and more specifically about what makes a placement at Lavender Counselling special.

We'd be delighted to welcome you and you can sign up below.

Schedule your appointment online Lavender Counselling