Inner Compass Counselling

08/28/2024

Stories help us to explore and make meaning of what we've experienced. Your story is important. Our trauma-informed approach respects and honours your unique experiences, helping you find the path to healing that's right for you.

Check us out at www.innercompasslondon.ca to see how we can support you.

#519

08/22/2024

02/14/2023

Meet our newest therapist, Shannel Butt! Shannel comes to us with several years of experience as a clinician and has a particular interest in supporting people with grief, pregnancy / postpartum / prenatal concerns, as well as holds significant experience in the area of psychosis.

In her own words, "Working with me is a collaboration - I hold space for you and your process for change and together we explore your intentions and goals through vulnerability, resilience, community, connection, and growth."

If you're interested in booking a consultation or appointment with Shannel, please connect with us at www.innercompasslondon.ca

#519

01/03/2023

Have you been inundated with posts about New Years Resolutions? "New Year, New You" can feel exciting and hopeful....and can sometimes make us feel shame for showing up each year as the same old person. What if you are enough just the way you are (spoiler alert: you are;). What if, instead of trying to become "better", we all considered new ways to love and be gentle with ourselves this year...?

If you're wondering where to start with this, counselling may be helpful. Check us out to see if we're a good fit for you.

www.innercompasslondon.ca

12/21/2022

Happy winter solistice!!! Wishing everyone peace and quiet (or whatever you need) on this longest night of the year and first day of winter :)

12/05/2022

The holiday season is upon us, and there are so many expectations to attend social gatherings and purchase gifts (if you celebrate the holidays with gifts:). Our nervous systems can become activated and it's easy to feel stressed during this time of year. Here is your reminder that you need rest to survive. Go ahead....take that nap :)

If you're feeling extra pressured and would like to chat with someone about coping strategies, check us out to see if we're a good fit for you.

www.innercompasslondon.ca

10/25/2022

Hypoarousal is an indication that your nervous system is outside its ability to tolerate what it's experiencing. In this state of shut down, you may experience things like:

- Numbness
- Lack of energy
- Difficulty feeling
- Difficulty moving
- Social withdrawing

It's not bad to be in a state of hypoarousal - it's just information that can help us make decisions about how we can support ourselves through it. If you're experiencing hypoarousal, send signals to your body that you are safe, by noticing your surroundings, moving your eyes and head from left to right, back and forth, and try some gentle rocking.

Hypoarousal can result in triggers caused by past experiences. If you'd like to explore more about hypoarousal and how to support your nervous system, reach out to see if we're a good fit!

www.innercompasslondon.ca

10/11/2022

Hyperarousal is an indication that your nervous system is in a state of fight or flight. It is often a result of past traumatic experiences, and can be seen as a safety measure that your nervous system is taking to keep you safe. Some symptoms include:

-Sleeplessness
-Exaggerated startle response
-Agitation
-Racing thoughts
-Increased heart rate

If you’re experiencing hyperarousal, the best way to support yourself is to send signals to your body that you are in a safe space. You can do this by deep breathing, humming, looking at your surroundings a naming what you see, using bilateral stimulation (more on that in a later post!).

Hyperarousal can also be supported through therapy. Reach out to see if we’d be a good fit for you.

www.innercompasslondon.ca

09/27/2022

Let’s change the narrative around “laziness”. The inability to “do things” or “be productive” is not a moral indication of a person’s desire to “get things done”. Rather, it can actually be a sign of the nervous system’s response to threat. When we respond to threat, our nervous system takes over in an effort to keep us safe, and will put us swiftly into states of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or flop. These states can look like paralysis or procrastination (and many other things ;). When this happens, check in with your body. Notice what messages it might be sending you, and considering small, gentle movements to bring it back to a safety, such as:

- moving your eyes back and forth from left to right
- paced breathing
- Rock back and forth gently
- Hum a tune

When you’re feeling lazy, it’s a good time to be gentle with yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about ways to support your nervous system in these ways, connect with us @ www.innercompasslondon.ca

09/27/2022

Did you know that our bodies are designed to go through states of stress and de-stress multiple times a day? The ability to tolerate and navigate stressful situations is guided by and dependant on our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). There are two parts to our ANS: 1) the Sympathetic Nervous System (AKA our Fight or Flight system)— this is what prepares us to face demands and get through difficult or stressful tasks. 2) The Parasympathetic Nervous System (AKA our Rest And Digest system) - this is what helps us return to a state of calm and engagement.

Our ability to navigate stressful situations depends on how big our Window of Tolerance for it is. If our window is large enough to handle what a day throws at us, we will likely feel like we’ve been “successful” in navigating the day. If our window is smaller, we may not have the same capacity to deal with the stressors we normally would.

There are lots of things that can influence how “big” your window of tolerance is, from how much sleep you got last night, to whether you’ve experienced trauma.

We can’t avoid challenging situations, but we can support our nervous system to have a greater Window of Tolerance to deal with what comes up.

If you’re interested in exploring how to expand your window of tolerance and support your nervous system, therapy might be for you.

Reach out to see if we are a good fit!

www.innercomasslondon.ca

#519

09/23/2022

The beauty about grounding is that you use your body to do it - and your body goes with you wherever you do! If you find yourself out and about, feeling stressed or overwhelmed, try some of these strategies to bring yourself to a calmer state.

What else do you do to ground yourself?

www.innercompasslondon.ca