Healing Moments Counselling

01/22/2025

On this day, Bell Let's Talk day I feel like there’s always so much I want to say.
So much as a therapist, as a mom. As the wife of a police officer and as a women who struggled with postpartum mental illness.
I want to say so much as a person who survived a su***de attempt as a teenager and who lives with anxiety everyday, I want to say so much.
And yet no words seem to do this justice.
Today feels important and amazing, but also hard.

Mental health is everything.

One thing I can say, is that kindness is at the core of healing your own mental health and supporting anyone else’s.
Your words are very powerful. Your actions impact people in powerful ways. They can inspire hope, feel like a warm hug. But your words can also break someone OR be their life line.

It’s really that simple.
Find kindness. Choose it always. Assume the best of people. Know that most struggles people experience are invisible and everyone deserves a chance to be heard.

Everyone deserves your acknowledgement.

Let’s talk not just today but always. Let’s talk about our hurt feelings, our struggles. Without being labelled as “negative” or “drama” Let’s make sure NO ONE is left behind.
Make sure your words or actions are never the words that break someone intentionally and that you start with LOVING YOURSELF.

We can do better so let’s do better💙.
Remember therapy helps, medication is an option and you’d be brave to choose it. Movement helps your body help your mind and writing frees your thoughts.

It is worth fighting.
My therapist, Elizabeth once told me “we never want to choose a permanent solution for a temporary problem”.

Today we TALK, tomorrow we continue to support each other through life!!!

09/25/2024

What an amazing fundraiser opportunity!

Wrap yourself in resilience and hope with our Hope in Every Step t-shirts! 🌟 Each shirt features handprints from survivors, symbolizing strength and support. Every $20 purchase helps fuel life-saving programs. Limited supply—don’t miss out!

Visit: haltonwomensplace.com/hope-in-every-step/merch

09/25/2024

This fall as we approach a season of giving and gratitude our team would love your support of our food drive.
We are collecting non perishable food and monetary donations in support of our local Milton Food bank.
If you are able, we would sincerely appreciate your support!!

09/21/2024

Monday begins Truth and Reconciliation week. In order to help ensure this is a week of reflection and learning, not tokenism, we have opportunities here to learn more.

Through this link there are opportunities for daily virtual lunch and learns.
You simply go to their homepage and register!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAGSVN5NJ_t/?igsh=Ym1qaGlsdzRrc2pm

Here is a link directly to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliations homepage to register and learn more - https://trw-svr.nctr.ca/lunch-and-learns/

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

We’re offering Taking Truth to Action, a week-long educational program open to all schools across Canada, that supports free, age-appropriate, education curriculums for students in grades 1-12.

07/09/2024

As a therapist my “job” is to walk along side you. Therapists aren’t healers we don’t “fix” you. We don’t fix you because you aren’t broken.
Sometimes we feel broken, lost and overwhelmed. Sometimes we can drown in our emotions and lose track of what’s real in our thinking. That’s normal, there is no failure in that.

Therapy is NOT admitting defeat. It’s being brave enough to keep swimming.

Therapists are meant to be warm and steady. To provide safety.
We hold space for you to be safe while you unpack, process, learn, reflect and let go.

I know this is a job, it’s my job but for me it’s so much more than that. This is who I am.
I also deeply care about everyone who holds space in this therapy room.
Being a therapists means I’ve committed to do the work myself, on a daily basis to heal and learn.

Therapy is organic. Of course there are goals and theory that anchor a person’s counseling treatment, but what is said and felt in each session is the outcome of a process that’s unscripted.
It’s magical and so powerful.

Some people come to therapy in crisis.
Some come with a checklist.
Others come with feelings in need of an anchor or thoughts that need to be organized.
Sometimes people find themselves in a session without knowing why, but feeling like it’s where they need to be.
All those reasons are valid and worthy.

You deserve this space. You deserve this time to invest in your healing.

Whatever your reason. Therapy is powerful. Therapy heals. You are brave and amazing so please know that this tough day or painful time in your life is NOT how your story ends.

Take care.🩷

05/14/2024

Ever since I changed our home calendar over to May the other day I have noticed this heaviness in my heart and I’d like to share with you why.

June 1st has always been a special day of celebration for me. As an Ally to the Q***R community I love the hope and cheer that June and everything 🏳️‍🌈 PRIDE brings me.
However, I know for some these aren’t the feelings connected to Pride Month.
Last year I was deeply saddened, sickened and truly devastated actually by the actions of so many on JUNE 1st and beyond. Protests against pride, against schools flying pride flags was so disheartening to me.

I consider myself an incredibly tolerant person who is naturally able to see things from multiple perspectives. I’m comfortable holding space for discourse and discomfort.
But this I won’t “accept” or tolerate.

We would never accept protest against Christmas, protests against women’s rights, Muslim practices, or Black History month for example, so why are we allowing protests against something as personal as someone’s gender identity and sexual orientation?

As a therapist, hearing and seeing first hand the damage and pain protesting against pride causes, it makes my heart ache.
With all the tolerance I aim to hold, I am a zero tolerance for judgement that kills people kind of person.
And make no mistake intolerance even when it’s imbedded in faith does will people, mostly our children.

Please try to appreciate that I truly understand the complexities at play here.
As a Catholic who proudly flys the pride flag, supports gay marriage and respects people’s pronouns, I empathize with what I’m asking you to do, but I’m asking anyway.

Do better this JUNE.
I’m not asking you to suspend your beliefs. I’m not asking you to support something you genuinely cannot.
We all have the right to our beliefs.
We are so blessed to live in a country that allows us the freedom to hold virtually all beliefs. A country that doesn’t force hate and intolerance.

With that however, we have the privilege and opportunity to do better here.

I’m hoping, expecting even begging you to hold space for the right for those who choose to live differently than you, even in opposition to your beliefs, to life safely and without your active protest. I’m expecting you NOT to spread judgement through intolerance.

Youth who identify as Q***r are at much higher risk of self harm, or being physically assaulted and of dying by su***de.

These are all preventable.
These may not always be intended, but they are the very REAL consequences of intolerance.

June 1st starts PRIDE month. Let’s do better, together.

04/02/2024

This is quite true and a good reminder.

Great thing to reflect on: if an adult can’t communicate, express their anger, or cope with frustration— why would a 7 year old be able to? Children’s nervous system capacity is shaped by the interactions they watch and receive. When overstimulated, children intuitively look to the adults around them. What they’re saying is “help me make sense of this” and “am I safe?” A regulated adult can see the child’s capacity as different from their own. They don’t see their children’s tears or tantrums as a personal insult or disrespect. Or something to dismiss. They don’t expect children to be robots or stoic. Their emotional stability manifests as consistent behavior. The child learns: “this adult I can trust. I know how they’ll react”

Instead of punishing or shaming, they can help the child through big emotions. And at the end of the interaction, there’s a deeper connection. A chronically dysregulated adult cannot cope with frustration or tantrums. They see their child’s emotions as a burden and use punishment in an attempt to quickly get them out of that emotion. This works— temporarily. Usually because the child is filled with fear. But after the interaction there is a loss of trust and connection for that child.

We need to as a society take a look in the mirror and see where our level of regulation is currently at. Then, we need to develop patience for children who are still learning to cope with boredom, confusion, rejection, and the daily disappointments in life.

By being the calm stable presence we change the future generation

02/26/2024

This is me.
Make-up free (with lash extensions) after getting my sweat on at the 9:30am Deka Strong Farm Girl Fitness and then shedding what feels like 100lbs, but was more like 100 tears in therapy.

You can see the sweaty skin and glistening eyes.

Yes I do my own therapy.
As therapists we are encouraged and required to, but I’ve been in therapy with varying frequencies since I was 15.
I believe it has saved me MANY times!!
I’ve been blessed to have the same therapist since then as well.

There is something so intimate about letting someone into the deepest parts of your heart, your head and your life. Therapy has helped me find compassion for myself and connect dots I didn’t understand. Therapy has helped me find calmness and heal so many parts of myself.
Therapy gives me HOPE.

I am also a big believer and supporter of medication to treat mental illness. I have been on and off medication throughout my life and it works very well when it’s needed.
I will also say this.
When asked what helps me manage my anxiety on a daily basis and keep my episodes of depression less frequent and less intense these FOUR things help the most:

1. Therapy and Writing
2. Exercise/Movement
3. Physical touch & meaningful relationships
4. Sleep

* what would you say is on your list??

Today felt like a HUGE RELEASE and reset.
I’m feeling thankful for Elizabeth my Therapist and Farm Girl.

01/03/2024

As you approach this time of year maybe you feel this pressure to summarize life and make sure the next year is “better”. That in 2024 you’ll do more and make it better. Can I encourage you to maybe pause first?

Maybe instead of a broad stroking judgement or “new year’s resolution” loaded with ideas you were told to strive towards, you just did you.
Instead of cutting out foods, labelling them as bad in order to live “healthy”, you just focused on eating. Eating what you have, when you can, what you want to eat that makes you feel good?

I don’t think you “should” always aim for more or better BECAUSE there is no RIGHT way to do life!
Most things in life are not ALL good or ALL BAD!

Take a look at these ads, just as a reminder that there is NO right way to live YOUR LIFE!
One decades facts on how to be healthy, is the next decades “debunked” myth or actual misinformation.
Remember at one point the governing belief was that smoking kept you young and was Doctor recommended! 🤔🙄

There is NOT one way to live life.
You’re not doing it all wrong because there was never and will never be ONE RIGHT way to live life!

If you feel like you want something to sink your teeth into as an intention to ground you as we start the new year, try focusing on acceptance. Accepting YOU as you are!

As the kind of ”good enough” you celebrate not see as a consolation prize.

Try finding stillness and quiet so you can see all that you have in your life and maybe see where YOU want to make some changes for YOU, in your life.

It’s okay to set goals.
It’s okay to want to change. The CAUTION is to reflect on your why? What’s the motivation. Does it come from a judgement? This idea that you or your behaviour is not good enough or less than as is? Because if it does you won’t achieve the goal in any lasting way, and it won’t feel good.

Life is hard sometimes and the world is FULL of people and messaging providing you the SOLUTION to make life easy or perfect!
Spoiler alert, you’re actually good enough just as you are.
If you feel like you need to move more? Meditate more, great self awareness. Go and do that.
Just approach it all as your own cheerleader.

You deserve that much. ❤️

12/27/2023

The year Christmas was different.
Growing up with Asthma I’ve always been cautious of cold and flu season because it can very easily wreak havoc on my lungs and I can get very sick.
Somehow, I managed to get through the pandemic virtually unscathed and that in and of itself was a shocking blessing.

This year I was taken down with the worst combination of pneumonia and bronchitis I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never in my life, in the 42 years of my life ever fallen this ill.
I couldn’t breathe without a puffer. I couldn’t do the stairs in my house. I couldn’t get out of bed. I didn’t leave bed for days, I didn’t eat. I lost 10lbs in 6 days. And I cried a lot everyday. I cried because I missed putting my kids to bed. I missed out of special baking and coffee dates with friends. I was so sad. So SO SAD. And really lonely. I cried because I had to cancel clients. And then cancel more.
I cried because I had to give up hosting my favourite day of the year and for the first time in 42 years of life, I didn’t spend some amount of Christmas Day with my parents.
I was scared. I couldn’t see how I was going to recover from this. It was horrible.

Guess what. I’m recovering.
I also learned a few things along the way that I thought I’d share.

Children recover from disappointment far better than we as adults ever will.
Change is really hard, but it’s not always bad.
I will never EVER again say I would give anything to lose 10lbs. Trust me.
Christmas celebrated on the 28th is absolutely just as special.

Your body is fragile.
Your mind is as well.

Lastly, choose your partner based on how they respond when you are at your lowest. When you are giving your marriage less than 1% will your partner literally carry you, without question or complaint.

This was a very sobering wake up call for me. I know that I didn’t cause this illness. I actually am quite healthy, but I plan to make some changes.

I just wanted to share in hopes that maybe we can all learn to slow things down and remember what actually matters.

Your health. Your mental, emotional and physical health matters. All of which are fragile, despite how healthy you may be. Take some time. Slow down ❤️🎄