Anne Penniston Gray Counselling and Consulting

08/04/2025

07/25/2025

I believe you.

07/25/2025

To E.M. and to all survivors of sexual violence: we see you. We believe you. We honour your strength in speaking your truth.

We know that today’s outcome is deeply painful for many. It reflects the ongoing challenges survivors face in navigating systems that have historically failed to prioritize their experiences and needs. Once again, we have watched as our legal system failed to provide accountability on issues of extremely troubling behaviour.

This case and the public conversation surrounding it have stirred up anger, grief, and exhaustion. These feelings are valid. Moments like this can bring forward painful reminders of how difficult it can be to seek safety, support, and justice.

Regardless of any verdict, our commitment remains unchanged. Survivors must be heard, respected, and supported. This holds true whether or not they report, and whether or not the legal system reflects their truth.

We stand in unwavering solidarity with E.M. and with all survivors. This includes those who share their stories and those who cannot. Believing survivors and working to end gender-based violence are responsibilities we all share.

You are not alone. We are with you.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact a women’s shelter or transition house in your area. Visit our Get Help page to find links to shelters, other services, and information that may be helpful to you: https://canadianwomen.org/support-services/

06/21/2025

Know your circle. ✌️🫂❤️‍🩹🌎

06/18/2025

So many of our clients come to us with deep insight, but no real sense of safety. They might know they’re not in danger anymore, yet their bodies still feel like they are.

Somatic therapy gives us a way to help clients gently reconnect with their bodies, support nervous system regulation, and slowly build a felt sense of safety from within.

You're invited to a free event all about somatic trauma therapy, where we’ll explore how to support this kind of healing in a grounded, compassionate way.

Join leading voices in the field like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Janina Fisher, Dr. Dan Siegel, and more for a FREE 2-day online summit focused on somatic trauma healing.

🧠 Evidence-informed strategies
🌿 Body-based tools to support regulation and repair
🎓 Up to 10 CE credits available (with upgrade)

📅 June 28–29 | 💻 Live & online with 14-day replay access

Grab your free spot here 👉https://bit.ly/4kqMhyN

06/17/2025

It’s important to acknowledge that even if we love doing something and are passionate about it, overexerting ourselves without taking appropriate breaks or seeking variety can cause exhaustion, decreased motivation, and overall dissatisfaction. We all have limits, and reaching them is inevitable.

It’s critical to prioritize self-care to prevent burnout.

06/04/2025

Rmdrk

03/03/2025

Trauma molds us—it teaches us how to survive, how to protect ourselves, how to move through the world unseen or hyper-aware. But who you had to become in order to survive is not the only version of you that exists.

You are not just your defense mechanisms.
You are not just your wounds.
You are not just the person shaped by pain.

There is more to you—a self beyond survival, beyond fear, beyond the past.

Healing is the journey of meeting her—the version of you that is whole, free, and no longer defined by what happened to her.
꩜🕊️♥︎ Ella