Port City Counselling Services Inc.

12/01/2025

Don’t miss out on your chance to win almost $1000 worth of goodies!! All funds raised goes to the VTC-Vocational Training Center and their annual Christmas party 🎄

🎄 VTC Wellness Christmas Basket Raffle! 🎄

We are excited to share that Port City Counselling Services has generously donated over $975 worth of items to create this year’s Wellness Christmas Basket! We are incredibly grateful for their kindness and continued support. 💙

All proceeds from this raffle help fund the Vocational Training Centre’s annual Christmas party, supporting over 80 participants in our community. Your support truly helps make the season brighter for everyone here at VTC. ✨

🎟 Ticket Prices:
• 1 for $5 tickets
• 3 for $10 tickets

📩 To purchase tickets:
Email vtcrothesay@gmail.com
📞 Call or text 506-609-0499

The draw will take place December 18th at 6 p.m., live on our page.
Thank you for supporting VTC—where potential blooms! 🌸

10/06/2025

Stefanie is now offering Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
"Keep the Knowledge, Lose the Pain"

❓ What is it ART?
ART is a form of psychotherapy with roots in existing based therapies but shown to achieve benefits far more rapidly (generally within 1-5 sessions). ART allows a client to erase old images and rewrite their story through reconsolidation, changing the physiological response to the memory.

What client's like about it?
🗣 No need to share details or retell your whole story
📖 No homework
🚦 Client centered (client is in control of session)
🗓 No ongoing or long term therapy

What can it help with?
Trauma/ PTSD
Depression
Anxiety & Phobias
OCD
Grief
Job stress
Sleep.. and more!

Please reach out for more information or to book a session 👇
stefanie.richard@portcitycounselling.ca

09/19/2025

Please help us welcome Isabelle!! 🌸

Isabelle is an LCT-C who's recently joined us as an Independent Therapist. She specializes in anxiety, depression, teens, couples, personality and mood disorders, and career and employability. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree with an Honours in Psychology and a Masters of Education degree in counselling.

Isabelle has had the privilege of working in a variety of clinical settings over the years with groups and individuals across all age groups. She's a strong believer in the relationship between mind, body, and spirit, and how this balance supports growth and healing. Her approach is grounded in collaboration and meeting client's where they're at to discover what next steps are best for you.

07/30/2025

It's one thing to be ready for change, but it's another to work for it. Changing an aspect about your life or yourself is not easy work! But you can't bloom without it.

This is why therapy can be great for change. Having a trusted therapist work through that change with you, offering different perspectives, insights, and reassurances, can be the fertilizer to the water you've already been pouring. You absolutely can do this work on your own, and there will be moments throughout life where you can do it easily. But in times where you're struggling, or you're not sure which direction to go, or how to even get started, we can help you out. Change is the peanut butter to our jelly!

07/23/2025

Where did the idea come from that knowing ones self is not as complex as it really is?

One of the greatest and most challenging gifts humanity has is the concept of the self. With that comes the journey of getting to know that self. For some, in many areas of their life, this comes naturally. For others, this is a complex journey for the entirety of their lives. But each and every one of us will have a moment - or many moments - where we question who we are, what we know, and who we want to be.

In moments where questioning yourself feels stressful - such as considering a life changing decision (What do I want to go to school for? Where do I want to work? Do I want children?) we recommend a few things 👇

🐌 Slow it down. The answers don't usually come to us when we put ourselves under pressure.
🌳Take a walk through nature. Might sound weird to some - but we come from nature. It will always be part of who we are. Ground yourself in its presence.
☑Readjust expectations. Easier said than done, but expectations from family, peers, society, or your community can create a lot of pressure and internal tension. Especially if they're not your own expectations.
⏰Allow yourself the time. Contrary to the norm, there is no rush - we miss things when we rush. We find things when we take our time.
💝Accept what feels right to you. This is unique to each person! Not only that, but what feels right to you might change over time as you grow. It is okay to make a decision based on what feels right to you now, even if it changes later. That's what the journey is all about.

07/16/2025

Just in case you needed the reminder 🌸

05/14/2025

Anxiety isn’t always about what’s wrong — sometimes, it’s about doing too much right… too often, without rest. We tend to glorify being busy and doing things ourselves. But here’s the truth: you aren't built to go non-stop!

Overcommitting, overthinking, overstimulating — it all piles up. Eventually, the body says, “Enough.” And that feeling? It shows up as anxiety.

✨ It's okay to:
— Cancel plans
— Rest without guilt
— Say “no” more often
— Choose peace over productivity
— Ask for help!

You don’t need to do more to be enough. You don't need to do it all for it to be perfect. You can rely on your community, loved ones, and friends to help you conquer the world. Don't be afraid to let some things go.

04/23/2025

Ever wonder why other people behave in a certain way? The Cognitive Model can help explain it 👇

The way we think influences how we feel, and how we feel impacts what we do. It’s like a circle that keeps turning.

🏃‍♀️ Experience → Any situation or encounter in ones life.
🧠 Thoughts → What you believe or think about that experience.
💓 Feelings → How those thoughts make you feel emotionally.
🔄 Behavior → How you act or respond because of those feelings.

💡 Example:
You think “I’m going to mess this up because I messed up last time."
➡️ That thought makes you feel anxious.
➡️ Which might make you avoid the situation or procrastinate.

The trick? Change the thoughts to change the whole cycle. Here’s how:
✨ Challenge this negative thought: "No one is perfect.”
✨ Reframe it: “I’ve learned from that experience.”
✨ Choose a new action that breaks the cycle (like starting small, or asking for help).

Therapists use this model to help people overcome thoughts like these. You have the power to change your thoughts and shift your feelings yourself. It all starts with awareness!

04/21/2025

Your nights deserve peace, not pressure.

These 12 micro-mindfulness moments are gentle ways to slow down, soften your energy, and reconnect with yourself before sleep. Mindfulness isn’t just for the day — your nighttime routine is can be a safe space to reflect, release, and restore.

🛌 Try one (or a few) of these tonight, and notice how your body responds. How might this help you sleep?

🌙 Which one feels right for you?

✨ Share with someone who could use a little calm tonight.

04/18/2025

Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean 30-minute meditations or silent retreats. Sometimes, the tiniest shifts can bring the most calm.

Try adding just one of these micro-habits into your day — and watch your nervous system thank you.

🌿 Which one speaks to you most today?

✨ Share with a friend who could use a moment of calm

04/14/2025

Struggling with anxious thoughts? Try these 5 simple tips to ease your mind & come back to the present 👇

📍 1. Ground Yourself
Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique:
5 things you see 👀
4 things you can touch ✋
3 things you hear 👂
2 things you smell 👃
1 thing you taste 👅

🧘‍♀️ 2. Practice Mindfulness
Even 2 minutes of focused breathing or meditation can shift your state completely.

💨 3. Deep Belly Breaths
Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat until you feel the calm roll in.

☕️ 4. Limit Caffeine
Too much coffee = anxious energy overload. Try swapping for herbal tea or water.

🧠 5. Reframe the Thought
Not every thought is a fact. Ask yourself: Is this 100% true? What's one example that challenges it?
Challenge the fear. Reframe with kindness. 💛