The Shift - Counselling Services

12/14/2025

Here’s one more gift guide for the Holiday Season!
This is perfect for smaller gifts
☀️A journal : to document feelings, highlights, lowlights, etc
☀️Pens : to make their time journaling more enjoyable
☀️Nail polish : for a simple act of self care that always leaves you feeling better
☀️A mental health book
☀️ Lego : for a quick, low stress activity
☀️A fidget toy : great for any situation

12/10/2025

Here is another mental health gift guide - this time for the gamer in your family.
✨A puzzle : great for relaxing, while still feeling productive
✨A crossword puzzle : to challenge your brain, but help you relax at the same time
✨Headphones : noise cancelling are preferable, helping to eliminate outside stimulation
✨Facemasks : great for self care and taking time to focus on yourself
✨An audiobook: to listen to while they work on their new games! You could make this a non fiction book they would enjoy, or a book geared towards mental health and self improvement
✨A coupon : handmake, or print a coupon for the person to teach you their favourite game! This way you get to spend time together, doing something they enjoy

12/08/2025

With less daylight to enjoy in the winter, people with SAD may experience lower vitamin D levels, further reducing serotonin activity.
A lack of serotonin plays a role in depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.

SAD should not be confused with “holiday blues”—feelings of sadness or anxiety brought on by stresses at certain times of the year.
The depression associated with SAD is related to changes in daylight hours, not the calendar, so stresses associated with the holidays or seasonal changes in work or school schedules, family visits, are not the same as SAD.

There are many very effective ways to treat SAD, but the crucial first step is to reach out to a mental health provider. If you’re experiencing the above mentioned symptoms, it’s a good idea to reach out for support.
To book an appointment with one of our associates, go to theshiftonline.ca

12/05/2025

The winter can be tough on your mental health, so here is a recipe to help you care for yourself this winter.

A few other things to prioritize are:
➡️Staying active
➡️Staying hydrated
➡️Connecting with others

❄️

12/03/2025

Here are some of the health coping mechanisms shared by The Shift team!

You can make this page as simple or as complicated as you want, using stickers, coloured paper and your favourite markers.

Let me know if you give this a try!

12/01/2025

Please consider donating a paid of Pj's or a gift to youth in the Dube over the holiday, it's hard enough being away from loved ones and if we can help spread a little light over the holidays, let's click on the link! Thanks to our BGC Saskatoon friends for all their hard work! Mental Health Matters Always!

We are honoured to carry on Taryn's PJ Project legacy. We are accepting PJ Donations and Christmas Gifts for youth spending time at the Dube Centre over the holidays!
Health Challenges don't take a holiday, and this season, like many other seasons, there are youth at the Dube instead of at home with loved ones.
Together, BGC Saskatoon and .collective.yxe, want to make sure every youth staying at the Dube is cared for!
Drop off your donations at BGC Saskatoon: 105-135 Robin Crescent by December 15th!!

11/30/2025

We asked the Shift team what they thought some healthy coping mechanisms would be.
One of our associates, Joel responded with the following

“To start with the basics, good sleep, hygiene, healthy eating and physical activity. A healthy community with strong support is also essential. Beyond that diving deeper into the concerns that you with a professional.”

11/27/2025

Here is a gift guide for the reader in your life, that will also help support their mental health.
(Every reader heals themselves by reading)
Obviously all of these items can be swapped, doubled or taken out completely! It’s a great idea to customize it for the recipient.

To get started you’ll need some kind of basket to put everything in! Then you will need:
✨A mental health/ self help book. The shift team has recommended these books
➡️ No More Mr. Nice Guy
➡️Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
➡️How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera
➡️Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg
➡️Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach

✨A new bookmark to go along with the book (readers can never have enough bookmarks!)

✨A new mug - any mug you think they will like is great!

✨Tea or Coffee, whatever they prefer

✨I recommend under eye patches, I find them easiest to read with. Facemasks or lip masks would also work!

Once you’ve gathered all of your items, arrange them in your basket and you have an amazing mental health gift for the reader in your life.

11/25/2025

Here is a coping mechanism from one of our associates, Erin Greer.

Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) can be used before and after somatic regulation techniques.

➡️So, for example, when you feel really angry, ask yourself how flooded you are by your emotions on a scale of one to 10 (10 being the most flooded you've ever been; totally unable to think clearly). Once you know that, you might try the wall push technique, where you stand facing a wall, push on that wall with your hands (and all your weight and effort behind them), all while visualizing the anger in you body as it transfers out through your arms and into the wall. With enough force and will, you might find some relief.

➡️Then, try the scale again. Have you come down half a number? Maybe even three? If so, you're well on your way to self-regulating a very difficult emotion.

11/23/2025

Do you have questions about mental health?
Book an appointment with one of our Associates to get your questions answered. Our team members offer a variety of services and have different specialties.

➡️➡️To get to know our team and book an appointment today, go to theshiftonline.ca

11/21/2025

“I think therapy is important because like machinery we are all susceptible to wear and tear. Therapy is a way to practice accountability and self-care in the face of that wear and tear. As individuals we benefit from therapy, as do those around us. Through the use of therapy we are able to more effectively show up as who we want to be when we are taking care of ourselves.”
-From Stefaun

“Therapy is important because it can help us to clarify the kind of life we most want to live. Sometimes that involves clearly articulating our values so that we can live in better alignment with them. Sometimes it's more about regulating our bodies so that we can interact with the world in a calmer, more reliable way. Sometimes it's more about seeking counterevidence to fight back against persistent, internalized, unhelpful believes we have about ourselves. It can feel like our world is filled with impossible circumstances, existential threats, or heavy expectations. For these reasons, I believe anyone could benefit from therapy. It's about building core mental strength enough to balance what we have the power to control, and what we might be better off accepting.”
-From Erin

11/18/2025

When asked about healthy coping mechanisms she would recommend, Jacqueline recommended

· Identifying controllables.
· Box breathing.
· Speaking to myself how I would speak to a loved one.

If you’re unfamiliar with box breathing, it is a deep breathing technique that can help you slow down your breathing. It works by distracting your mind as you count to four, calming your nervous system, and decreasing stress in your body.

🫧
Make sure you’re seated upright in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Step 1: Slowly exhale

Step 2: Slowly inhale
Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose to the count of 4. In this step, count to 4 very slowly in your head.

Step 3: Hold your breath
Hold your breath for another slow count of 4.

Step 4: Exhale again
Exhale through your mouth for the same slow count of 4, expelling the air from your lungs and abdomen.

Step 5: Hold your breath again
Hold your breath for the same slow count of 4 before repeating this process.