Gentle Light Counselling

05/01/2023

It’s raining nonstop! Ugh!! 🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️

Some people are more sensitive to weather changes than other people! I am one of this group of “some people”!! (My hand is raised up high here!) 🖐️

I have noticed that I am most affected by raining days, even more so than snowy days. Something about getting wet is just not working for me!! 💦

Here in Ontario, we just entered into a stretch of on and off, and on and off raining days and wetness.

I was complaining about this annoying, nonstop rain the other day. And my daughter (age 7) said, “I wish there will be no rain ever again!!!” (You know how dramatic kids could be. lol)

I laughed, and said, “Well, then we would be very thirsty. We do need rain coming down for us.” 🌈

I reminded myself that it’s time to change the mindset and rushed all my seedlings out so my little seedlings can get the gift that the nature is giving us.” 🌱 🌱 🌱

❤️ Today’s reminder:
- Knowing that sometimes we could still benefit from some uncomfortable situations that we are in.

#心理諮商 #心理諮詢

04/13/2023

Sometimes what the mainstream society goes for, are not necessarily right, or fair.

The reality is, we are all different. It actually makes us more interesting. It makes the world more interesting!!

I am inspired to be someone who have more space to appreciate different beauties, or, beauties in differences.

I believes that we are all lovely penguins in some ways, and in our own ways.

Hello penguins!! 🐧 🐧 🐧
Make what you are proud of shine!!

03/06/2023

Saw this the other day.
Could not find the creator for this art. (If anyone knows, please let me know so I can tag it)

Totally love it!!
If only we have the tenderness in our hearts for all the hard thoughts that our brains created.

#心理諮商

02/27/2023

Sometimes I second guess myself. Sometimes I think of the “what if”s.

The tricky thing is that when we think of “what if”, it often leads us into the worst case scenario.

Most of the time, the “what if “ question represents “the devastating result ” that we fear. However, in reality, the likelihood of the worst case scenario materializing is often overestimated when we face uncertainty.

Focusing on the “what is” instead could bring us back to the present. It takes practice to give ourselves a chance to check all the facts without being engulfed by all the fear that we have.

#心理諮商

12/24/2022

Seasons’ greetings

I know that holiday season could be stressful for many people. If this is the case for you, give yourself a gentle reminder to take a breather when you can and make time for yourself for little things that fuel your soul.

I would like to use this opportunity to thank you for all the support in the past year and wish you a very safe and peaceful holiday season. Take care and have a wonderful time off!!

Warmly (it’s fitting as it is so cold outside!),
Jocelyn

12/16/2022

This is what I am trying to remind myself of.
In fact, I wrote this about 2 years ago, and now I am being reminded by my Facebook “memory”.

I looked at it and I realized that this is probably something that I need to work on for the rest of my life.

In the river of time, we could not change the past, and we could not predict the future. (Time machine anyone?). I know this, yet I still often catch myself spending so much time to regret and worry while the “current moment” quickly passing me by.

Solution? Well, I think it’s natural to regret and worry as it just means that we have the capacity to reflect and to plan for our paths. However, we could always try to do it a bit less, so we could give ourselves some space to enjoy the “now” as well. After all, we are living beings and we certainly deserve to live in the moment.

11/11/2022

"The greatest illusion," said the mole, "is that life should be perfect."
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

I got myself a little book and I want to share this quote with you today. It took me many many years to realize, and then to admit that I was a perfectionist. It also took me many many years to realize that it is okay to be not perfect, as no one is. (And I am still working on it. lol)

It is such a trap to trap ourselves in when we try to chase after something that never is possible. We started from wanting something to be turned out great, to wanting everything to be turned out great. Don’t forget that,for most people, there are also certain limitations that we inherited in life.

When we step back, pause, and then look at a bigger picture (life), we would see that logically, it is never possible for life to be perfect.

Have you confused “doing my best” with “I need to be perfect”? I certainly have. Accepting life and ourselves are not perfect doesn’t mean that we are giving up. It is more of a reminder to not crush our souls for something that is as normal as it can be.

Guess what?
You are not perfect. I am not perfect. And Life is certainly not perfect.

The mole in this book knows it. We can keep working on seeing it as well.


#完美主義 #心理諮商

10/07/2022

Do you know that you can get stressed from dehydration?

When we are dehydrated, our bodied would creat the famous stress hormone, Cortisol.

If fact, your body can be dehydrated by feeling stressed too! When we are stressed, our adrenal glands would produce cortisol, and our adrenal glands would be therefore exhausted and resulting in lower electrolyte levels.

You see the vicious cycle here?

Well, I am first to admit that I am not really good at drinking water throughout the day. (I am now drinking water since I am writing this. lol) But really, drinking water potentially is the easiest way to destress and managing anxiety!

Cheers!! Bottom up!! (with water of course!)

05/26/2022

Attached art credited to Liz Fosslien
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We all have that experience, trying to climb up that deep hole, that ditch. We all have, really.

That ditch, could be our sadness, our depression, our lost, our grief, it can be anything really.

We all know, it is not easy.

One thing that we grow up to know, is that the world is not really fair. We don't play in the same ground filed.

One thing we often forget is, when you see two people reached the same mountain top, it is most possible that they did not hike from the same altitude. And yet that resilience that person needs to have to be even at the bottom of the mountain is often dismissed.

If you pay attention, you will see how strong a survivor is, you will see how much strength it takes to overcome any obstacle, any setback, and any ditch in life.

I admire you, who keep going, keep climbing, and keep trying.

05/17/2022

"It's what's on the inside that counts"

Waking up in the morning, and this was what I was reminded by a tea bag. It is such a true and interesting concept isn't it?

Have your parents expected you to be something big one day? Have you chased after what society deems as important? Have you felt that you had so much yet that you are so not fulfilled?

It's what’s on the inside that counts.

Finding something, little things that would sooth you might be more important than getting that shinning star that everyone is talking about.

This sentence really sums up the importance of the inner peace, emotional wellbeing, and mental health.

It's nice to be reminded to get a tea bag, relax a bit, have a deep breath, and take a good care of ourselves.

04/02/2022

Today is the World Autism Awareness Day.
Weather you are on the spectrum, someone you love is, or you simply want to be part of a kind and supportive community, today is the day to show that you are an ally.

Here are some local and international activities that’s happening to celebrate the World Autism Awareness Day-

Autism Toronto:
https://www.autismontario.com/programs-services/world-autism-day

Autism speaks:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/world-autism-awareness-day

United Nation:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/autism-day

03/20/2022

Hey! Sorry that I have not been in touch. And then, just like that, winter is over and spring is coming.

The spring season means the new beginning in many cultures. The daytime is finally longer and the weather is finally warmer.

Are you ready to hike up and embrace the messy spring? I was hiking with my daughter the other day, and I just noticed how messy, just like LIFE, spring could be. While I found it inconvenient, my daughter found the muddy paddles are extremely fun.

Just like LIFE, it’s all about perspectives right?

Are you ready for the new beginning? Maybe it’s time for a mental detox?

When you are ready, I am here at Gentle Light Counselling.

www.gentlelightcounselling.ca

11/06/2021

To be honest, I thought this little plant 🌱 died.
I always find it a bit more delicate than other plant babies. One day, she started to turn brown….and then eventually, all leaves died out. It has nothing left. It was a bit sad.
I put it aside, and I thought that, when I have a chance, I will get another new plant to stay in the pot.

Weeks go by, and something happened. A little leaf burst out of the soils. I place it back to where it can meet the sunlight. The little leaf became bigger and bigger. I am now more hopeful that one day it will spread and extend its leaf.

Resilience. Sometimes we didn’t even know how resilient we are. We grow and we face challenges.
We got hurt. We got frustrated. We tried. We got defeated. However, each time we picked ourselves up, we learned how strong we actually are.

Often times, we are stronger than we thought.

A gentle tip: trust yourself a bit. You have been through so much yet you are still here, motivated by what you want in life, for yourself and whom you love. That is resilience.

By Jocelyn at Gentle Light Counselling
www.gentlelightcounselling.ca

11/02/2021

Happy Autumn everyone! I have to grab this opportunity to acknowledge this season before winter arriving.

Fall is a busy season here at Gentle Light as I have been seeing some new clients, doing some learning, and grabbing the opportunity to enjoy the season with daughter and dog before we all bundle up for the white snow. (Well, the dog will be fine with the snow!)

Autumn is colourful and pretty. 🍁 Though I also want to acknowledge that sometimes, with the weather getting a bit chilly, it can all get us to be a bit moody sometimes. The night also comes a bit earlier as well. I remember feeling a bit down last week when it was gloomy and wet few days in a roll. :p

A tip here. Some people would get a “HappyLight” or any light that mimics natural sunlight. Have you notice that some plants 🌱 need some help from indoor lights? Humans can get one to try too. It works for some people!

Autumn is also the season to restore and reserve. Animals are running around getting their food stored. Some plants are quietly getting ready for the winter and for the spring bloom next year.
Remember to do some self-care at this time. Getting a bath and sipping on a nice cup of tea. Be gentle with your moods and thoughts.

If you are considering getting professional support at this time, please feel free to seek counselling with me, at Gentle Light Counselling.

Gentle Light Counselling provide individaul counselling, couple counselling, child and youth counselling in English and Mandarin. Based in Vaughan, Ontario

10/07/2021

And then there is doing mindfulness practice with your younger humans. The colouring here is what my younger human did beside me when I am doing my colouring.

As we are role models for young kids, what we demonstrate in our daily lives, is what they learn. The hands on approach is the most powerful form of learning. You being present, IS the hands on approach.

Little things in life that you do, could go a long way for both you and your kids. You could show your kids how to find inner peace when you open yourself up to find it.

By getting counselling, you could work on your emotions and moods, which allows you to create a stable and safe space for your children.

When you are ready, find Gentle Light.
www.gentlelightcounselling.ca



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#心理諮商 #心理諮詢