New Paths Counselling

02/13/2026

02/11/2026

02/08/2026

A memory can spark grief before any sensation appears.
A thought can ignite anxiety in seconds.
A sensation in the body can quickly be interpreted by the mind and create an emotional response.

Emotion regulation isn’t about choosing sides—body or mind.
It’s about understanding the pathways and meeting yourself through the one that fits this moment.

Flexibility > formulas.

If this feels true for you, save this as a reminder:
there are many doorways back to yourself.

02/07/2026

Emotion regulation gets misunderstood.

Most people think it means being calm all the time—or never reacting, never crying, never getting angry.
That’s not regulation. That’s suppression.

Real regulation is quieter and more human.
It’s noticing a feeling before it runs the show.
It’s learning how to stay with yourself when something is hard.
It’s choosing your next step instead of being pushed by the moment.

And it’s a skill—one we can practice, not a trait we either have or don’t.

If this resonates, save this post for a day you need the reminder 🤍

01/31/2026

If anxiety were something we could “hack,” most people wouldn’t be struggling the way they are.

Anxiety doesn’t change through force or urgency.
It shifts through practice, patience, and learning how to respond differently over time. Sometimes one of the trickiest parts to learn is how to loosen our efforts on trying to control anxiety.

Something I hear often is the feeling, "I'm back to square one" when anxiety gets louder again after feeling "better" for a time. The reality is there will be moments when things feel steadier — and moments when anxiety returns.
This is normal. It’s part of the process. You don't lose the skills you've practiced.

What helps most isn’t doing more or trying harder.
It’s meeting yourself with curiosity instead of criticism, and compassion instead of pressure.

Slower progress is still progress.
And you don’t have to rush your nervous system to heal.

01/23/2026

If your mind keeps asking “what if…” you’re not broken.
You’re stuck in a safety loop.

“What if” thinking feels like problem-solving…
but it often keeps you on high alert. It creates a cycle of trying to find certainty when that often isn't realistic, but we keep trying and thinking....

Try this exit ramp:

1)Name it: “This is a what-if loop.”
2) Bring yourself into this present moment (your breath, some movement, noticing what's around you, etc.).
3) Choose one small next step in the present.

Save this for later 🤍

01/20/2026

“Possible” does not mean “probable.”

An anxious mind is great at generating what could happen —
even when the odds are low. And the anxious mind is VERY good at making what "could" happen feel like the inevitable. That's when we need to bring the thought into perspective.

When you notice yourself spiralling, try this gentle reset:

Come back to:
What do I know to be true right now?
What’s most likely?
What’s one small next step?

01/19/2026

01/17/2026

Anxiety narrows your world because your nervous system is trying to protect you and it's REALLY difficult not to listen to those messages.

But what tends to help anxiety over time isn’t forcing calm or chasing certainty.
It’s learning to widen again:
• attention
• tolerance for uncertainty
• trust in your capacity
• a sense of safety that grows, slowly

This isn’t about “fixing” anxiety.
It’s about teaching your nervous system that discomfort isn’t danger — and that you can move through changing conditions.

You don’t have to do this all at once. This comes with small, manageable steps and practice, along with strategies to calm your nervous system.

01/16/2026

Anxiety isn’t just worry.
It’s a set of protective patterns — ways the nervous system tries to keep you safe.

Scanning for threat.
Needing certainty.
Reaching for comfort.
Doubting your ability to cope.

These are just the ways that your brain has tried to protect you because it THINKS you are in danger.

Therapy isn’t about eliminating anxiety or uncertainty.
It’s about learning how to relate to them differently — so they take up less space in your life. Sometimes this first idea feels counterintuitive to relate to -- of course we want to "get rid of" anxiety. But what we resist, often persists. If we keep reinforcing that "yes, this is bad" (by scanning, avoiding situations, doubting our abilities), it tells the brain that the signals are correct -- that keeps anxiety going. We want to teach our brain that we aren't in danger.

We can’t control the weather.
But we can learn how to move through the conditions.

01/13/2026

Anxiety doesn’t show up in just one way.

For some people, it’s worry and anxious thoughts that won’t slow down.
For others, it’s a physical sense of unease — feeling on edge, restless, or nervous without a clear reason.

Both are common. And both are real.

In this post, I’m focusing on anxious thoughts — and on a common strategy that often backfires: trying to stop or control what you’re thinking.

We don’t actually stop thoughts.
What tends to help more is changing how we relate to them — how much attention we give them, and how much power we allow them to have.

This simple experiment helps explain why.