Candace M. Fox

22/04/2025

A war on Indigenous Peoples and interdependent cultures is a war on traditional emotional regulation practices and generational well-being.

I was recently invited to speak and share tools at the 2025 AWASIS Indigenous Educators Conference. In my general conversations with organizers and Elders, I learned so much about Indigenous dances and practices that were used for emotional regulation and mental and physical well-being.

In Indigenous cultures, every ritual and every tradition has a deep purpose of supporting the individual and the collective - this is something understood by the Elders and passed on through generations via teachings.

One Elder shared with me the purpose of the Indigenous grass dance. This dance is beautiful in that the footwork and motions of the body mimic swaying grass. It is rhythmic with intentional movements and steps, some bilateral - requiring the dancer to match their exact movements from the right to the left, and left to the right.

This grass dance is also deeply spiritual and connects Indigenous people to their culture, land and, ancestors - something non-Indigenous folks likely wouldn't understand as mere observers.

From a psychosensory/somatic perspective, this dance is more than just an ode to Mother Nature. This dance regulates and grounds the body while strengthening neural networks in the right and left hemisphere of the brain. This dance is healing. This dance is wellness.

And to think, colonialism almost wiped out these People and their traditions. What a loss to our society today. What a loss to the world.

We have so much to learn from ancient people and cultures.

The strength and resilience of Indigenous folks is a direct reflection of the depth, complexity, and beauty of their culture and how deep their roots are planted in this world.

When I think about the continuation of colonialism in Canada and places like Africa and Palestine, I wonder if we will ever learn.

We all suffer at the hands of colonialism. We all lose.

What is at stake today is too important to be quiet.

I stand against colonialism. I stand with Palestine. I stand against the genocide of any people.

08/04/2025

In 2022, I did a presentation for Women in Leadership titled "Lifting Others Up Through Authentic Connecting."

Three years later, as I was cleaning out my Adobe cloud, this presentation lay dormant, but it feels very relevant right now.

With the noise of news, political and economic chaos, and a genocide live streaming on our phones, what I notice for myself, I'm leaning into my people and community.

I'm staying grounded in connection with folks who keep it real, are looking inward, who are genuine in their care and concern for themselves, their community, humanity, and this planet.

And I'm trying to do the same, which also means I'm leaning into my tools and nervous system work.

Nervous system work isn't about being calm. It's about creating capacity within yourself so you can show up for the people, places, and things you are passionate about. I can't afford to hit burnout. My body deserves much more than the bare minimum of care right now. As does yours.

Nervous system work isn't about YOU thriving. Self-regulation is taught through co-regulation, humans have always been wired for connection and community. We do this work, pouring into ourselves so we can pour into others. We thrive in community.

Nervous system work isn't about avoiding triggers. It's about resilience/flexibility within our system, so when you inevitably get triggered, you can choose an appropriate response instead of feeling like a slave to old patterns.

I think more than ever, a lot of us are seeking something deeper than just the surface bu****it of life.

We want change. We want our default mode to be a mix of curiosity and joy.

We want to feel purposeful, but not for capitalistic gains.

We want our energy and actions to foster something that enriches our souls and proples us out of bed in the AM. Something bigger than us that includes all of us.

We want to restore the sacredness of life and the genuine authenticity of human to human interactions.

I want to remove the word stranger from my vocabulary and see everyone as my equal - a brother or sister, distant relative, and fellow human being. That's what I want. That's what I'm working towards. ❤️

24/03/2025

I have come to really cherish my time with the alumni crew. 💜💜💜

At every session, folks show up ready to listen, engage, and interact with themselves in new ways.

It is not lost on me that the experiential sessions I host very often require people to step outside their comfort zone - this can be especially dysregulating. But the trust, honesty, and transparency within the group is a true reflection of the safety established by BridgePoint in their programming. This makes all the difference in the world when it comes to recovery - it REALLY does.

What a gift it is to be able to be invited back for another evening filled with fun, learning, and self-regulation.

Thank you, BridgePoint and the alumni crew. See you Wednesday!

09/12/2024

Play is often thought of as being reserved for just children which is so not true! As adults we greatly benefit from play and being playful - research supports this.

Play:

°Boosts our overall sense of well-being including our sense of hope and approaching life with curiosity and excitement.

°Helps folks cope with stress and is useful in creating healthy coping strategies. Play brings out joy and pleasure, the perfect combination to ease stress and induce a more relaxed state.

°Boosts mental and physical health with improved mood, increase in motivation, and feeling energized.

Play also helps us learn new things and is the perfect ingredient to help us explore and navigate our inner world, including finding out new things about ourselves.

I am very excited to put our creativity and play to good use this Wednesday with the alumni crew for the upcoming Deep Dive.

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Repost from BridgePoint:

If you’ve attended a BridgePoint retreat, then you're considered alumni and are welcome to join us for our weekly Deep Dive group! Whether you plan to attend consistently or occasionally, you are welcome.

At Deep Dive, we meet online every Wednesday evening from 7-9pm. Next week Candace will lead us in exploring internal safety using creativity and play. You'll need some paper and markers/pencil crayons/crayons!

When: Wednesday, December 11, 7-9 pm
Who Can Attend: BridgePoint Alumni
Where: The comfort of your own home (online)

If you'd like to attend, please make sure you register through the link in our bio!

21/09/2024

I am always so humbled to be asked to gather and share tools with this amazing group of humans. Huge thanks to for opening this space and letting me share in the beautiful community you have created through your programming and services.

Cultivating self-acceptance and self-love is an internal and individual process that is best explored amongst peers in a supportive environment. And that is exactly what this Deep Dive community/series creates - safety. What a gift.

Imagine the lens we viewed ourselves through was the same as our 'ride or die' best friend, a doting grandparent, or our beloved four-legged fur baby. How would this change our internal dialogue? The way we show up for ourselves? The trust we have in who we are and what we can accomplish? How would this change our recovery journey?

Truly, the world opens, and the sky is the limit when we love ourselves the way we deserve to be loved. And we all deserve to be loved unconditionally and wholeheartedly.

See you Wednesday BridgePoint crew! 💃💃💃

31/08/2024

Thank you so much to the Love My Mind crew for sharing about our new Men Recovering program. We so very much appreciate the visibility and support in the community.

We are thrilled to support this new recovery support program for men in our communities. Congrats to for already making a difference and changing the game.

Mission

To provide a safe and compassionate environment where participants can continue to explore their recovery path with a focus on tools and resources that support sustainable transformational growth.

Check them out at menrecovering.ca or reach out to Candace directly candace@menrecovery.ca when you are ready to talk and ask your questions ❤️🙏

27/08/2024

Hello Friends & Colleagues,

In March of this year, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions released a statement addressing the overdose crisis in Canada, calling it "one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats" in the country's recent history. This is a health issue that we believe requires 'all hands on deck,' especially in our communities, here on the prairies. With that said, I would like to introduce a new aftercare program that has been developed in collaboration with a team of amazing professionals called, Men Recovering.

Men Recovering is an 8-week virtual aftercare program tailored to support self-identifying men experiencing addiction in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. We recognize and appreciate the valuable work already being done by various addiction-related programs across the prairies; we are not a replacement for these services. Rather, Men Recovering offers a unique approach to aftercare through four core components: psychoeducation, accessible self-regulation tools, coaching and mentorship, and group/peer support.

The program will be led by two members of the program team, Candace M. Fox (myself) - Psychosomatic Practitioner & Recovery Coach (Provisional), and Marcel Petit, the program's Recovery Mentor. We are so fortunate to have the guidance and expertise of four esteemed members of our advisory team:

Dr. Femi Ahmodu – Clinical Advisor
Nancy Forrester – Program Advisor
Ace Lafond – Cultural Advisor
Jason Sexsmith – Operations Advisor

Registration for Men Recovering opens September 1st, 2024. We look forward to welcoming participants and providing a supportive space for recovery and connection. We invite you to check out our website, www.menrecovering.ca and reach out to provide feedback, ask questions, collaborate, or share this program with your friends, family, and colleagues.

There is so much more I'd love to share about the program but I'll leave it at that for now. Feel free to follow us on social media channels Men Recovering as we'll be active on Facebook and Instagram soon.

Warmly,

Candace

Men Recovering is an 8-week, virtual aftercare recovery program for men in AB, SK, and MB.

11/03/2024

Avoidant - Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new eating disorder diagnostic category in the DSM-5.

ARFID is defined as "persistent feeding or eating disturbances leading to avoidance of food, which results in significant weight loss or nutritional deficiency and/or impairment in psychosocial functioning."

What does this look like in terms of behaviors?
• consistent lack of interest in food
• avoidance of certain foods depending on colour, texture, smell, or shape
• overwhelmed by consequences, fears, and phobias of eating

The overlap between ARFID and neurodivergence is often found in Autism with 20% of those diagnosed with this eating disorder also found to be Autistic.

Because ARFID is a complex disorder, understanding this overlap with Autism is most helpful when considering treatment options, interventions, medications, and specialists.

The more you know folks....the more you know! ✌️

08/03/2024

There is no "Happy" in front of International Women's Day because I only want to share facts in 2024.

If you consider yourself a person who loves women, wants women to succeed, and is for women in all circles...if you are an intersectional feminist, the facts and stats on these slides should not only disturb you, but move you to take action.

Wanting change but doing absolutely nothing about it makes you passive in the face of violence towards women. Progress is impossible without change, and change is impossible without action. Silence is violence. Inaction is violence.

To my Western friends that think Gaza and the DRC are so far away and far removed from where you are. Please wake up. Women in Gaza are just like us. Women in the Congo are just like us. Women on reserves across Canada are just like us. They love. They have dreams. They are intelligent and clever. They are resilient and resourceful. They are entrepreneurial. They are hard-working. They want better for themselves and their families. They are activists at home, mentors, leaders, and the matriarch of their families.

Violence, injustices, and oppression of any woman are against all women, and we must not stand for any of it - ever. Whether it is protecting our Indigenous sisters in Canada, Palestinian sisters in Gaza and the West Bank, Iranian sisters in their country, Jewish sisters in our comminuties, or our Congolese sisters in Africa...we must find the strength and courage to get uncomfortable and use our voices and influence when so many women and girls do not. This is our privilege AND responsibility. Read that again.

If you are for women supporting women and girls...how are you showing up for all women?

How are you showing for women of colour and culture?

How are you showing up for women experiencing disability?

How are you showing up for women in poverty?

How are you showing up for women elders?

How are you showing up for women in war-torn countries?

How are you showing up for women and girls - victims of trafficking?

May we take today to reflect and evaluate how we can do better and be better to women and girls at home and globally.

05/03/2024

Why all of us, especially Neurodivergent folk need to divest from hustle culture and stop normalizing the grind.

STRESS can significantly exacerbate symptoms in individuals with AD[H]D, making it difficult to concentrate, organize tasks, and manage emotions.

Many with AD[H]D already struggle with regulating attention and impulse control, and stress adds another layer of challenge. Increased cortisol levels can further impair cognitive function and increase the severity of symptoms impacting school, work, relationships, and overall well-being.

Solution?
Less stress!
More tools! (Research shows EFT decreases cortisol by 37%)
More joy!
More play!
More rest!
More movement!
More connection!
More s*x!
More of all the things that make you feel great!

04/03/2024

Because of all we know and because of all that we have yet to find out.

I can't tell you how often I have talked to a late diagnosed Neurodivergent individual who has either struggled or continues to struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating. Often these individuals have slipped through the cracks of the health care system because they were functioning just enough. Blaming themselves. Not understanding why treatments didn't work. And sometimes not even making the connection between their struggles with food with their AD[H]D (if they were actually diagnosed).

In my best case scenario world, clinicians start screening eating disordered patients for AD[H]D, Autism, or AuD[H]D when they see them - regardless of age. AND/BUT I'm not going to hold my breath for that day.

Until that time, these conversations are needed to educate and empower ourselves in finding the answers we seek, and the tools and resources that will support us in navigating the intricate interplay of neurodivergence and eating disorders.

Click the link in my bio to learn more.