As the year draws to a close, many of us feel the urge to pause and reflect on what the past 12 months have brought into our lives. Reflection is a powerful way to gain clarity, celebrate growth, and set the stage for what lies ahead. Using prompts can guide this process, helping you uncover insights and memories you may have otherwise overlooked.

The relationship between client and therapist, also called the therapeutic relationship, provides the foundation for exploration, healing and growth. A strong therapeutic relationship allows clients to feel supported and accepted, which is essential for exploring difficult emotions, past experiences, and areas of personal struggle. When clients feel understood and valued by their therapist, they are more likely to open up, take emotional risks, and engage in the hard work of change.

The struggle of self-identity refers to the internal challenges and conflicts individuals face in understanding, defining, and accepting who they are as unique individuals. This struggle can manifest in various ways and can be influenced by several factors. Self-identity is a deeply personal and complex process that individuals go through to understand and define themselves.

The typical advice about expectations in relationships says, “If you lower your expectations, you won’t be disappointed.” While disappointment is certainly connected to expectations, lowering our expectations isn’t always the answer and can also lead to resentment and dissatisfaction with relationships.

First, let’s remember what habits are — any behaviour repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. Habits can be both desirable and undesirable to the person performing them. When we repeat a habitual action enough times, our brain forms neural pathways for that habit, making it difficult to break an undesirable habit and form new desirable habits.

In today’s society, having a busy schedule, overworking, and overachieving are becoming more and more glorified and perceived as a sign of dedication and success. Saying “I have so much going on” or “I can’t - I’m too busy” is often seen as a sign of doing many great things or having a full life. Many of us are even proud of how well we do under pressure or search for ways to get better at it. While there are benefits to handling pressure and stress well, there is something to say about the pursuit of chaotic emotional states — such as frustration, stress, fear and anxiety — that is becoming more common.

Self-soothing is important because it allows us to regulate our emotions and find inner calm and comfort, particularly during times of stress, anxiety, or distress. It involves engaging in activities or techniques that promote relaxation and provide a sense of security and well-being.

We all have one - the demanding, critical and usually negative inner voice that judges our thoughts, actions and even emotions. Usually, it sounds something like, “How could you do something like that”, or “You shouldn’t…” or even “What’s wrong with you”. Even though we all have negative internal self-talk, the intensity and frequency with which we talk to ourselves in that manner differs from person to person.

You have come to the conclusion that couples counselling may be beneficial for your relationship, but when you asked your partner, they pretty much refused. They may say things like, “We don’t need therapy.” “Things are not as bad as you think” or “We can figure this out ourselves.” What now?

You’ve probably heard the question, “What do you do for self-care?” at least once before. That’s no surprise, as “self-care” has become somewhat of a buzzword in the last few years. Lately, you may have also heard self-care being discussed in connection to selfishness, or maybe you even thought about it that way yourself. In some way, the connection seems obvious, as taking care of oneself often means putting others’ needs on pause. However, the missing piece here is that self-care is about replenishing and recharging our resources without depleting someone else’s.

Starting therapy can be a positive step towards improving your mental health and well-being. However, it really can be such a daunting and overwhelming process, especially if it’s your first time trying it out. Let’s explore some helpful steps you can take to make the process a little easier.