Whether we like it or not, we're all therapists. We provide support and intervention to our friends, family, co-workers, those we interact with each day. If we teach, we provide counsel to students. Bartenders and hair stylists have played a critical role in the field since the beginning of time. Wanted or not, we're all therapists.

Parenting and the Pause is about breaking the reactionary cycle of stress caused by living in times of crisis. While we are wired-up to manage short stretches of stress and strain, a year plus into a pandemic we see parents are in need of new coping strategies and the pause is just that.

Walk Therapy provides the necessary boosts of sunshine (Vitamin D) and endorphins while releasing stress and resetting mindset during counselling sessions. While the idea isn't new, it's certainly growing in popularity and Canadian Family Health Counselling has been known as the "Walk Therapy" Counselling Practice since 1997.

It's time we normalize therapy. I live in the land of people creating meaningful change, on the daily. But as I speak with new couples seeking help, I realize there is still a stigma attached. Somehow, in some way, many couples feel as though they've failed.

In recent years, we've seen a shift. We know that anxiety and depression continue to rise and parenting a teenager can provoke a lot of fear.

When is being quiet, sullen or withdrawn a sign of something more sinister at play? When is attitude just the right amount of growing up, and obstinate behaviour a warning sign?

Canadian Family Health Collective is located at 155 Hunter Street East in East City Peterborough ON. We provide counselling in Peterborough and beyond in our online services and work with kids, teens and adults.

Our March Emotional Health Matters - Spring Cleaning, for Your Brain

We are heading into the dark days of winter in Canada and while the days grow shorter, our energies dip.   Why? For many, it’s from dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD contributes to an increase or beginning of depression, anxiety, and more symptoms. Some quick tips and tricks for beating the winter blues include:

Well, the dark days of winter have descended upon us…

It is my firm contention that everyone who lives in Canada suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

For people who are high-energy types, the slowing down into a winter’s pace may feel rather refreshing.  For those who suffer from a lack of energy, winter’s approach may feel like a life sentence in a cold prison. 

We live an absurdly paced life and overtime we have learned to tolerate buzzing, beeping, ringing, honking, siren’s flaring, flashing lights and so on… But this does not mean our tolerance should be mistaken for acceptance. 

To increase energy levels and elevate mood, take an inventory of your mental diet.  Don’t make changes just yet.  Compile a list on your phone or weekly calendar, some place that you have with you regularly. 

In the late 70s, ADHD hadn’t been invented yet.  Or, at least, it wasn’t known to the educational powers that “be” in my grade 5 classroom in London, Ontario.  I sat in a “quad” room.  Essentially, a gymnasium divided by half-moon walls that allowed for bucket loads of noise to slip easily under and above the barrier.  Four teachers spoke to four full classrooms.  Pencil sharpeners ground steadily from the four corners of the gym. 

We’ve most all heard of the Flight or Fight response.  I think freeze is due notable mention as well.  But these responses are built-in from our Caveman days and they are necessary for keeping us physically safe from harm.  In the time that saber-toothed tigers roamed our backyards, this “Old Brain”, also known as the “Amygdala” or “Reptilian Brain”, was the one in charge. 

In 1997, we didn't know so much about the brain. We imagined there were only so many brain cells at birth that died off one by one until the show was over. The conversation about mental health was just beginning to take shape outside of psychiatric interventions. We were learning to talk about feelings. Out loud. Real out loud feelings.

We'd like to share with you a game we play called Mood Tag.  Did you know moods are contagious?  They are.  They really really are.

Above is a little video called Mood Tag with some pictures of our projects in school. We’ve adapted the exercise for home and you can choose either the Black and White or Colour PDF below to print and try the game at home. 

Hi there. My name is Kim Sargent and I’m the Clinical Director of Canadian Family Health Counselling and Co-Founder of Grow Happy®.

I'm passionate about mental health care and believe it to be the primary foundation for both a healthy body and a healthy planet.  

Fun Ideas For the Whole Family!

It’s crunch-time for many students right now, with the semester halfway over and exams on the horizon.  This is for you, and anyone else who might be struggling with anxiety. 

Anxiety disorders have reached epidemic proportions.  Why?

Compromise is an effective tool for the first number of months in any relationship, when you are both busy pouring appreciation over one another like sunshine and rainbows.  “Yes dear, I want for you to have all your every desire at any expense.”

Christmas isn’t a joyful holiday for everyone. One of our Standard Emotional Health Practitioners, Rachel Allison sat down with Tricia Mason to discuss some tips on how to make the holidays a little easier.