"There is no wall within which a door cannot be built." - Craig D. Lounsbrough It’s been a minute since I have sat down and indulged in some creativity to process the busy-ness of the days and weeks. Life has been feeling as though it is moving quickly and passing by like the speed of … Continue reading Direction through creativity: The passageways of self
Author: authenticgroundcounselling
Stress & Overwhelm: How to prevent Stress from escalating to complete Overwhelm
Stress and Overwhelm are two very common terms that we hear a lot and experience. How often do you find yourself feeling or telling yourself you are stressed or overwhelmed? I notice myself having thoughts that I am stressed quite often, and when I am overwhelmed, my body and mind are completely depleted! Both terms … Continue reading Stress & Overwhelm: How to prevent Stress from escalating to complete Overwhelm
A poetry tool to shift your mindset and bridge new perspective
Poetry is when emotion has found its thought and the thought has found its words. - Robert Frost Playing with poetry can be a useful tool if you are feeling stuck-in-a-rut, caught in unhelpful thinking patterns, experiencing low moods, or desiring a change in mental or emotional state. Poetry is something new to me but … Continue reading A poetry tool to shift your mindset and bridge new perspective
Looking closer at Wonder: how wonder can transform thinking patterns
Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content. - Helen Keller Have you ever wondered about wonder? I became more intrigued by the depths of Wonder after reading an article by Ross Laird, PhD, RCC titled: Big Problems, Small Wonder. This article … Continue reading Looking closer at Wonder: how wonder can transform thinking patterns
Self-compassion: An entryway to healing emotional pain
“the entry to all-real healing is through self-compassion" - Tara Brach Emotional pain is hard and draining, and it can take a toll on our mental, physical and social wellbeing. When emotional pain worsens it can significantly impact areas of life and how one goes about their days, weeks, or even months. Sometimes we might … Continue reading Self-compassion: An entryway to healing emotional pain
Grounding Techniques and Why they are Beneficial
What is "Grounding?" “Grounding” is a term that is becoming more known, particularly in the field of mental health. And depending who is defining it, the definition may have some variations. For the purpose of this post, I’ll be referring to “grounding” as having present awareness by connecting our internal and external worlds through physically … Continue reading Grounding Techniques and Why they are Beneficial
A creative path toward deeper insight
I recently got back from a trip from Ucluelet and Tofino on Vancouver Island. Beautiful little towns filled with lots of nature and beaches. My partner and I did a lot of exploring, hiking, and chasing the incredible sunsets from high up lookout points. But something stayed with me that seemed rather insignificant at the … Continue reading A creative path toward deeper insight
Bullet Journal Morning Routine
I have hit a point in my day-to-day routine where I realize that my routine is not working for me anymore. In the last 14 months or so (while still living in a world battling COVID-19) I have gotten used to a new day-to-day routine from staying home more. Now that we are in the … Continue reading Bullet Journal Morning Routine
Cannabis Use in Adolescence: Effects on Memory and Attention
Cannabis, which is commonly known as marijuana, or one of its variety of street names has become legal in several places for adults (typically 19yrs +) for non-medical purposes. This has created an upsurge in research in the drug, particularly on the effects of cannabis on the under-developed brain - an adolescent brain. Like every … Continue reading Cannabis Use in Adolescence: Effects on Memory and Attention
Foghorn Metaphor to Help Cope with Depression
One of the major devastations of depression is the overpowering feeling of emptiness. Depression makes us experience a lot of uncomfortable and painful emotions making one feel stuck, engrossed in darkness, and with no desires to do anything. Depression is insidious; it sucks away interests and pleasures like the job that you worked hard at … Continue reading Foghorn Metaphor to Help Cope with Depression
5 Perks to Thrift Shopping
Ever since my early 20’s, I started to dread going shopping, particularly for clothes. It seemed to get harder for me to find pieces that I wanted to buy and bring home. In 2019, I moved to a new area in the suburbs and found that there were a lot of thrift and consignment stores … Continue reading 5 Perks to Thrift Shopping
The Importance of Language When Talking to a Loved One about Substance Use
Language is incredibly powerful - The slightest change in tone or using a particular word over another can make all the difference in how someone will respond back. When it comes to substance use, language is particularly important. There are still too many stereotypes and stigmas dominating substance use that can make it even harder … Continue reading The Importance of Language When Talking to a Loved One about Substance Use
Values: How to Identify Core Values and Use Them to Help Make Decisions
The term “values” did not pop up a lot when I was younger; I didn’t hear that term as much I heard the word “goals.” School was definitely a setting where “goals” came up a lot as well as learning how to set and achieve them. However, goals and values have their differences but both … Continue reading Values: How to Identify Core Values and Use Them to Help Make Decisions
A Therapeutic & Sustainable Closet Clean Out
In the last year and a half, my closet has accumulated far too many items! Part of the reason is because I have really come to love thrift shopping. We all know that you can get some great treasures at a thrift or consignment shop for a great price and so the result has been, … Continue reading A Therapeutic & Sustainable Closet Clean Out
My Teenager is Using Substances!: The Role of Relationship
What do parents do if their child/youth is using or engaging in substances? Unfortunately there is no one right answer to this question because every parent-child relationship is different. But there is one important factor that any type of parenting needs in order for parents to maintain some influence in their teen’s life – a … Continue reading My Teenager is Using Substances!: The Role of Relationship
5 Strategies to Gain Control Over Negative Thoughts
"The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it"- Eckart Tolle Thousands of thoughts run through our minds daily, and for many, a lot of these thoughts are negative. The power our minds have to completely influence how we perceive the world is immense. But what is a thought? Thoughts … Continue reading 5 Strategies to Gain Control Over Negative Thoughts
The Bullet Journal Method to Increase Productivity, Mindfulness, and Intention
At the end of 2019, I stumbled across a journaling method that combines journaling, productivity and mindfulness. As I became more interested in bullet journaling, I found myself caught in the vortex of YouTube, watching endless amounts of videos on what it’s all about and how others create their personalized bullet journal. Origins of the … Continue reading The Bullet Journal Method to Increase Productivity, Mindfulness, and Intention
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Key Points About this Popular Therapeutic Approach
Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most well-known therapeutic approaches to help treat various mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and substance use. Since the establishment in the 1960’s by psychiatrist Dr. Aaron Beck, there is now an abundance of information about this approach – maybe too much that … Continue reading Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Key Points About this Popular Therapeutic Approach
