It’s okay if your life doesn't fit like it used to, or your relationships aren’t the same. This is a sign of change and growth as a person. There’s a quiet moment that can happen in life—sometimes subtle, sometimes unmistakable—when a relationship starts to feel different. Conversations don’t flow the same way. Shared interests shift. The ease you once relied on feels a little harder to find. Often, this isn’t about something going wrong, it’s about something changing and mor

Written by Olivia Smith, MA, CCC, RP(Q), ND If you’ve ever thought “Why do I always end up here?” in your relationships, you’re not alone. Many people assume they’re simply bad at relationships or haven’t met the right person yet. Often, what’s actually happening is something much more understandable—and in some cases more flexible. Enter: Attachment Styles. Attachment theory helps explain how we connect, protect ourselves, and respond when relationships feel emotionally cha

When people talk about relationships, the focus is often on red flags—what to avoid, what to run from, what not to tolerate. We also talk about the dreaded ‘ick’, something random, small, usually unreasonable that can turn off a potential partner based on their personal preference. While that can be helpful, it can also leave us feeling hypervigilant, guarded, judged or unsure how to recognize what’s actually good and what we feel is acceptable. Let’s talk about the real gree

A writer named Ross MacCammon developed a basic thought experiment that is now known as the ‘Two Beers and a Puppy Test’ from his book Works Well with Others. Based on asking yourself two questions this supposedly can help you determine how you actually feel about someone. First you need to pick a person in your life, it can be anyone. Then ask yourself, “Would I have two beers with this person?” And: “Would I allow this person to look after my puppy over a weekend?” Some peo

Believe it or not, who you hangout and even just speak with may say more about you then you realize. Social circles significantly impact our health and wellbeing by influencing our habits & interests, providing emotional support, and affecting our physical and mental health. But this doesn’t just apply to our friends, this also includes our acquaintances, family members, colleagues and pretty much anyone else we socialize with. To totally understand how all of these people im

We all have the image of what we think couples counselling is and who it’s for. It’s obviously for the couple who’s marriage is going down the tubes, who fight all the time, or worse don’t even speak to each other. This is a more classic view of couples counselling. Each couple is so unique and has so many layers together and as individuals that couples counselling is and can be so much more! As a therapist and a couples counsellor I want to say that it’s for everyone. I pers

Pets are the best! Currently about 58% of Canadian households have at least one pet- and the numbers continue to rise. For years the correlation between pets and having positive mental health impacts has been undeniable. So much so that animals have been included in multiple forms of therapy such as equine therapy and stress reduction therapies. Animal therapies show the best results when paired with a comprehensive treatment plan. However, pets do not have to be certified th

Each New Year’s it seems that many people are filled with hope, excitement and anticipation for the year ahead. Frequently our goal is to become the best versions of ourselves. Therefore the gyms fill up, we pick up new hobbies or try to set better boundaries, but doing all this overnight is hard. That’s why it is suspected that 70% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions and the average resolution only lasts for about 4.7 months. However, resolutions are a form o

I regularly see clients who are frustrated and dissatisfied with internet dating with a particularly massive surge in the dating app industry during the 2020 pandemic. So what exactly is the deal with dating apps and why do so many people use them when we don't even like them? Swipe right culture Tinder is one of the most widely used dating apps in the world with around 75 million active users (Freire, Rema & Novais, 2023). It has also changed the culture of dating for many.

We live in a world where communication is everywhere and it’s instantaneous. But just because we do it all of the time doesn't mean we are good at it or that it’s satisfying. This is one of the most common topics in therapy sessions. As a therapist I hear people say; ‘they don’t listen’, ‘I don’t even know where I would begin the conversation’, ‘we have nothing to talk about anymore’. All of which are valid! The key to communicating effectively begins with you. One of the m