Picture this: Four children are lying on the dock and happily playing looking at the minnows. They are chatting a bit back and forth, adding sound effects as the little fishies swim back and forth in the water. All of a sudden, one child looks up and notices something: “Hey guys, l like sand. Let’s …
Inside Out’s Flaw: Male Vulnerability is really real
Therapist Heather Pringle writes… Are men allowed to feel sad feelings and let others know they are sad? What if we lived in a world that allowed men to express that sadness to each other in ways that helped them each feel less alone? In one scene of the movie Inside Out, we get to see …
On Being Loved: both in spite of and because of ourselves
Love is a burning thing. I really think ol’ Johnny Cash was on to something there. When I work with folks and we talk about love, I often mention how good love is–you know, the kind that leaves us feeling full up and just good right down to our toes, that kind of love is …
Imperfections: Glue for Grace
(Ok…fair warning. I’m getting married real soon. I get that he and I are in an idealized moony-eyed phase where we are understanding and accommodating. I get that there will be days when it won’t always be this easy, or that automatic. But I’m also determined to hold onto the beauty of what is. I’ve …
Bystander to Hero
Years ago, during grad school, I was flying back to California to study after a visit home. I and the other passengers were sitting in the airplane while it was waiting on the tarmac. As we sat quietly waiting to taxi to the runway, soft wisps of smoke began to emerge from the ventilation system. …
Altered Memories or Lying?
When I was in Grade 2, we moved from a house that I loved and a neighbourhood I felt safe in–I loved my school, enjoyed my school, had great friends down the street, loved the beautiful elm trees arching over the street, and loved playing on the stone steps of the grand church nearby. I …
FAQ’s about Apologizing
The first of a series on apologies and forgiveness… Even when it is totally obvious that s/he has messed up, my mother/husband/friend/child has huge trouble apologizing. It drives me crazy. Why is it so hard to apologize? Apologizing is hard. Absolutely. Apologizing takes courage, because it puts a person in a vulnerable space to apologize. …
Tis the Season for Shopping
I took two afternoons off from work last week, playing hooky to go the malls to shop for Christmas presents. I thought I’d do it during the day when malls were a little emptier, and I’d dedicate the time to wandering around, being open to ideas I hadn’t thought of, and making purchases to check …
Prioritizing the Important over the Urgent
Boiling water for tea is a good thing, except when it’s too much. And when it’s too much, it’s not a good thing, because it’s too much. Let me explain. At our office, we don’t use the harsh overhead flourescent lights in the counselling rooms. My thinking is that uncovering and exposing parts of oneself …
Self-compassion–A lived experience
I’m still chuckling at myself for what happened before I learned self compassion. Sometimes, the most powerful lessons aren’t learned at the course, but in the course of life. I registered for the workshop hosted by the Compassion Project, Klinik, and the Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Resource Center that featured Dr. Kristin Neff that …