There are lots of tough jobs out there; I think of the folks who put gas in my van when it’s -45 Celsius (my frozen fingers thank you!), or those who work late and long shifts in hospitals, factories, or riding around in cop cars keeping people safe. I’d also like to think parenting makes the …
January: Marriage make or break it month
I spoke with Eleanor Coopsammy on January 15, 1014 about revitalizing troubled marriages…to use January as a time for saying, “The marriage can’t continue like this. Let’s make it better.” January is known in family law as “Divorce month”. Few people initiate divorce in December…though I understand family law lawyers are often kept busy as …
Hump Day Nudge: Instructions for a Bad Day
Doesn’t everyone have a bad day, at least once in a while? Bookmark this page…have it at the ready to come back to, on one of those days when you’re at the end of your rope, and tying a knot and holding on just seems more than what’s possible. There’s something about his voice, his …
January 24-26 The Daring Way ™ Intensive workshop
This last weekend was a special one for the Bergen and Associates Counselling team. Most of us gathered together to work through The Daring Way ™ material together. The therapists came as human beings, not as clinicians to work through the material. It was, in a word, “wow”. Moments were tough. People were courageous. Vulnerability …
Waiting Room Book now available
Therapist-friends of mine recently asked me to make copies of the book, “Is there still time to run?” available for purchase. To my surprise and utter delight, they loved the gentle, comforting brief words on the pages. validating a client’s courage in attending therapy normalizing apprehension and uncertainty educating them about the process of …
Men making friends
Guys have a lot of fun together. Guys enjoy each other’s company. Guys eat, drink, burp and so much more with each other. But are they friends? A friend is someone you share mutual affection with. A confidant. Intimacy is a part of friendship. In our culture, too often authentic, meaningful friendship has been feminized. …
Preparation is Key to Marital Success
I’ve been reading Chris Hadfield’s book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, the last coupla weeks…love his common sense wisdom, his perseverance, and heck, the whole thing about the inside peek into the life of an astronaut is fascinating for this closet science geek. One theme that comes through loud and clear throughout the …
Human Connection
We are hard wired for connection…we need other people in our lives like we need oxygen. Some time ago, Jian Ghomeshi, the host of Q, interviewed an author, Mazier Bahari, a journalist who was imprisoned in Iran in 2009. There was a line in his interview that has stuck in my brain since…I went online to …
Lessons from a Bathtub Drain
I took a shower today, and with immense satisfaction noted that immediately after I turned the water off, the tub was glisteningly empty. Normally, that’s not something that most people take great pride in. But I have reason to be proud. I have long hair. (These next couple of paragraphs may not be for the …
So low that down is up
I don’t remember where I heard this line, but I heard it a very loooong time ago, and it stuck with me. I’m thinking of it particularly today, being December 21st, the shortest day of the year. I am a sunshine lover, and crave the brightness and the warmth that the sun brings…so the fall …