In Part 1, I explained why I started this crazy adventure of no desserts, sweets, or chocolate…a matter of integrity…if I’m gonna work with clients as they bravely confront their numbing behaviours, I better step up and enter the same arena myself! I was going to treat this sugar-comfort-numbing thing like an addiction. Because I needed wanted …
Grateful for Gratitude
Refreshed and presented again from our archives…some ideas are just worth repeating! If you knew of a strategy that could make your teen 15% more satisfied with their lives, 15% greater sense of meaning in their lives, 17% more happy and hopeful, and have 13% drop in negative emotions as well as 15% drop in …
100 days of no dessert Part 1
There are all sorts of reasons I find enormous value and joy in being a therapist. One of those reasons is the personal enrichment I gain from watching courageous people take risks in talking about areas of their life most people don’t even let themselves think about. I get a front row seat to courageous …
Worrying
The February 17th edition of Maclean’s magazine’s cover story was all about “The new worry epidemic”. In the article, worry is used interchangeably with anxiety, both of which are different than fear. Fear is the “flight/fright/freeze” response that occurs when one is exposed to a threat of some kind…a danger. Fear is in the now. …
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 …
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. …
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 …
Grab a ladder: Empathy vs. Sympathy
Lovin’ this new video from Brené Brown…for a little primer on the difference between empathy and sympathy take a peek! It’s good to know the difference…it’s good to know that empathy enhances connection, and sympathy creates distance. It’s good to have a couple of “good to go” empathic lines, for times when you just don’t …
Leaving footprints
Following 5 full days of learning and experiencing The Daring Way™ program, I had a free day to wander around the river walk today thinking and meandering and watching and gazing and musing and quietly thinking some more. The pathways, waterfalls and beautiful views alongside the water are relaxing and peaceful. After full days of thinking …
Hump Day Nudge: I am Enough
“The drummer boy” has been my favourite Christmas song every since I was a little girl. I grew up with the “Bony M” version, but the Pentatonix is my current fave version (and the new favourite of millions of others, I think, too, judging by the over 19 million views in three weeks or so) …