When I shared my blog in December “It’s Okay to Not Feel Joy This Christmas,” I received an overwhelming response from you all. This showed me just how powerful it is to admit we’re not always okay.

As we welcome a new year, I want to share a quote that has always meant a lot to me and that is taped up to a shelf in our office as a reminder.

As Christmas approaches, I want to take a moment to remind you that it’s okay if you’re not feeling the holiday joy this year. For many of us, the holidays bring up more pain than peace, or at least a mix of emotions. 

Giving to others activates the brain's "reward centre," releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, creating a "helper's high" that boosts happiness. It can also lower stress by reducing cortisol levels and shifting focus away from personal challenges, offering relief from worry.

In 2021, I received a diagnosis that brought a lot of clarity to my life: ADHD. It was a turning point, helping me better understand many of my lifelong experiences, both the challenges and the strengths.

The idea behind these 10 Ways to Be a Safe Person is simple: by adopting these behaviours, we can create a space where the people in our lives feel respected, supported and seen.

As therapists, we are in the business of freedom. Every person who walks through our door carries stories—stories of their past, their present and their future.

As someone who holds a deep respect for first responders and the work they do, I want to speak directly to the challenge of accessing therapy.

In the last year, our practice has seen a dramatic increase in the number of couples who are reaching out for therapy. I think this speaks to many things.