Higher Ground Counselling & Wellness

03/03/2025

Hi Everyone! 👋🏻 Let’s do a quick Monday check-in with ourselves. How are you feeling today? I mean, how are you REALLY feeling?!

Take a moment to pause, breathe, and reflect.✨ Are you feeling overwhelmed? Stressed? Calm? What thoughts are you aware of? What do you feel in your body?

It’s ok not to be ok. You’re not alone. 🫶🏻 Life can be chaotic and unpredictable. It’s important to check-in with yourself regularly - as doing so can help avoid things like anxiety and burnout, and remind us of when we need to set boundaries or take time for self care. 🤍

Pick an emoji to share how your feeling today in the comments:

♥️: I’m doing really great!
🧡: I’m doing pretty good.
💛: I’m doing ok, I guess.
💚: I’m starting to struggle.
💙: I’m having a hard time.
💜: I need to reach out for support.

Things to consider:
1) have you given yourself time to rest and recharge?
2) are you being kind to yourself?
3) is there someone you can talk to when you need support?
4) what’s one small thing you can do for yourself today to help either maintain or improve your mood?

Taking care of your mental health is JUST as important as taking care of your physical health🌻 🌈

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A gentle reminder that this account is not monitored regularly. If you are in crisis please go to your local hospital ER or contact one of the following 24/7 crisis support services:

✨Calgary Distress Centre: (403) 266-4357
✨Alberta Mental Health Crisis Line:
1-877-303-2642
✨Canada Su***de Prevention Line: 1-833-456-4566

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04/11/2022

A small way to give back to a beautiful community that is close to my heart. 🇨🇦💜

To all the military children who have reached out to me over the years, and my friends and clients that fall into this category - thank YOU for your service.

* Any clients who grew up as military children that see me in my practice will not be charged for their session(s) throughout the month of April. ✌🏻

04/11/2022

April is the month of the military child! A time to reflect on and honor the bravery, strength, resiliency, and adaptability of this amazing group of people.

“The official flower of the military child is the dandelion. Why? The plant pits down roots almost anywhere, and it’s almost impossible to destroy. It’s an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It’s a survivor in a broad range of climates. Military children bloom anywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely. They’re ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new afventures, new lands, and new friends.” ~ Unknown Author.

03/17/2022

Happy Regimental Day to all my P.P.C.L.I followers!

For those that may not know, Regimental Day is in honour of the Regiment’s first Colonel-in-Chief and the Regiment’s namesake - Princess Patricia of Connaught - who was born March 17, 1886.

VP 🇨🇦

01/26/2022

An interesting article discussing some similarities and differences between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Complex PTSD.

In my clinical experience, BPD often presents as a complex response to trauma - specifically neglect, abuse, and other adverse experiences in childhood.

BPD is typically highly stigmatized. Unpopular opinion: I am not a fan of the DSM or diagnoses more generally 🤷🏻‍♀️ I often wonder whether changing the way we think and talk about BPD - as being specifically related to trauma or a protective response - rather than as a “personality disorder” would help alleviate some of the stigma and associated harm that comes with the diagnosis. Thinking about the condition in terms of its underlying cause would also help us to refocus towards treating the cause rather than just the symptoms!

I think diagnoses can be helpful and the start of a healing journey for some, or they can be extraordinarily limiting. The language we use matters, folks! Perhaps a topic for another post!

🌻

Exploring the similarities and differences.

01/18/2022

✨Empathy requires understanding.

✨Understanding requires listening.

✨Listening requires our time, patience,
and presence.

🤍

The concept of an “empathic witness” is a powerful one. It is a reminder that when someone comes to us in moments of emotion, we have an active role in how that individual will experience their world.

🤍

Trauma is not the result of an event or experience itself. We know this because two people can have the exact same experience and manage very differently. This is, in part, due to the presence or absence of various protective factors - and as Dr. Levine reminds us, WE can be a protective factor.

🤍

Trauma ➡️ stress response

Empathy ➡️ helps to regulate and stop stress response ➡️ protective factor

🤍

Empathy - leaning in to an individual in an attempt to understand their feelings and experiences from their perspective. This allows someone to feel safe in their body as they experience their emotions. It demonstrates in a meaningful way that they matter just as they are - their big emotions, negative thoughts and behaviours, fear and hurt. It demonstrates that their story matters.

🤍

We can all be the difference in someone’s world if we show up and intentionally hold space for others - meeting them exactly where they are.

01/11/2022

Anxiety about anxiety. ✨

It’s a vicious cycle that keeps us feeling stuck. Imagine, for example, being at a social function and feeling insecure or shy. This feeling would trigger a physiological response such as increased heart rate, blushing, or increased sweating. You would presumably become aware of this physiological response and have a subsequent thought about it - “Oh no. Everyone can see me blushing - I must look like a fool.”

This negative thought can lead to more physiological symptoms which in turn may result in behavior like stuttering or mumbling your words - causing more negative thoughts, and so on.

So, how do we get out of this cycle? 🤷🏻‍♀️

First, it’s important to recognize that anxiety is not an emotion! Anxiety is there to tell us that one of our emotions is running on high (spoiler alert - it’s usually fear!😅) It’s a natural part of our human condition that occurs when we feel we cannot cope with a future situation that we think will be negative.

Once you recognize the underlying emotion (fear) it starts to take the power away from your anxiety. You can choose to confront feared situations little by little in a structured and repetitive manner (gradual exposure). This will lead to an improved sense of confidence, which will help reduce your anxiety and allow you to go into situations that are important to you.

We can never be completely rid of our anxiety (unless we take out or completely rewire our brains 🧠) - but exposure is one of many methods that can help get us unstuck.

💜

01/09/2022

Hi friends! ✨

I am so happy to have you here! I thought I would take a minute to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about Higher Ground Counselling & Wellness. 🏔

My name is Dr. Jennifer Primmer and I am the owner and sole operator of Higher Ground Counselling & Wellness! I am a trauma-informed Counselling Therapist probably best known for my work with trauma, PTSD, complex trauma/CPTSD, anxiety, attachment-based trauma, alexithymia, and relationship issues. I provide therapy to adult members of the general public, first responders, and Correctional Officers. I also routinely work with other healthcare providers, including other Counsellors, Social Workers, and Nurses!

I prioritize creating an environment of safety and acceptance where every part of my client - every emotion, fear, reaction, and question is welcome, valid, and worth exploring with care and compassion. I offer a gentleness that creates safety and connection while also challenging, supporting, and empowering clients to engage with their fears and/or trauma in meaningful ways that promote healing and growth.

The name Higher Ground was inspired by my roots as a military brat! 🇨🇦 Higher Ground is always the place to go when seeking safety. It also provides a new/vast perspective that allows us to see all the working parts of a greater whole.

It is when we see and understand these working parts that we experience true healing and growth!

Thank you for being here!
Jennifer 🌻

01/09/2022

Hi there! 👋🏻

Welcome to Higher Ground Counselling & Wellness - a trauma-informed clinic dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for you to reach your therapeutic goals.

Thank-you for following along! I’m excited for much more to come! 🏔✨