Fresh Hope Counselling

04/17/2026

Ever felt like you're not enough or not good enough? Beth Murray explores this in our newest blog post.

Explore why hope is essential during feelings of inadequacy. Discover support and encouragement at Fresh Hope Counselling.

04/16/2026

Struggling with your relationship with food? The most effective treatment is working with a therapist and dietitian who specialize in disordered eating.

04/13/2026

Darby Ryde is now an Associate Professional Counsellor with Fresh Hope Counselling. You may recognize Darby from the office as she has worked as an administrative staff person while completing her Master's of Counselling degree. Darby will be seeing clients through the South Side office. She is experienced in working with children, teens, and adults, including those with disabilities. Darby has a welcoming spirit and easily builds rapport with her clients. Clink on the link to read her bio and find out if Darby is a good fit for you, or someone you know! https://freshhope.ca/edmonton-counselors/

04/02/2026

Our nervous systems have become more unregulated/dysregulated in our present society due to instant gratification, social media/devices, short snippets, and anxiety provoking practices. Here are a few ways to reset and regulate your nervous system.

1. Breath work – breathing is a built-in mechanism for relieving stress. Deep breathing practices signal safety to the brain and help the body and mind to calm down.
2. Get Outside – Connecting with nature has the ability to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, and improve mood. Even just a few minutes outside can start to shift your nervous system.
3. Moderate Movement – Stress and tension pile up in our bodies. Physical movement reduces cortisol levels and promotes the release of the body's 'feel good' hormones, the endorphins. Gentle movement and moderate activity is helpful -- excessive exercise has a counter-effect that is not positive.
4. Social Connection – We are wired for connection as humans. Spending time around people who are calm and supportive can help regulate our nervous system. Reach out to people who make you feel safe.
5. Slow Down – When everything demands our attention and feels urgent, we need to intentionally slow down. Slowing our pace signals to the brain that we are not in immediate danger.

03/27/2026

Do you know what really warms my heart? Is hearing from clients a year later about how one of our awesome Therapists (and our Fresh Hope admins) made a huge and lasting difference to their healing journey. Go Fresh Hope Team -- you truly fill my heart up with joy.

03/26/2026

Just a reminder that session times are now available to book with Luke Withers, our Counselling Intern. Sessions are available starting April 1st. We are so pleased to have Luke join us and bring his insights, warmth and experience to Fresh Hope Counselling. As a low-cost counselling option, sessions are available at $75.00 per session (one hour). If you or anyone you know is in search of low-cost counselling, book in a session with Luke. Free 15 minute consultations are also available to see if Luke is a good fit. Check out his full bio at https://freshhope.ca/edmonton-counselors/

03/17/2026

We are overjoyed to have Luke Withers join our Fresh Hope Team, starting at our South Side Office on April 1st.

Luke is in the final practicum stage of completing his Master's of Counselling through City University of Seattle. Prior to that, he finished a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, instilling him with unique knowledge in understanding mental and physical health.

Luke relates well with all demographics and walks of life, his experience makes him excellent in working with children, youth, young adults, and athletes. He is also passionate about supporting couples and families to find connection and restoration. Luke’s skillset is specialized in issues of anxiety, depression, overthinking, negative self-talk, relational conflict, burnout, and anger management.

Luke comes from a practical standpoint, implementing a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and solution-focussed (SFBT) approach to counselling. Luke is committed to holistic well-being, and collaborating with you to create an anchored life. He is a gifted Christian therapist who is willing to incorporate faith-based counselling at your request. His sessions will leave you with greater clarity, confidence, and emotional regulation as you journey through life.

Faith, family, and sports are very important to Luke. You can find him on the pickleball courts or out enjoying nature at the lake. Rumour has it that Luke has never lost a game of cribbage.

As our Counselling Intern, we are able to offer low-cost counselling with Luke for $75.00 per hour-long session. If you or someone you know would benefit from counselling with Luke, contact Fresh Hope Counselling as bookings are now available. Call 780-487-3456 or email us at info@freshhope.ca

03/09/2026

This is my office (Beth Murray). I love this cozy space to meet with my clients. Whether we are in-person or online, this is a sacred space to connect. Counselling is an intimate journey, one that I feel greatly privileged to be a part of. Connecting with your therapist -- feeling like they are a good fit for you, like they see you and hear you -- is essential for doing good work in therapy. In fact, the therapeutic alliance is the biggest predictor of success in counselling. If you need a safe place to connect -- all of our offices at Fresh Hope have a similar feel and our Therapists are pretty easy to connect with. We're here for you.

03/02/2026

Gratitude is a practice that I implement in my own life to help me cope with the stressors of life. It helps to center me when the day's demands are difficult. As a Therapist I am navigating other people's emotions, traumas and crises day after day. In order to be a good and effective Therapist, I need to keep short accounts with myself emotionally, do my own processing and practice appropriate self-care. Gratitude grounds me and shifts my focus to the many things in life that I am grateful for. Naming three things that I am grateful for in any given day is a helpful practice; for example today I am grateful for a hot cappuccino, a warm office and that I still have my 94 year old mother in my life. It helps my brain to create gratitude pathways that actually help me to feel better and guard me against negative, unhelpful thought patterns. Try it -- you can thank me later. (From Beth Murray, not CHATgpt or some kind of bot, but a real human Therapist).

02/27/2026

Knowing something doesn't necessarily bring change. Learning new skills doesn't necessarily help. We have to implement the knowledge and skills we are learning. In other words, we have to apply them, dare I say, we have to do the work. All the learning gets us no where if we don't let it change us. Some tips to move the knowledge into practice:
- Notice and increase your awareness. Make a point of reflecting on your day/your life. (Reflect, not ruminate).
- Set reasonable, attainable goals -- along with practical steps to get you there.
- Build a positive self-talk. What are you speaking over and to yourself? Is it helpful and effective?
- Empower new habits. Practice makes progress.
Remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes. We have to do the work and that doesn't mean it will be super hard. It means we have to be intentional and choose something different. We do have the opportunity to shape what we do next or how we respond to it. One choice, one step at a time.

Call now to connect with business.

02/26/2026

It’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and there are some things I’d like you to know!

Eating disorders don’t discriminate. They impact people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes and weights. But humans DO discriminate, and that’s something we can work to change. EVERY BODY BELONGS in this world. We need to work to create an accepting culture where everyone feels safe, loved and welcome.

Every 52 minutes, someone dies as a direct result of an eating disorder. These are serious illnesses.

There is no such thing as “sick enough”. Many people put off life saving treatment because they don’t want to be a burden and don’t believe that they are sick enough to “deserve” help. You do deserve help. Every day. No matter what you’re going through.

An eating disorder is not a behavioral choice; it’s an illness. Telling someone to “just eat” isn’t going to fix this, which is why receiving professional help is the best path towards recovery.

Knowledge is power! Take some time this week to educate yourself and learn more about eating disorders, and arm yourself with resources so that if someone in your life comes to you for help, you can guide them towards professionals and help them take that critical first step towards saving their own life.

At findedhelp.com you can search for treatment providers by zip code and insurance, treatment needed and level of care.

Forever grateful to the for saving my life when I was 18, and all the work they do every day to save lives. Go check out their resources at emilyprogram.com

02/23/2026

Trauma impacts our entire being -- our brain, body, soul and spirit. Whether it's 'big T' or small 't' trauma, we are not unscathed. That is why the continued trainings we take about trauma continue to unlock more and more therapeutic techniques, skills and wisdom that can bring deeper and more complete healing. Sometimes the body carries the trauma more than our conscious mind. We're always learning at Fresh Hope Counselling so that we can become better and better Therapists who can help you find help, healing and freedom.