Mindful Path Professional Counselling Services

05/24/2024

!!!ATTENTION MEN OF THE KOOTENAYS!!

Over the past year I've been working hard on creating a comprehensive approach to wellness, specifically designed for men.

In case you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, it's no secret that masculinity has been slowly weeded out of our society, along with traditional family values, morals, and free speech.

I believe the only way we can make an impact in society is by changing the narrative through exemplifying what it means to be a man. This needs to start with the individual.

Every one of us has flaws or areas we can improve in, and by choosing to self improve, everyone in our lives will be positively impacted by this change.

I've compiled all my knowledge through my various modalities of academic training and lived experiences into an easy to follow 28 day program.

Each day focuses on a specific area of wellness, and forces us to become aware of potential areas we may be lacking.

Once a week we will meet in person as a group to discuss what we learned, I'll answer questions, have a brief overview of the following weeks work, and general discussion of whatever else.

I would like to have 10 people join for the initial trial of the program so I can get valuable feedback and make changes if necessary.

The first 10 people who sign up will be given a special rate, and lifetime discount on future *membership and/or **programs.

* Future ideal plans will be to have a permanent commercial space for the brotherhood, and operate in a manner as other clubs do.

** Future programs would be things such as focusing more in depth on specific areas of wellness, etc.

🌟 Welcome to M.E.N.: Empowering Your Wellness Journey! 🌟

Embark on a transformative path with us as we guide you towards holistic health and vitality. At M.E.N., our mission is simple yet profound: to empower individuals like you on your wellness journey through a comprehensive approach that encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of well-being.

👉 **Comprehensive Approach**: We believe in fostering a harmonious balance in all aspects of your life because true vitality emerges from their interplay. From stress management to focus enhancement, emotional well-being to physical fitness, we've got you covered.

👨‍👨‍👦 **Brotherhood of Men**: Join a supportive community of men from all walks of life, united in the mutual goal of self-improvement. No guru or almighty leader here; we're all our own gurus, sharing advice through personal experiences and wisdom.

🧠 **Mindfulness & Resilience**: Discover the power of mindfulness and resilience as we guide you in stress management, focus enhancement, and emotional well-being. Gain the tools necessary to tackle life's challenges with grace and strength.

💪 **Physical Fitness**: Elevate your energy levels, prevent health issues, and improve overall fitness through a diverse range of activities. We understand that the synergy between mental and physical strength is crucial for commanding respect.

🤝 **Social Connections**: Nurture meaningful relationships and create a sense of belonging through our community-focused activities. Because we know that social connections are vital for your overall well-being.

📚 **Cognitive Fitness**: Stimulate mental agility and embrace lifelong learning to keep your mind sharp and agile. After all, we acknowledge our innate tribal nature and advocate for cognitive fitness as part of your wellness journey.

🌿 **Healthy Lifestyle Choices**: Evaluate and modify daily habits, diet, and sleep patterns for long-term success. We're here to support you in making healthy lifestyle choices that will enhance your well-being.

🙏 **Spiritual Well-being**: Dedicate time for rest, reflection, and rejuvenation because we understand the significance of your inner life. Embrace your spiritual well-being as an integral part of your holistic health journey.

Join us at M.E.N. and become part of a brotherhood committed to uplifting each other on the path to wellness. Together, we celebrate progress, foster a positive mindset, and empower each other to lead fulfilling lives. Your journey to holistic health and vitality starts here. Are you ready to take the first step? 🚀

If any of this sounds like it could benefit you, please visit www.brettandrewslcc.com and complete the FREE wellness evaluation form

03/01/2022

*Self Expansion in a Romantic Relationship*

Thanks to the almighty Google algorithm, I was recommended this post which delves into the concept of Self Expansion; particularly how it develops within a romantic long term relationship.

I highly recommend you read the linked article to get the full concept, but to break it down as simple as possible: Essentially, in a healthy romantic relationship, by having a genuine interest in your partners interests,passions, skills etc. Not only will you gain a stronger connection in many different facets, but it will also enhance your growth as an individual.

A relationship that fosters self-expansion will make you want to be a better person, increase your knowledge, and broaden your perspectives.

04/29/2021

Nothing like joking at Freud's expense to get Psyched for the day😅

04/26/2021

** Why Combining Individual and Couples Therapy is A Bad Idea**
In case you are unaware of my focus as a Counsellor, I am training to specialize in Intimacy in Relationships, so this topic is something which I have studied in depth.

In 90% of cases, seeing a therapist as individuals and as a couple is a horrible idea. If one or more parties involved in the couples counselling also need individual counselling, it is in the best interest of the clients and counsellor, to refer each of them to different trusted professionals. Combined treatment ( in which the therapist sees both the couple and them as individuals) is very likely to compromise the ability of the counsellor to remain neutral, implies favoritism towards one of the clients over the other, and enacts a multitude of transference and countertransference problems. Basically, this combination can lead to the counsellor actually causing more harm than good, and in many cases, can lead to destruction of the relationship. Even for myself, I take pride in my ability to remain neutral when hearing each persons side of the story, however, I still feel it would be of greater benefit to everyone for me to refer each client to different therapists.

The other factor which you need to be very cautious of is the Counsellors/Therapists credentials. Anyone can legally call themselves a Counsellor, Couples Therapist, Family Therapist, etc. However, this also means they could potentially have absolutely ZERO academic training or credentials. Generally the easiest way to figure this out is to look for abbreviations after their name to see if they have credentials (MD, PhD,BsC, NCC) just to list a few. If you're getting couples counselling from someone who has no academic training, you're putting your relationship in the hands of someone who really has no right to be counselling you. Ultimately this could lead to some major damage to one partner being singled out and cast all the blame, thus leading to negative feelings towards their partner and likely the counsellor.

I'm a firm believer in doing your research before you choose a couples counsellor or family therapist. Google them to look for reviews, or ask around and see if anyone else has used their services before. You also have the right to ask them what training and education they have, and they must legally provide it to you. If they refuse to do so, then they likely have none or minimal training at best. For example, I will not name drop this "professional", but there is a female therapist in my area who does Combined Therapy and it never turns out good. She has destroyed many relationships which could've been saved. Not only am I speaking this from past personal experience, but I have also heard this from a number of people throughout the years. But I will not say more as it would reveal who it is.

In summary, avoid Combined Counselling at all costs. It's bad practice as a professional and it is near impossible for bias to not occur. It also usually ends up with one partner getting majority of the blame and the other ends up not having to accept their role in coming to therapy. Finally, do your research before choosing one, and don't get just one opinion, get a few so you can get enough data to conclude if they are good or not.
** If you have anymore questions about this topic or anything else related to Counselling, feel free to message me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

04/23/2021

**EXERCISE FOR MENTAL HEALTH**

Hey everyone! Long time no post😅 Truth be told, life was a little rough financially for me, thus I had to cut back expenses wherever I could. Unfortunately one of those expenses was my gym pass😒

Up until this past Sunday, I had not been in the gym for about 2 months. Sure I have been doing some boxing conditioning training with my friend Tim, but it just wasn't the same as the gym. Bodybuilding has been a part of my life ever since 12yrs of age, and it has been the one thing which has always helped me get through the darkest and self destructive points along my life.

So I wanted to give one major piece of advice for maintaining strong mental health and resilience during these times of social drought: Don't cancel your favorite form of exercise activity!

Do whatever it takes to keep up those healthy activities! Don't cancel your gym pass or yoga or whatever it may be, unless its absolutely necessary! Find other ways to cut out costs and figure out how to keep up your membership!

It's only been a week since I've been back in the gym, but I feel a million times better already💪 Sure there's an aesthetic component to it which I do it for, but the biggest reason is that it's my outlet for stress. It's the one thing I've got where I'm in total control and hyperfocused; in the zone and in my own world.

**The article I've linked is from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. It's a brief abstract of a bigger journal article, but it gives a straight to the point overview of the many mental health benefits which exercise can provide. So if you're not well versed in the many benefits, I highly suggest you check it out, as it is a quick read👍

National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA

03/15/2021

**VISION BOARD**
The power of thought is truly incredible, and one of the best ways to use that power is through something called a Vision Board.

A Vision Board is a visual representation of goals which you intend to manifest in your life. It can be small goals such as drinking more water everyday, or grandiose ideas such as making a 6 figure income in 10 years.

Personally, I find the best way to approach it is from a combination of 1 year, 3 year and 5 year goals. You can add in a 10 year goal if you really like, but I find the best ways to manifest success is to work on smaller more achievable goals; which eventually will lead into the larger goals.

Now you can do it 1 of 2 ways. The traditional way is to look through magazines and cut out pictures which represent goals you want to achieve. The modern approach is to use software to compile images from the internet (personally, the modern approach is the easiest and most efficient).

Secondly, try to limit yourself to the amount of pictures you put on your Vision Board. Somewhere between 6 to 15 max. If you put a ridiculous amount of pictures on your board, all it's going to do is overwhelm your brain when you look at it and make it hard to find the path to success.

Lastly, you'll want to put your Vision Board somewhere which will allow you to see it most often throughout the day. If you put this thing down some hallway you rarely go down, it is going to be pointless.

I've attached a really excellent video tutorial from Clark Kelgy who's channel is all about goal setting, visualization and breaking down spirituality techniques which you can apply to your daily life. I highly recommend watching it so you can get started on your own Vision Board!

Here's a fun one! It's time to update your crusty vision board (it's okay if it's currently collecting some dust) and make a digital vision board the RIGHT w...

03/04/2021

**The Psychology of B**M**
When the abbreviation B**M is mentioned, much of society will immediately think of someone in a gimp suit or Fifty Shades of Grey (which btw is highly inaccurate and a toxic view of what people into B**M are like...don't be like Grey, he is a psychopath😬)

However, Bo***ge & Discipline / Domination & Submission / Sa**sm & Masochism (B**M) is so much more varied than the one note portrayl society commonly thinks of.

This article I linked actually goes into the Psychology behind B**M and those who practice it, and you may be surprised to learn that those who practice it, compared to the normative groups actually had lower levels of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological sa**sm, psychological masochism, borderline pathology, and paranoia.

Results also showed that in comparison to non-practitioners, B**M practitioners exhibited higher levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and subjective well-being. Practitioners also showed lower levels of neuroticism and rejection sensitivity.

So check out this highly interesting article of research in the Psychology of B**M.

Maybe a blindfold and some handcuffs are just what your relationship is missing 😏👌

Who does it, what do they do, and how does it affect them?

02/26/2021

*Why Encouraging Affirmations Are Crucial in Relationships*

When we first enter into a relationship, we are frequently telling our partners encouraging statements to remind them of their importance to use. Over time however, we can sometimes unknowingly take it for granted and stop with these reminders.

Giving encouraging affirmations not only helps strengthen our relationship, but it also feels good to both receive it and say it.

Sure we may know our partner finds us attractive, but it has so much more impact when they remind us of their attraction.

Take a look at the link I've attached at the many benefits of encouraging affirmations👍

Encouraging affirmations are a powerful way to express love in a relationship. And an underutilised tool for creating happy, fulfilling relationships.

02/25/2021

*Attachment Styles*
Do you know your attachment style?
One of the four is healthy while the other 3 aren't so much.

Now don't get discouraged if you find yourself in any of the 3 less healthy ones. You aren't defined by your attachment style, but it does help create awareness of where you need to change in order to get yourself into a Secure state.

This chart is a brief overview of the 4 Attchment Styles and helps you recognize where you fall into.

So give it a glance and it could help you recognize where you need to improve 👍

02/23/2021

**Self Care**
It's very easy for us to get lost in our lives. Whether that be becoming too involved in work or focused too much in schooling.

I myself am guilty of letting things fall to the wayside because I am so focused on other elements of my life, that it's good to have a reminder of the necessity for Self Care.

Take a look at this chart and ask yourself "Am I meeting my Self Care needs?"

If you know something is lagging behind, take some time to plan out how you will integrate it back into your life, in order to find the balance you need for an optimal life!

02/22/2021

*5 Love Languages*
Firstly, if you've never read the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, you're really missing out.

The 5 love languages is all based upon the idea that we all have different ways we like to receive love. For some it's physical, while others are more about gifts.

Understanding your love language and your partners can absolutely strengthen your relationship by knowing exactly how your partner wants to recieve love, and also how they can best give love to you.

Click the link in this post to see what your Love Language is and enhance your relationship today!

Take The 5 Love Languages® quiz today!