Lisa Koole Counselling

Lisa Koole Counselling Therapist+ Health & Nutrition Counsellor
+ Holistic Nutritionist

04/13/2026

Most people don’t realize how much they’re carrying until they sit down and actually look at the week.

Two long days at work. Family logistics. Unexpected health stuff. Showing up for the people around you. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, a quiet voice that decided you still hadn’t done enough.

That gap, between what you genuinely carried and what you’re willing to count, is exactly where self-blame takes root. And self-blame has a very predictable effect on the nervous system. It creates urgency. A need to feel in control of something. That’s often the moment when fasting, restriction, or “I’m starting over Monday” stops feeling like a choice and starts feeling like the only logical next step.

It can feel like discipline from the inside. It rarely is. It’s usually a system under strain reaching for solid ground.

This isn’t a motivation problem. It’s a capacity problem. And capacity is shaped by everything you’re carrying, not just what’s on your plate.

Before you decide you’ve fallen off, it’s worth asking whether you actually had anything left to give this week. Save this for the next time that question needs answering.

Free 15-minute consultation in bio.

onlinetherapyontario psychotherapy integrativenutrition selfcompassion midlifewellness

03/24/2026

This spring I am offering something a little different.

Walk and talk therapy is a way of doing therapeutic work outdoors, moving side by side rather than sitting across from one another in a room. The pace is gentle and entirely yours. This is not about fitness or how far you walk. It is simply about having a little more space, fresh air, and the quiet support of being in nature while we work together.

Research suggests that rhythmic movement like walking can help regulate the nervous system, making it a little easier to access and process difficult thoughts and feelings. Many people also find it easier to speak honestly when they are not sitting face to face in a clinical setting.

Sessions start from Eramosa Physiotherapy on Gordon Street in Guelph and follow the same structure and care as an indoor appointment.

If you have been curious about therapy but find the idea of a traditional office setting uncomfortable, or if you simply do your best thinking when you are moving, this might be worth exploring.

Free 15-minute consultations are available. Link in bio.

03/02/2026

There often comes a stage of life when effort alone no longer sustains the pace you once kept.

Many people reach midlife still carrying responsibilities and expectations they learned to manage years earlier. For a long time, pushing through can work. It keeps things moving and allows you to meet what is needed.

Then gradually, something shifts. The same effort costs more, recovery takes longer, and the strain of overriding your own limits becomes harder to ignore.

This is often interpreted as losing resilience. More often, it reflects awareness deepening. With experience comes a clearer sense of what is no longer sustainable.

If the strategies that once worked are not working in the same way now, you are not alone in that transition. It is something many people begin to explore in therapy during midlife.

02/03/2026

Feeling worn down doesn’t mean something is wrong. It often means a lot is being carried.

There is a kind of tiredness that comes from being needed in too many directions at once.
The pull between work, family, and responsibility can feel relentless. Caring for aging parents. Showing up for your kids. Managing a job that asks a lot. By the end of the day, there is still dinner to make, places to be, and very little space left for yourself.

When this builds over time, it often shows up as sadness, irritability, or a short fuse. Not because anything is wrong, but because the emotional load is heavy. There can be grief in watching parents age and change, in noticing roles shift, and in carrying more responsibility than you once did.

This is often the work. Slowing things down enough to notice what you are carrying, what feels heavy, and what your body and emotions are asking for in this season.

Support does not mean fixing or pushing through. It can look like creating space to understand your limits, respond with more care, and build capacity in a way that fits real life.

If your mind feels busy, loud, or hard to turn off, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.For many people, the m...
01/12/2026

If your mind feels busy, loud, or hard to turn off, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.

For many people, the mind learned to take over when the body was under too much stress for too long. Thinking, analyzing, and worrying became ways to stay safe.

The problem isn’t the mind. It’s that it’s been carrying too much.

In my work, we don’t try to shut thoughts down or “fix” them. We focus on creating more support and space in the body so the mind doesn’t have to work overtime.

When the body feels safer and more supported, thinking often becomes clearer and less exhausting.

This is often the starting point in my work with clients.

01/09/2026

There are seasons when stress and burnout don’t show up as big emotions, but instead settle quietly into the body. Energy is lower, sleep feels off, tension builds more easily, and cravings feel stronger, even when you are doing many of the “right” things.

In these moments, nutrition is less about discipline and more about how the nervous system receives information. Long gaps between meals, undereating, or cutting carbohydrates can quietly keep the body on alert by signalling scarcity and driving stress hormones.

Supportive nutrition does the opposite. Eating regularly, including enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and choosing warm, grounding meals can help the body feel steadier and more resourced.

This isn’t about eating perfectly or following rigid rules. In high-stress seasons, food becomes part of how the body softens, settles, and slowly rebuilds capacity.

01/05/2026

At this time of year, after a busy season filled with demands, indulgences, and disruption, before we ask the body to do more, we look at what is taking too much.

For many people, routines get stretched. Sleep is lighter. Eating feels less intentional. Work ramps back up quickly. Expectations return faster than capacity.

That does not mean something is wrong. It means a lot has been asked.

This is often the moment when people feel pressure to reset everything at once. To be stricter. More disciplined. More productive.

But sustainable change usually starts somewhere quieter.

Reducing the drains.
Protecting sleep.
Simplifying decisions.
Setting boundaries around time and energy.

Before adding more effort, we ask what would help things feel more manageable.

Support comes before strategy.
Stability comes before intensity.

And that is often how momentum returns.





12/09/2025

The holidays can be busy, joyful, and a little overwhelming all at once. This is a time when stress can build quickly, emotional eating feels more tempting and your nervous system needs a bit more care. A few small intentions can help you feel more grounded and steady.

Plan your day around how you want to feel, not just what needs to get done.

Take quick pauses to check in with your body and adjust as needed.

Step outside for a short walk and some sunlight to reset your energy.

Slow your breath when things feel rushed to support your nervous system.

Set gentle boundaries that protect your emotional and mental space.

Choose foods that help you feel nourished, steady, and energized.

Prioritize sleep so your body can rest, regulate, and recover.

Small choices add up. They help you feel more like yourself through a full season, and they support your mind, body, and emotions in a meaningful way.

10/31/2025

Therapy isn’t all tears and deep conversations.

It’s also laughter, moments of relief, and celebrating progress you might not have noticed on your own.

Sometimes it’s simply sitting in the discomfort without needing to fix it; learning to hold space for what’s real and human.

08/19/2025

In personal growth, it’s easy to let the inner critic take over.

“If I could just fix this—lose the weight, stop the habit, get it right—then I’d be okay.”
But the truth is, without self-compassion, we only reinforce the wound.
Turning to food to cope isn’t the problem. It’s the judgment and shame that deepen the cycle.

Try this instead:
✨ Pause.
✨ Acknowledge the difficulty: “Of course this is hard.”
✨ Ask: “How can I support myself right now?”

Self-compassion doesn’t keep you stuck. It’s what allows you to move forward with care, not criticism.







There’s a lot of talk about nervous system regulation…and for good reason.But here's the truth we don’t talk about enoug...
05/23/2025

There’s a lot of talk about nervous system regulation…and for good reason.

But here's the truth we don’t talk about enough, your nervous system doesn’t need to be perfectly balanced all the time. Life isn’t predictable. It ebbs and flows, and so do we.

What matters more than staying “regulated” is learning how to respond when you’re not.

Resilience is the skill of coming back to center, not living there 24/7.
It’s the ability to notice when you’re overwhelmed, pause, and give yourself what you need; whether that’s stillness, movement, connection, or rest.

Flexibility is the goal, not perfection.

Self-trust is the foundation, not control.

Being human means sometimes being dysregulated and knowing how to find your way back.
Let’s reframe regulation not as a constant state, but as a skill we practice in relationship with ourselves and the world around us.

Many of the women I work with in therapy are carrying a lot, quietly, and with so much care.They’re supporting aging par...
05/07/2025

Many of the women I work with in therapy are carrying a lot, quietly, and with so much care.

They’re supporting aging parents through new health concerns.
Managing careers they’ve worked hard to build.
Caring for partners and children who depend on them.
And in the midst of it all, they often feel exhausted.
There’s a deep sense of guilt for not being able to do more, even when they’re already stretched thin.

They keep going, but it comes at a cost; emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Often, they’ve spent so long caring for others that tuning into their own needs feels unfamiliar, even uncomfortable.

If any of this resonates, you’re not alone.

Therapy can offer a space to gently unpack the pressure, reconnect with your own needs, and find steadier ground. Not to “fix” everything, but to help you feel more like yourself again.

You’re allowed to have support too.

In-person therapy in Guelph | Virtual across Ontario

Let’s talk - you don’t have to carry it all alone.

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Guelph, ON

Telephone

+12269713440

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