Mental Health Information

01/01/2026

Happy New Year!

Here are some great resources from
The Opening Minds Team at Canadian Mental Health of Canada.

What can you do to make space for mental health conversations?

​Tools and Resources

Consider how you show up in conversations: Are you listening with curiosity, empathy, and care? Explore our How to Have Healthy Conversations guide.

12/07/2025

Obesity, Kids, and the Dangerous Cost of Blame: Why “Lazy” Is a Lie We Must Retire

As mental health professionals, educators, parents, and community leaders, we pride ourselves on being evidence-informed. And yet, when it comes to childhood obesity, harmful myths still quietly shape how children are treated—at school, in sports, in healthcare, and even at home.

Children are still labeled as:

“Lazy”

“Unmotivated”

“Overeaters”

“Lacking discipline”

These labels don’t just miss the science — they actively harm mental health.

According to Obesity Canada, obesity is not a personal failure. It is a chronic, complex disease shaped by genetics, biology, environment, medication, trauma, sleep, stress, food access, and socioeconomic conditions. In fact, approximately 70% of a person’s risk for obesity is genetically determined.

That doesn’t sound like laziness.
That sounds like biology.

Treatment Is Not One-Size-Fits-All — And It’s Not Just About Weight

Evidence-based obesity care focuses on:

Improving health, not chasing a number

Supporting sleep, nutrition, movement, stress regulation, and mental health

Addressing trauma and emotional safety

Using medications or surgery when clinically and age appropriate

Building long-term sustainability, not quick fixes

The goal is quality of life, metabolic health, and psychological safety — not punishment through restriction.

And critically:

> Obesity Canada does not endorse weight-loss products, supplements, or commercial programs.

This is healthcare — not marketing.

What This Means for Parents, Schools, and Youth Sports

If we truly care about kids’ mental health, we must stop using:

Exercise as punishment

Food as a moral scoreboard

Bodies as public property for commentary

And start using:

Curiosity instead of criticism

Support instead of surveillance

Inclusion instead of comparison

Health indicators instead of appearance

AND counselling and help for parents too...internalized guilt or shame impacts the support you can give and your own self care

A child who feels accepted is far more likely to care for their body than a child who feels ashamed of it.

Final Thought

Children do not wake up hoping to be judged in locker rooms, excluded on teams, or shamed in classrooms.

They want to belong. They want to feel safe. They want adults who understand that health is not visible and discipline is not measured by body size.

We don’t reduce obesity by increasing blame.
We reduce harm by increasing compassion, science, and psychological safety.

https://obesitycanada.ca/

The Obesity Society

We’re working to eliminate stigma, improve outcomes, and ensure access to equitable, evidence-informed obesity care for Canadians. Support our mission today.

11/03/2025

🌱 The goal of most humans is simple:
To live in a functional environment they can navigate without drama.

But life doesn’t always make that easy. The trauma and drama narratives — the pain, conflict, and repetition — can be exhausting. Recognizing patterns and creating a new normal that choose healthy over toxicity can become through-lines to healing and freedom.

That’s where counselling comes in.
Therapists work with you to build skills and mindsets that restore psychological balance, helping you cope with what life throws at you and find your way back to peace, purpose, and self-trust.

Healing isn’t about avoiding pain — it’s about learning how to move through it.

10/27/2025

Beautifully said...

When I sit at the bedside of someone who is about to die, I often become the receiver of their life story, a quiet witness to their reflections, memories, and truths. Most of the time, I hear about love, family, friendships, and laughter, the moments that made life rich and meaningful. But often, woven between those memories, are whispers of regret. Not the kind about missed vacations or unfulfilled dreams, but the deeper kind, wishing they had spent more time with the people they love, or that they had let go of anger, pride, and disappointment sooner. It’s remarkable how quickly we can walk away from those we love when we feel hurt or misunderstood, yet when we reach the end, it’s the broken connections and unresolved emotions that weigh heaviest.

There are people in my own life whom I have chosen to step away from. I’ve sat with that decision and realized that peace doesn’t always mean reconciliation, sometimes, it’s acceptance. I can wish them well, be grateful for the time we shared, and still honor the space that now exists between us. Making peace with that means I don’t carry the burden of regret when my own time comes.

So, how do we live without regret? I think it comes down to this: we can either do the hard work to mend what’s been broken, meeting each other where we are with compassion and grace, or we can release what no longer fits, but still choose forgiveness and peace. Either way, we free ourselves. Because one day, when we look back, the question that will matter most isn’t “Was I right?” but “Did I love well and without regret?”

xo
Gabby

You can find this blog here:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/what-we-take-with-us-when-we-die

10/25/2025

Have you considered..

It’s not always anxiety or anger — sometimes it’s sensory overload.

For a lot of adults, especially those who didn’t grow up hearing about sensory issues, the world can feel too much. Too loud. Too bright. Too busy. Too tight.

When that happens, it can look like snapping, irritability, panic attacks, shutting down, or avoidance.

You’re not overreacting. You’re overwhelmed.
And the more you learn what sets you off — and how to stay in the now - the better you will be at circumventing a meltdown.

10/11/2025

Simple Gratitude Tips for Mental Wellness:

Write down three small things you’re thankful for each morning — even if it’s just a hot coffee or a smile.

Tell someone you appreciate them — out loud.

Take a quiet moment to breathe and notice what feels “enough” right now.

When challenges arise, ask yourself: What is this teaching me?

Gratitude doesn’t erase pain or stress — but it helps build emotional resilience, perspective, and hope.

💛 Take care of your mind this Thanksgiving — it’s the heart of your well-being.

10/07/2025

Once you know your tire is flat you need to know how to use the tools to change it, or the right number to call for help. Mental health issues can be the same. Reaching out to increase awareness and learn about the tools that work for you can be scary - but once you start the work - change can come quickly.
Call or PM for more information and how short term counselling can help.

09/21/2025

Changing beliefs after bullying isn’t easy.
Sometimes the hardest part is that you don’t feel the new, positive belief right away. Just like learning to shoot on your weak side in hockey, it takes practice, repetition, and patience before it feels natural.

Bullying can plant harmful stories about who we are, but with support and consistent action, we can rewrite those stories into ones of strength, belonging, and self confidence.

09/07/2025

Bullying leaves lasting marks on confidence, relationships, and mental health—but it doesn’t have to define the story. As a counsellor specializing in bullying prevention and recovery, I focus on the practical psychology that helps people move forward with strength and resilience.

🎙️ I recently shared insights on the Practical Psychology Podcast—from why bullying happens to what we can need to do about it in minor hockey through my project www.puckofftobullying.com

✨ Whether it is workplace, school or sports if you or your child have been impacted by bullying, know that there are evidence-based strategies that can help. You’re not alone.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZxoQzLa8k0

08/23/2025

Boundary setting is needed for self care, autonomy and independence. It is the stories we carry that tell ourselves that in order to be a good person we carry others - to the sacrifice of serenity and acceptance.

The key to healthier relationships is teaching clients how to establish boundaries.
That’s why we’ve created this free infographic where bestselling author and boundaries expert Nedra Tawwab classifies boundaries into 6 common areas with examples of what they include.

Download your free copy, plus access a special invitation to our comprehensive Breaking the Cycle of Unhealthy Family Relationships virtual training: https://bit.ly/3lMClGO