Mental Health Information

02/12/2026

How to transform ADHD athletes from perceived distractions into valuable team leaders by understanding their neurodevelopmental differences.

Effective coaching requires moving away from punitive discipline, such as public shaming or long lectures, which often leads to shame and sports disengagement.

Evidence-informed strategies like providing concise instructions, maintaining predictable routines, and prioritizing private corrections are all effective. By focusing on strengths like hyperfocus and high energy, coaches can create a supportive environment that accommodates emotional sensitivity.

Ultimately, adaptive coaching does not lower performance standards but rather removes barriers to help neurodivergent players thrive. This approach protects the mental health and self-worth of athletes while fostering a more inclusive sporting culture.



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02/12/2026

Hearts and minds that have been impacted ...
988 is the crisis support line in Canada
And numbers for Kids Help Phone are below.

02/06/2026

A common concern I hear from neurodivergent clients is: “I always feel like I’m going to get in trouble.”

This response is often misunderstood as anxiety. In reality, it’s frequently a learned nervous-system pattern shaped by past experiences of misunderstanding, masking, and unclear expectations.

Therapeutic support focuses on:
• body regulation
• increasing clarity and predictability
• reducing shame through understanding
• separating facts from assumptions

When safety increases, fear softens. You control it, and you find the it doesn't control you.

Healing doesn’t start with changing your thoughts.It starts with helping your body feel safe again....

Slow breathing.
Gentle movement.
Pausing before self-blame.

What helps isn’t pushing yourself to “be confident.”

What helps is slowing down, regulating the body, and learning to separate facts from assumptions.

For a free consult comment below or reach out through a DM.

01/23/2026

Announcing a New Service: Virtual Adult Autism Assessment & Report using the ADOS-2.

Using a 2-hour standardized, observational assessment we explore social communication, interaction, emotional expression, and behavioural flexibility commonly associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

It is one part of a comprehensive assessment process — not a diagnosis on its own.

📝 What to expect
• The process begins with an intake appointment and an Autism Quotient (AQ) screener to ensure this assessment is the right fit for your needs (free)
• Cost includes a 2 hour assessment appointment, results that are provided in a formal written report, and a 1-hour feedback/debrief session is also included.

💡 Why some people choose the ADOS-2
While it does not provide a diagnosis on its own, many people find the process helpful for:
• increased self-understanding
• clarity around lifelong patterns
• identifying neurodevelopmental traits
• exploring well-being and support strategies
• validation and relief through understanding

📄 Your report includes
• ADOS-2 results
• clinical interpretation
• consideration of overlapping or concurrent conditions
• practical strategies and recommendations to consider

🧠 For those seeking a formal diagnosis
An ADOS-2 report can be used by a multi-disciplinary team alongside developmental history, clinical interviews, self-report measures, and collateral information.
Lindy can assist with coordinating next steps and helping you understand what information is typically required.

⚠️ Important note
ADOS-2 results can be influenced by factors such as:
• masking or learned social strategies
• anxiety or trauma history
• ADHD or mood disorders
• cultural and contextual factors

In some cases, an additional clinical interview may be recommended to ensure results are interpreted thoughtfully and accurately.

If you’re curious, unsure, or just exploring — questions are always welcome!

01/23/2026

If today feels heavy, you’re not broken.
If you’re tired of “holding it together,” you’re human.
If you’re doing your best and it still feels hard — that counts.

Mental health isn’t about being positive all the time.
It’s about noticing what’s going on inside you, being curious instead of critical, and reaching for support when you need it.

Small things matter:
• taking a breath
• setting one boundary
• saying “this is hard” out loud
• resting without guilt

You don’t have to hit rock bottom to deserve support.
You don’t have to explain or justify your feelings.
You’re allowed to take up space exactly as you are.

Be gentle with yourself today.

01/23/2026

*Mental health and disability: Get the facts.

As the potential expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) for mental illness approaches, in partnership with our national federation Inclusion Canada we are sharing some data on mental health and disability. This info helps spell out the high rates of mental illness among marginalized populations and the dangers of offering MAiD to those with disabilities and/or mental illness alone. This potential expansion of MAiD to include those with mental illness would target people who can benefit from other supports and who CAN get better.

Did you know:
-45% of people with an intellectual disability will be diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime.
-4 in 5 people with a mental health disability have at least one other disability.
-Indigenous people in Canada have higher rates of disability, and poorer mental health.

Contact your Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly today and tell them to limit MAiD on the basis of disability alone and to stop the planned expansion to include mental illness. https://inclusionalberta.org/connections/medical-assistance-in-dying-the-dangers-of-offering-maid-to-those-with-disabilities-and-or-mental-illness-alone/

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.