Patti Broadfoot RSW - Counselling

01/02/2026

💙Grief doesn’t always need words.
Sometimes it needs quiet.
VON Gentle Sound Journey
A supportive sound-based experience during times of care, loss, and change.

Program beginning in January of 2026!

Registration is required. This program is offered free-of-charge.

contact us today:
angela.wildfong@von.ca
519-539-1231 ext.: 6299

12/31/2025

Just finished my last client of 2025 and wanted to share something that really stayed with me.

A client talked about lighting a candle on New Year’s Eve and letting it burn all the way down. The burning is what they’re leaving behind from this year. The light is what guides them into the next.

Simple. Meaningful. No pressure.

So I’m wondering — what are you leaving behind? And what are you bringing light to in 2026?

Fred says hi 🐾
Happy New Year.

12/30/2025

12/30/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14HvFCWNyFs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

If you’re feeling a little flat today, let me start by saying this:

You didn’t do the holiday wrong.

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that settles in after a holiday when you’re grieving. It’s not the too much pie kind of hangover (although that may also be present). It’s an emotional one. The quiet-after-the-noise one.

The ‘Now what?” feeling.

For weeks, sometimes months, everything builds up to that day.

And then suddenly…it’s over.

The lights come down. The music fades. And people go back to their lives.

And those of us who were just trying to survive it all are left sitting in the stillness thinking, “Well…I’m still here. And they’re still gone.”

That’s the holiday hangover.

It’s that strange mix of relief and sadness. Relief that you got through it. Sadness that getting through it was even necessary. It’s waking up and realizing the world expects you to be “back to normal,” while you’re just trying to remember how to move without the adrenaline that carried you through the day.

Grief during the holidays takes effort. Smiling takes effort.

Answering “How was your holiday?” takes emotional strength.

And now that it’s done, your heart is tired.

Here’s the part I want you to hear: There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling this way.

Grief doesn’t end when the decorations come down. Love doesn’t pack itself neatly into storage bins. And loss doesn’t care what the calendar says.

If today you’re feeling low, unmotivated, or emotionally wrung out, welcome to the club no one asked to join. Pull up a chair. I get it.

So be gentle with yourself. Cancel a plan if your heart says no.

You showed up for a season that was hard. That counts for something.

And if all you can do today is breathe and put one foot in front of the other, that’s not failure, that’s grief doing exactly what grief does.

You’re not behind. You’re not broken. You’re just human and missing someone you love.

And here, in this space…you don’t have to pretend otherwise.

Your fellow grief traveler,
Gary

12/23/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GWT6d2f5J/

12/19/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HWXiKEVui/

The holiday season can be a time of joy, connection, and also stress. These self-compassion phrases are gentle reminders to nurture yourself during this busy time. Save this post to use whenever you need a moment to pause and reconnect with kindness. 💛

Which phrase speaks to you most? Share in the comments!

12/19/2025

Practicing what I preach ☕🌲
December has a way of pulling us into go-go-go mode before we even realize it.

This morning, I woke up early and intentionally slowed things down — quiet, twinkle lights, a warm cup of cocoa, and a puzzle patiently waiting for later. No agenda. No productivity goals. Just settling.

Regulation doesn’t always look like deep work — sometimes it looks like choosing calm on purpose.

If your system has been running on overdrive, you’re not alone. Gentle moments still matter.

12/16/2025

12/14/2025

🌟 JOIN ME TODAY — SUNDAY! 🌟
For our last group of 2025

Join me for an A Morning of Support and Connection 🕊️

Navigating grief is never easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our monthly in-person grief group is a space where healing begins through sharing, understanding, and community.

📅 Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025
📍 Location: Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 1997 Dundas Street, London
🕒 Time: 10:00 a.m.

Whether you’re coping with the loss of a loved one or simply seeking a compassionate space, this group offers connection, conversation, and gentle support. Together, we create a place where your feelings are valid and your journey is honoured.

✨ No cost to attend — all are welcome.

Please share this post with anyone who might benefit from joining us.
Let’s walk this path together. 💛

12/12/2025

12/11/2025

Every year when my family asks what I want for my birthday my answer is always the same “I don’t want or need anything.”

But this year feels different.

This year, I’m asking for help.

We feel so grateful to be building This Thing Called Grief out of the Mogenson Building at Western University research Centre, surrounded by people who are incredibly inspiring and are doing incredible things themselves such as The Harbour an eating disorder clinic for post secondary school students, Neubloom London where I can best describe as education with a heart! Where they adapt to the needs of the student not the other way around.. a first for many, It is hard to put into words how comfortable and safe it feels here knowing we are supported by so many who not only believe in us but are just as excited to see our vision grow.

In the coming months, we’ll be taking the steps to become a registered non-profit. That means we’ll be able to reach more people, offer more affordable care, and continue creating spaces where grief is understood and not avoided.

The truth is, someone you know might be grieving right now and have no idea we exist.

Too often when someone dies, the person left behind loses more than just their loved one. Friends drift away, conversations become uncomfortable, and life starts to feel unbearably quiet.

That’s why I’m asking, from my heart please help us reach them.

Share our page, tell someone about what we do, or simply hold space for the grieving people in your life.

Because no one should have to walk through grief alone.

Not ever.