Justin the Therapist

Justin the Therapist Justin Michel, MA, MSc, RP. Individual/Couple/Family Therapy. Owner/manager of BBtherapy.ca

There’s nothing like seeing your team show up as their full selves.Not as therapists, not as “professionals,” but as peo...
12/23/2025

There’s nothing like seeing your team show up as their full selves.

Not as therapists, not as “professionals,” but as people.

Our holiday party reminded me just how much heart this team carries into everything they do.

I think about them a lot, their growth, their careers, the weight they hold for clients, the ways I can better support them. So watching them laugh together, celebrate each other, and build friendships that go beyond the therapy room… that genuinely meant a lot.

What makes nights like this so special isn’t the event itself, it’s the connection.

People meeting for the first time.

People realizing they’re not alone in this work.

People finding support in places they didn’t expect.

I joked that I felt like a proud dad, but there’s some truth to that.

I’m grateful for this team. Grateful for the work they do. Grateful for the community they’re building together.

And if you’re a therapist reading this… you deserve this kind of environment too.

A place that celebrates you, supports you, and truly sees the impact you’re making. 💙

We talk about mental health.We talk about physical health.But for some reason, s*xual health still gets left out of the ...
12/21/2025

We talk about mental health.

We talk about physical health.

But for some reason, s*xual health still gets left out of the conversation.

For many adults, s*xuality is a huge part of identity, how we connect, express, and experience closeness. And yet, it’s often the area most loaded with shame, misinformation, or silence.

That’s where s*x therapy comes in.

It’s not about “fixing” performance issues or assigning blame. It’s about understanding how your emotions, thoughts, and experiences shape intimacy. It’s about unpacking the anxiety, guilt, or fear that might be sitting underneath.

And sometimes? It’s just about learning to communicate better, because connection starts long before the bedroom.

When we treat s*xual health as part of mental health, people stop feeling broken for wanting help.

Because it’s not dirty. It’s not taboo.

It’s human.

12/19/2025

Can you feel safe and uncomfortable at the same time? 💭

Absolutely.

Our brains are wired for complexity. You may feel safe sitting beside someone you love, yet anxious at the same time. You may feel overstimulated in a crowded room, yet lonely inside it.

We often assume feelings have to line up neatly: either you’re calm or you’re anxious, connected or alone, safe or unsafe. But emotions rarely work in a single file.

Two things can coexist.

Your body might register safety, while your mind is still running a mile a minute.

That doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you… it means you’re human.

Therapy helps you make sense of those mixed signals, to understand where they come from and what they’re trying to tell you.

Because when you stop trying to “choose” one feeling over another, you make space for both, and that’s often where real self-awareness begins. 💙

Emotional Awareness | Mental Health | Therapist | Therapy Education | Anxiety

When s*x starts to feel like a performance the pressure creeps in and pressure almost always leads to anxiety. 😦 That’s ...
12/17/2025

When s*x starts to feel like a performance the pressure creeps in and pressure almost always leads to anxiety. 😦

That’s what we call performance anxiety and it can show up as er****on struggles, pain, or just feeling stuck in your own head instead of present with your partner.

S*x isn’t meant to be a test or a show, it’s play.

Play is curiosity, fun, and connection.

It’s exploring together without worrying about getting it right.

Of course there are boundaries, but inside those boundaries you get to be yourself, you get to connect, experiment, and enjoy the moment without all the weight of expectation.

When the focus shifts from performance to play the pressure eases, your body relaxes, intimacy gets easier, and ironically by letting go of the outcome you often end up reaching it more naturally.

If s*x has started to feel like something you have to perform, maybe it’s time to reframe it.

Less performance, more play. That’s where connection and pleasure thrive.

Most couples wait until it’s almost too late for therapy.On average, they sit with the same problems for SIX YEARS befor...
12/16/2025

Most couples wait until it’s almost too late for therapy.

On average, they sit with the same problems for SIX YEARS before getting help.

Six years of quiet tension that never really goes away.
Six years of small things turning into big things.
Six years of avoiding hard conversations because it feels easier to keep the peace.

But that kind of peace is temporary.

It’s the calm that comes from avoidance, not resolution.

Couple therapy can be the emergency room for relationships, but it doesn’t have to be. It can also be the training ground where you grow the relationship to prevent it from ever needing to go to the ER.

It’s where you learn to have the hard conversations without tearing each other down, and how to grow stronger because of them.

If you still believe in what you’re building, that’s the time to start. 💙

When I first started as a therapist, I wanted to be there for everyone. Every client, every moment, every text, every la...
12/11/2025

When I first started as a therapist, I wanted to be there for everyone. Every client, every moment, every text, every late-night message.

I thought that being endlessly available made me a good therapist.

But, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a therapist is the value of boundaries.

If I told all my clients, “You can text me anytime and I’ll always reply,” that sounds great in theory… until I’m in session with you and another client messages me in crisis. Now I’m split. I’m distracted. And the space that’s supposed to be yours no longer feels protected.

Clear boundaries don’t create distance… they create focus.

They allow us to be fully present with the person in front of us, instead of stretched thin trying to hold everything for everyone.

If you’re a new therapist learning how to find that balance, this is the kind of work I do in clinical supervision, helping you care deeply without burning out in the process

💬 DM me or visit bbtherapy.ca to learn more about clinical supervision.

12/11/2025

Flirty DMs in your partners phone… ouff. 😅

Here’s what I have to say. 💭

Ask Justin | Ontario Therapist | Couple Therapy | Trust Building | Relationships

12/08/2025

Is “micro-cheating” real? 👀

Cheating isn’t about size, it’s about the impact it has on trust, connection, and how safe you feel in your relationship.

If something your partner does leaves you feeling uneasy, disrespected, or disconnected, that feeling matters.

Every relationship defines cheating differently.

For some, it’s flirting.

For others, it’s emotional intimacy with someone else.

What matters most is that you talk about it before it becomes a source of hurt or resentment.

Clear boundaries don’t limit love, they protect it. 💙

If you like this kind of Q&A or find the “Ask Justin” series helpful, you can hear more on our Mental Health Matchmaker podcast.

Relationship Health | Micro Cheating | Couple Therapy | Relationship Boundaries | Therapist | Couple Therapist

2026 is right around the corner... wild, right?But when I think back to the start of 2025, I laugh a little at how sure ...
12/07/2025

2026 is right around the corner... wild, right?

But when I think back to the start of 2025, I laugh a little at how sure I was about what this year was supposed to look like.

I had a plan.

We weren’t going to expand.

No new locations. No new rooms. Just focus on growing from within.

But life had a different idea. We ended up taking over an entire building, adding new spaces, new logistics, new staff, new everything. It was a massive pivot, one I didn’t see coming and definitely hadn’t planned for.

What this year really taught me is that you can have the best intentions, the clearest vision, the most structured plan… and life will still surprise you.

You can fight it, hold tightly to how it was supposed to go, or you can adjust and trust yourself to handle what’s next.

This year reminded me that control feels safe, but flexibility is where growth happens.

And sometimes, the things you didn’t plan for end up being exactly what needed to happen.

😂
12/06/2025

😂

People often come to therapy hoping it will save their relationship. And sometimes it does. Talking things through, lear...
12/05/2025

People often come to therapy hoping it will save their relationship.

And sometimes it does. Talking things through, learning better communication, breaking old patterns, it can be transformative when both people are willing to show up and do the work.

But therapy isn’t always about saving the relationship. Sometimes it’s about realizing it’s not serving you anymore.

Therapy can give you clarity.

It can help you see when you’re the only one putting in the effort.

It can help you notice when old wounds keep reopening no matter how many times you patch them.

It can help you recognize when staying is costing you more than leaving.

That doesn’t mean the relationship was worthless.

Many relationships serve us for a season. They teach us, shape us, and sometimes even help us grow into who we are now. But not every relationship is meant to last forever.

And that’s the hardest part to accept.

Because we’re taught that ending a relationship is failure. That if you “tried hard enough” or “loved deeply enough,” you’d make it work.

But the sheer desire to be together isn’t always enough. Sometimes the healthiest and bravest choice is letting go.
Therapy can help you figure out what you need, what you deserve, and whether this relationship can offer that.

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no.

Either way, clarity is what sets you free.🤗

Address

52 Village Centre Place
Mississauga, ON
L4Z1V9

Telephone

+13653005056

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