Jennifer Taun Counselling and Consulting

11/10/2025

11/05/2025

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind jumps to fill in the blanks? A friend doesn’t text back — maybe they’re upset. A coworker looks distracted — maybe you did something wrong. Without even realizing it, our brain starts crafting a story to make sense of what’s happening.

We all do this. The human brain is a prediction machine — it’s wired to find patterns, make meaning, and anticipate what’s next. This ability keeps us safe, but it can also backfire. When the mind is uncomfortable with uncertainty, it rushes to explain things — and often those explanations are based more on fear, past experiences, or assumptions than on truth.

How These Stories Can Be Unhelpful
These mental stories can quietly shape how we feel and act.
- They can lead to anxiety (“I must have done something wrong”).
- They can cause disconnection (“They don’t care about me”).
- They can stop us from seeing reality clearly (“I already know how this will end”).

When we treat these stories as facts, we start living inside them instead of the present moment.

How to Step Away From the Story
The first step is awareness. Pause and ask yourself:
- What story am I telling myself right now?
- Do I know this for sure, or am I filling in the gaps?

Then, take a breath. Notice how the story feels in your body — the tightness, the quickened heartbeat, the sinking stomach. This awareness helps loosen the story’s grip.

Next, return to what really matters: your values.
- If you value connection, reach out instead of withdrawing.
- If you value compassion, assume good intent.
- If you value growth, stay curious instead of certain.

Our values are the compass that guide us when our stories try to take the wheel. They help us act with integrity, even when our mind is busy writing its own version of events.

So the next time you catch your brain spinning a story, take it as a sign — not to shut it down, but to gently step back, breathe, and choose the response that aligns with who you truly want to be.

Because in the end, we can’t always control the stories our mind creates — but we can choose which ones we believe and how we respond.

11/02/2025

Expectations vs. Boundaries

Expectations often come from our hopes about how others should act — how a friend should respond, how a partner should communicate, or how life “should” unfold. But expectations can create tension, disappointment, and resentment when reality doesn’t align with the story we’ve written in our minds.

Boundaries, on the other hand, come from within. They’re not about controlling others — they’re about honoring our own needs, values, and limits. While expectations look outward (“They should…”), boundaries look inward (“I will…”).

Letting go of expectations can feel like releasing a heavy weight. It opens the door to acceptance, curiosity, and peace. You may find more space to respond rather than react — to meet people where they are, not where you wish they’d be.

Holding boundaries while loosening expectations is a skill — one that invites both freedom and safety. You can stay rooted in what matters to you without trying to manage anyone else’s choices or emotions.

If you’re noticing how hard it is to balance these — or feeling the pull of old expectations — you don’t have to navigate that alone.
Reach out if you’d like support.

North Bay Counselling Services
Supporting growth, clarity, and connection.

11/01/2025

The Power of Choice: Finding Freedom in What You Can Control

As a therapist, one of the most empowering moments I witness in clients—and experience in my own life—is the realization of what is truly within our control and what is not. This awareness can feel like a breath of fresh air after years of struggling against invisible walls.

So much of our anxiety, frustration, and helplessness comes from trying to control things that were never ours to manage in the first place—other people’s reactions, the past, the future, or external circumstances. When we stop fighting these battles, we create space to notice where our real influence lies: our thoughts, our responses, our boundaries, and the choices we make moment to moment.

At first, this distinction can feel disheartening—like admitting defeat. But over time, it reveals something far more powerful: choice. Once we identify what is within our control, we begin to see how many decisions we actually make each day that shape our lives. We can choose to pause before reacting, to practice compassion, to set limits, to speak our truth, or to let go. Each choice, no matter how small, reinforces our agency.

This shift doesn’t mean life suddenly becomes easy or predictable. It means we stop wasting energy trying to rewrite the world and instead use that energy to respond skillfully within it. That’s where empowerment lives—not in having control over everything, but in realizing that even in uncertainty, we still have a say in how we show up.

When we focus on what’s within our control, we reclaim our freedom. We begin to trust ourselves. We start to move through life not as victims of circumstance but as conscious participants in our own unfolding.

> “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
> — Viktor E. Frankl

10/25/2025

What a thought-provoking course!
Really focusing on the attachment model and working with rejection-sensitive clients — so many new ideas and concepts to explore.
I love learning! 💡🧠✨

10/19/2025

This recent study investigated differences in children age 6-8 years with and without ADHD. The researchers found that children with ADHD presented with significant sensory differences impacting participation in school in comparison to their peers with a higher prevalence of bilateral coordination difficulties amongst female study participants. In this study, male study participants in contrast demonstrated more difficulties with balance.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2025.2523595

09/28/2025

🌱 Updated Policy for Therapy Sessions 🌱

Starting **November 1st**, in order to make sure I can offer consistent care to the clients I’m actively supporting, I’ll be updating my scheduling policy:

➡️ If it’s been 8 weeks or more since our last session, you’ll no longer be considered an active client. This simply means that if you’d like to resume therapy with me, you’ll return to my **waiting list** before starting again.

I know life happens, and sometimes breaks are needed. This change is not about closing the door—it’s about making sure my current clients have the space and support they need, while also keeping the process fair for those patiently waiting.

💙 If this brings up any concerns or worries for you, please reach out—I’m always open to talking it through.

The good news is that I work with a wonderful team of therapists. If you’d like to return to therapy sooner and I don’t have immediate availability, I can help connect you with one of them for support.

Thank you for understanding as I do my best to balance care, accessibility, and fairness for all.

09/16/2025

✨ Just completed my Abandonment Trauma Course ✨

I’m grateful for the opportunity to deepen my knowledge in supporting clients as they heal their inner child. 🌱

Learning never stops—and I’m committed to continuing my growth so I can create better outcomes and hold space for the healing journeys of those I work with. 💙

09/07/2025

🌿 Gratitude Moment 🌿

I’ve recently been nominated for Community Votes North Bay under Therapy & Counselling.

To be honest, recognition and voting contests are not usually my comfort zone — I don’t do this work for votes, likes, or awards. My heart is in supporting people, walking with them through challenges, and creating spaces of healing and growth.

That said, I feel deeply honored that someone took the time to put my name forward. 💚 To those who nominated me — thank you. Your trust and encouragement mean more than I can express.

Whether or not votes come my way, I want to send love and gratitude back into the community that continues to lift each other up.

✨ Here’s to compassion, connection, and the healing power of showing up for one another. ✨

— Jennifer Taun, Counselling & Consulting

https://northbay.communityvotes.com/2025/05/healthcare/therapy-and-counselling?fbclid=IwY2xjawMqazRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHgwcyfrQd7D32nPAC7wsTpjxexEibMoZwq1AEdep9otVPN8X9wwFMBnX16cu_aem_ueF24q31VUH2GBnz9wy_ew

08/29/2025

Please think of reaching out / sharing