Retreat Into Wellness

01/26/2026

Healing doesn’t follow one path, and it doesn’t have to.

Each person, each child, arrives with their own story, their own pace, their own way of expressing what’s inside.

That’s why the work we do together is flexible and deeply personal.

Play Therapy, Sand Therapy, EMDR, and CBT all offer different ways to explore emotions, make sense of overwhelming experiences, and build steadiness from the inside out.
Some clients need the freedom of play.
Some need the structure of new skills.
Some need a gentle space to process what feels too big to hold alone.

My role is simply to meet you, or your child, exactly where you are, with safety, curiosity, and compassion.

If you imagine reaching out, which approach feels like it might support you or your child right now?

Save this as a quiet reminder: there is more than one way to heal, and you don’t have to choose it alone.
retreatintowellness • playtherapy • emdrtherapy • cbt • sandtherapy • emotionalwellness • greybrucecounselling • healingjourney • gentletherapy • supportandconnecti

01/21/2026

There’s a special kind of magic that happens in a room built just for children.

The Avalon Room is where stories unfold, emotions find shape, and little ones discover new ways to understand their world.

Every corner of this space is intentional, the play loft for imagination and bravery, the art table for expression that doesn’t need words, the sand tray for creating whole worlds that speak what the heart can’t yet explain.

Here, children and youth can explore feelings through Play Therapy, creative expression, and gentle, evidence-based support.

Some come carrying worry.
Some come quiet and unsure.
Some come full of big feelings without a roadmap.
In this room, they don’t have to figure any of it out alone.

Through play, movement, art, and connection, we support:
• emotional regulation and coping skills
• anxiety, withdrawal, or worry that feels too big
• transitions, family changes, or moments of overwhelm
• healing from experiences that feel hard to talk about
Children naturally communicate through play, and this space invites them to do just that, safely and at their own pace.

If you’re wondering whether therapy might help your child feel more grounded, understood, or supported… this room was created with them in mind.
retreatintowellness • playtherapy • childwellness • youththerapy • greybrucecounselling • emotionalregulation • safespaceforchildren • mindfulparenting • healingthroughplay

01/20/2026

Parent sessions are an essential part of the journey to heal alongside their children.

These can even be a cost effective solution to help guide you to make changes at home that are sometimes all that's needed without me ever having to do 1-1 sessions in the play rooms.

Reach out to see if they're a fit for you and you family's healing journey. 519-379-1777 or email admin@retreatintowellness.ca

01/13/2026

Sometimes healing moves so quietly that we almost miss it.

It slips into the small moments, the ones that feel a little softer, a little safer, a little more connected than they once did.

A child reaching out instead of pulling away.
Evenings that settle with fewer tears.

A tone between parent and child that feels warm where it used to feel tight.

These shifts may seem subtle, but they’re often the ones that take the deepest root.

Healing doesn’t always arrive as a big breakthrough; more often, it grows in these gentle, everyday changes that slowly reshape how we relate to ourselves and each other.

You don’t have to navigate that journey on your own.

Gentle support can create space for these quiet changes to unfold.

Save this for the days when progress feels hard to see, sometimes the smallest moments hold the most meaning.
retreatintowellness • mindfulparenting • gentleparenting • childhealing • familywellness • connectionmatters • healingjourney • safespaceforchildren • emotionalwellness

01/11/2026

Change takes time. Whether it's children in play therapy, youth, or adults. I feel the pressure all the time from parents and even adults themselves in therapy to get to the end. Get them "fixed". Of course healing is the goal, and of course I want to help alleviate someone's suffering as fast as possible AND change still takes time.

Free services capped at 8 sessions, and health insurance coverage that provides enough funding for 3-5 sessions continues to feed the perception that quick fixes exist, and it's simply untrue.

Here, we start with 12-15 and evaluate from there to reflect on the progress already made, and where we need to go next so that rushing does not bring regression by closing too soon.

Healing to whole is actually the goal.

Sincerely,
Therapists everywhere. ❤️

Trusting the Process—Letting go of a timeline for a child in therapy 🦋

As therapists, we often begin the journey with a vision—an idea of how long the process will take and what progress might look like.

And sometimes? Our timelines are realistic. But often? They’re not.

Because the reality is—we are not in charge of how long it takes for a child to integrate what they’re working through.

Our role isn’t to control the process or rush the outcome. Our role is to join them in the journey.

When we begin working with a child, we don’t yet know:

🔹 How many layers there are to process
🔹 What new challenges might arise along the way
🔹 How their system will unfold and integrate at its own pace

It’s common to think, This will take X number of sessions—only to realize that what seemed like one challenge is connected to a much deeper system of experiences. Or that life throws in a new curveball mid-process.

This is why realistic expectations matter.

✨ Clients go as fast as they need to go.
✨ Clients go as fast as they can go.

And our job? To hold space for that. To support, witness, and trust their unique timing as they move toward what they need to integrate.

Helping Parents or Caregivers Navigate the Uncertainty:
When working with parents and caregivers, part of our role is to communicate the evolving nature of the process. If we discover deeper layers, we help them understand where we are and what’s unfolding.

Sometimes, they are the ones needing support. Sometimes, they are struggling with their own expectations. A gentle reminder that healing is a journey, not a destination can help shift their perspective.

So the next time you feel the pull to measure progress against a timeline, take a breath and remind yourself:

We don’t know how long it will take—we only have guesses when we begin.

And that’s okay.

Much love on the journey 💜

Lisa

01/10/2026

This is a beautiful example of why compliance is not the goal, trust in themselves to express how they're feeling gives them the gift of having the ability to articulate needs...even when that need is a boundary like saying NO!

There’s a difference between teaching respect
and teaching compliance.

Manners can be taught.
Boundaries must be protected.

When children are raised to prioritise politeness over safety,
they can learn to override their own discomfort
to keep others comfortable.
And that lesson doesn’t stay in childhood.

I would rather raise children
who trust their instincts,
who know they’re allowed to say “no,”
who understand that discomfort is information —
not something to ignore in order to appear agreeable.

This isn’t about encouraging conflict for the sake of it.
It’s about teaching children to trust their instincts — and act on them.
To know their voice matters.
To know they don’t owe silence to someone who is crossing a line.

Because respect should never come at the cost of self-protection.
And teaching our children to honour themselves
is one of the most powerful forms of care we can offer. ❤️

Quote Credit: ❣️

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01/02/2026

Growth doesn’t always look like reaching higher. Sometimes it’s learning to rest. Sometimes it’s finding your voice. Sometimes it’s simply noticing you’re softer than you once were.

Whatever shape your growth takes, it’s still growth.

It’s still movement toward yourself.

💭 What has growth looked like for you lately, rest, boundaries, courage, stillness?
Comment a word that describes your growth right now 🌿

gentlegrowth • retreatintowellness • mindfulhealing • connectionmatters • selfkindness • emotionalwellness • growthjourney • greybrucecounselling

12/31/2025

Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is pause. To breathe. To notice light moving through the trees. To remember that calm isn’t something we chase, it’s something we return to.

Take a slow breath with me.

Let your shoulders soften.

Let your mind rest for a moment in the quiet.

💬 What helps you find calm when life feels heavy?
Pause for a breath, and share one thing that brings you calm.

amomentofcalm • retreatintowellness • mindfulness • groundedmoments • calmpractice • emotionalwellness • selfcaremoment • greybrucecounselling

12/26/2025

Sometimes we wait for the “right” time to start, when life feels settled, when we feel ready, when we think we’ll have more strength. But growth often begins in the middle of the mess, in small moments of honesty, a deep breath, or the quiet decision to try again.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.

You just have to begin, right where you are.

💭 What helps you take that first gentle step when things feel heavy?
Your words might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today 🌿
Share one small way you’ve begun again lately, even if it felt imperfect.

retreatintowellness • mindfulhealing • gentlegrowth • emotionalwellness • connectionmatters • selfcompassion • greybrucecounselling • everydayhealing

12/23/2025

Hi, I’m Amanda, the therapist behind Retreat Into Wellness. 🌿 I’m a Certified Play Therapist, integrating EMDR and CBT approaches to support children, youth, and adults as they heal and grow. My work is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and the belief that healing begins when we feel safe enough to be ourselves.

For over a decade, I’ve supported children, youth, and adults in healing from trauma, anxiety, and the patterns that keep them feeling stuck. My approach weaves together EMDR, CBT, and Play Therapy, meeting each person where they are, with compassion and curiosity.

Whether we’re exploring big feelings, old patterns, or small everyday moments, my role is to listen, guide, and hold space for meaning to unfold, one gentle step at a time.

💬 When you think of the word “healing,” what feeling or image comes to mind?
There’s no wrong answer, just what feels true for you.
Comment below, when you think of healing, what word or image comes to mind?

retreatintowellness • playtherapy • EMDRtherapy • CBT • greybrucecounselling • compassionatecare • healingjourney • emotionalwellness • trustbuilding

12/19/2025

Even before healing begins, regulation can be felt. It lives in soft light, gentle colours, the comfort of a familiar face.

When a child feels safe, their whole body exhales.

That sense of calm is what we aim to create in every session: a space that quietly says,
✨“You’re safe here. You can just be yourself.”

💭 What helps your child (or you) feel grounded at the end of a long day?
Share one calming ritual that helps you or your child feel grounded 🌿

retreatintowellness • emotionalwellness • childtherapy • mindfulspaces • safeconnection • playtherapy • greybrucecounselling • calmparenting

12/17/2025

It might look like “just play,” but through every tower built, story told, or scene imagined, children are sharing what words can’t.

Play is their way of saying, “This is how I feel.”

It’s their language of safety, connection, and healing.

✨ If you could describe your child’s play in one word, what would it be? (There’s no wrong answer. Each word tells its own beautiful story.)
Comment with one word that describes your child’s play style, curious, imaginative, gentle, bold… anything that feels true.

playtherapy • childdevelopment • mindfulparenting • emotionalexpression • healingthroughplay • amandawallacetherapy • greybrucecounselling • connectionmatters • retreatintowellness