Alison Bell & Associates Counselling Group

Alison Bell & Associates Counselling Group www.alisonbellcounselling.com Counselling, Therapy, Consultation & Support - Serving Children, Adole

www.alisonbellcounselling.com Counselling, Therapy, Consultation & Support - Serving Children, Adolescents, and Families in South Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Delta, Surrey and the surrounding areas of Greater Vancouver, BC.

The holidays bring people together - but for many, the dinner table can also bring tension. Comments about food, body, o...
11/21/2025

The holidays bring people together - but for many, the dinner table can also bring tension. Comments about food, body, or how much someone eats can turn what should be connection into quiet stress.⁠
⁠
This season, let the table be a place of warmth - not pressure.⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

You don’t owe anyone your presence if it costs you your peace.⁠You don’t have to attend every gathering, say yes to ever...
11/20/2025

You don’t owe anyone your presence if it costs you your peace.⁠
You don’t have to attend every gathering, say yes to every plan, or keep traditions that leave you anxious and exhausted.⁠
⁠
Protecting your energy is not selfish - it’s wise. Peaceful boundaries create space for genuine connection 🤍⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

Kids don’t usually say, “I’m overstimulated.” Instead, they show us through their behavior.⁠⁠🚪 Retreating or hiding⁠👂 Co...
11/19/2025

Kids don’t usually say, “I’m overstimulated.” Instead, they show us through their behavior.⁠
⁠
🚪 Retreating or hiding⁠
👂 Covering ears or shutting down⁠
😣 Sudden irritability⁠
🛋️ Refusing activities⁠
🏠 Asking to go home⁠
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Holiday gatherings can be fun and overwhelming. If your child shows these signs, it doesn’t mean they’re rude or ungrateful — it means they’ve hit their limit.⁠
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The most supportive thing you can do? Trust their cues, respect their boundaries, and give them the space they’re asking for. That’s how we raise kids who feel safe, even in the busiest seasons. ✨⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

It’s okay if this season feels hard. Grief, exhaustion, loneliness, or stress can all sit quietly beneath the surface th...
11/18/2025

It’s okay if this season feels hard. Grief, exhaustion, loneliness, or stress can all sit quietly beneath the surface this time of year.⁠
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This year, allow yourself to rest instead of perform. Joy doesn’t always sparkle - sometimes it’s simply the quiet relief of slowing down, breathing, and letting yourself just be.⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

Regulated parents raise regulated kids. Children don’t learn calm from being told to be calm - they learn it by watching...
11/17/2025

Regulated parents raise regulated kids. Children don’t learn calm from being told to be calm - they learn it by watching it in you.⁠
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When you model self-regulation, your child’s nervous system syncs to yours. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be present 🤍⁠
⁠
⁠🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

The holidays often bring together food, family, and emotion - and for many, that’s a complicated mix.⁠⁠Food can mean lov...
11/14/2025

The holidays often bring together food, family, and emotion - and for many, that’s a complicated mix.⁠
⁠
Food can mean love, comfort, control, or safety.⁠
When there’s tension, judgment, or expectation at the table, it can stir old wounds or overwhelm kids who are sensitive to pressure.⁠
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This season, focus less on what’s eaten and more on how it feels.⁠
Connection, safety, and warmth feed us more deeply than any dish on the table.⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

Big feelings don’t mean a child is “too much” — they mean their nervous system is flooded, and they need help finding sa...
11/13/2025

Big feelings don’t mean a child is “too much” — they mean their nervous system is flooded, and they need help finding safety again.⁠
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💡 Some simple shifts that make a huge difference:⁠
✅ Stay calm → Your regulation supports theirs.⁠
❌ Don’t lecture → Their brain can’t process logic when overwhelmed.⁠
✅ Offer comfort → A hug, water, or just your presence.⁠
❌ Don’t shame → Comments like “You’re overreacting” only intensify the storm.⁠
✅ Validate → “I see this is hard for you.”⁠
✅ Allow recovery → Time to rest or play after the feelings pass.⁠
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Supporting kids through meltdowns isn’t about controlling them — it’s about teaching them, through your presence, that emotions are survivable and safe. 🌱⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

For many children (and adults), food pressure disconnects them from their own cues of safety and hunger.⁠⁠Instead of ins...
11/12/2025

For many children (and adults), food pressure disconnects them from their own cues of safety and hunger.⁠
⁠
Instead of insisting, try curiosity:⁠
💭 “Does that food smell too strong?”⁠
💭 “Would you like to take a break?”⁠
💭 “Can I save your plate for later?”⁠
⁠
This season, choose connection over compliance — the real nourishment happens there.⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

Dopamine is what makes us want to do something - not just be able to.⁠⁠Kids who seem ‘unmotivated’ often aren’t getting ...
11/10/2025

Dopamine is what makes us want to do something - not just be able to.⁠
⁠
Kids who seem ‘unmotivated’ often aren’t getting enough dopamine from the activity itself. Movement, novelty, encouragement, and quick wins help refill the tank.⁠
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Criticism drains dopamine - connection restores it. You can’t pour motivation into a brain running on empty. You refill it through safety, fun, and relationship. ⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

If your child’s behaviour changes this time of year take it all in as information. Their brain is working overtime to fi...
11/07/2025

If your child’s behaviour changes this time of year take it all in as information. Their brain is working overtime to find stability in an unpredictable world.⁠
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✨ Try this: keep one small daily rhythm the same. A bedtime story, a familiar snack, or morning cuddles. Predictability doesn’t have to be perfect - it just needs to feel safe.⁠
⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

Some kids feel everything - the joy, the tension, the energy in a room.⁠They notice tone, expression, and emotion long b...
11/06/2025

Some kids feel everything - the joy, the tension, the energy in a room.⁠
They notice tone, expression, and emotion long before anyone says a word.⁠
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That sensitivity is both a strength and a challenge. It can mean deeper empathy, but also quicker overwhelm.⁠
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If you’re raising a superfeeler:⁠
💛 Offer calm, not correction⁠
💛 Validate, don’t minimize⁠
💛 Teach them that sensitivity is a gift - not something to hide⁠
⁠⁠
🖥️ www.alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
☎️ 604.372.1545 ⁠
✉️ alison@alisonbellcounselling.com⁠
⁠

Address

5446 152nd Street #304
Surrey, BC
V3Z5J9

Telephone

+16043721545

Website

https://twitter.com/BellCounselling

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