Jennifer MacLellan Counselling

02/28/2023

UPDATE: My previous email is no longer in use (it was connected to a website I no longer use).

I had a re-direct on there for a few weeks, but if you’ve emailed “info@jennifermaclellan.com” and have not received a response, please send me an email at my primary email address now which will be:

jennifermaclellancounselling@gmail.com

Or you can always text me at: 902-979-0013

😊

01/31/2023

My office is ready !!!! Thank you for all the patience while I was in the temporary office on the boardwalk. If you didn’t know, the building I was in was heavily damaged during Hurricane Fiona and I’ve been displaced since the end of September!

It’s finally finished, and looks amazing, and I am so happy to be back here!

I will send a message to everyone as your sessions arise to give you the heads up that I’m back in my space!

♥️

01/26/2023

The winners for the Coal Bowl passes have been selected!

There were so many amazing entries. Your kiddos are all super talented, and have big hearts. I wish I had enough for everyone.

But this was a competition and these two girls stuck out with video submissions, displaying their talents, and confidence!

I hope you enjoy the Coal Bowl:

Drumroll ………… 🥁

Caitlin MacPhee and Callie MacPhee!!!!
(Names shared with moms permission).

01/20/2023

Share: GIVEAWAY

I am so happy to be able to sponsor the New Waterford Coal Bowl this year!

The nice folks on the Coal Bowl Committee have comped me two passes, so I would like to give them to two kiddos from New Waterford to attend the games!

If you know a junior-high or high-school kid that would like a free pass, or even an elementary kid whose mom is gonna let them skip school (we all know this therapist encourages a little gentle delinquency 😛) then send me an email at:

jennifermaclellancounselling@gmail.com

(It’s long, I know…all the good ones were taken).

So how are you gonna win? Well, you (or with the assistance of your guardian) can send me an email showing me something you’re good at that brings you joy and supports positive mental health (I won’t be sharing anyones submissions - cuz ya know - confidentiality) Unless of course you wanna post it under this thread and that’s super cool too!

Do you like to draw? Then send me a picture and tell me how it makes you happy! Do you know how to do tricks with a skateboard? Send me a video of you attempting a trick! Do you collect something? Show me your collection and tell me why you’re drawn to it! Write songs? Play music? Bake? Have a YouTube channel? Write poetry?

Basically send me a picture, a video, a poem, a clip of you doing anything that makes you happy!

I’m going to randomly pick whatever I think is rad (there’s no rules here in life).

I’ll announce the winners in a few days on this page and tickets can be picked up locally or mailed for FREE.

(Don’t let anyone clone the page and trick you into sending postage)

01/19/2023

I actually think it’s pretty rad when people know themselves this well. It gives me a chance to sit back and work on ”active listening” 😅

01/04/2023

We are setting all the good boundaries in 2023. We are telling people “no” and coming to a full stop. If our energy is low, we are not emptying our cup just to please others.

I tell all of my clients to “become obsessed with yourself”. Not because I want us all to be divas (but that’s cool too). I want you to prioritize your well-being. If you are the strongest, most secure, resilient and authentic version of yourself, then what you’re putting out to the world is good stuff.

If you are protecting your energy then the takers can’t get at you. They won’t like it, but that’s when we take a step back from those who can’t respect boundaries.

We are definitely not feeling guilty about putting our needs first. We are worth it. 🤘🏼

11/09/2022

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Change takes a ton of work, and we are all busy folks with lots going on.

Prioritizing yourself can be kind of difficult if you have a busy schedule, so remember we take baby steps, not big leaps.

Setting boundaries is a great way to show up for yourself. You can reclaim a lot of time by offering people a “no” without feeling the need to explain.

Sometimes you just don’t have time for s**t.

Turn your phone to silent. Just because I am online, doesn’t mean I want to talk to everyone. Teach people that you are not available 24/7. I like to say “I use my phone, my phone doesn’t use me.”

When you make a mistake, forgive yourself. It’s never as bad as you think, and people don’t notice as much as you think they do. If it’s a big mistake, practice acceptance and accountability. Deal with them now, so you don’t have to suffer it more than once, dreading the outcome. If it’s really big, ask for help.

We are not the same people we were ten years ago. Forgive yourself for stupid and insensitive things you’ve said and done. Allow us all to grow and learn and become better versions of ourselves.

If you are rejected in love, in work, in friendship, on Tinder, recognize that you reject many things all day as well. Other people have the right to reject you. Maybe you’re unqualified, unsuited, or just not their type. That’s all ok. It doesn’t mean you are unworthy. Be humble and recognize that there is value in working your way into better things.

Not all days are good, but not all bad days are bad all day. Don’t let one crusty moment ruin another twenty-three hours. Reset, remember what you are grateful for, and be ready to welcome good things.

Be heard. Even if you’re talking horses**t. Make sure they hear you, and make sure you listen. You have plenty to offer, and plenty to hear.

Progress happens with practice and consistency. You don’t fail when you mess up. You simply learn what isn’t working for you. Perfection is bonkers and it’s a standard I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. There is fun to be had in the learning, in the bad days, in the good friends, the laughter and the tears.

You are enough, you are weird and rad, and you do things differently than other people and I’m so glad you do!

I love me some good Facebook memes, but remember that they are not a replacement for actual help.

If you are in crisis call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

If you need to talk to someone, hit up a therapist. We like chatting 😉

11/03/2022

How familiar is this to all you ladies out there? I remember being told by literally every adult in my life that a ”good girl” was: quiet, didn’t fight, didn’t argue, didn’t play too loudly, never spoke back, didn’t get dirty, did things without question, obeyed parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, the weird guy at the store, and basically any adult without question.

Then there was Jenn…I had rampant undiagnosed ADHD, I was loud, and weird, and every time my mother would buy me a dress with flowers on it I would scream-cry and tell her I absolutely hated all this girly horses**t. I spoke back to everyone, including teachers, until I mainly just started skipping school entirely. I was on academic probation for all of grades 9-12. I was becoming anything but a “good girl”.

But unlearning all of those conditioned behaviors is tough too. I knew I wasn’t interested in listening to all these constructed rules…but I wasn’t sure how to behave in defiance of them either.

One helpful thing was to learn the difference between being ASSERTIVE and AGGRESSIVE.

In order to feel heard, I think a lot of people turn to aggression, when what they really need is to work on being assertive.

I also implemented so many BOUNDARIES. These can be applied to everyone. I have boundaries with family, friends, in relationships, with co-workers, and clients.

People won’t like it. There’s nothing worse than a woman who is no longer agreeable. Now you’re a whole-ass human that society has to “deal” with and not just overlook.

So if you’re not going to be a “good” girl, which one are you gonna be?

Competent Girl
Capable Girl
Confident Girl
Expressive Girl
Creative Girl
Adventurous Girl
Balanced Girl
Comfortable Girl
Aware Girl

Add as many as you like 😉

And remember…well behaved women rarely make history.

10/24/2022

We therapists harp on about self-care all the time. If you only examine it surface deep then it seems kind of cliche. But self-care is about the brain-body connection.

Our gut health, or sleep health, our hygiene health, our social health, our supportive health, our emotional health….these are all things we need to work on and support within ourselves to cultivate our best life.

So when we say self-care, we don’t mean just go take a bath because it feels good. We mean listen to what your body is telling you it needs. Does it need rest? Does it need less noise? Does it need more sleep? Less stress? Less people pleasing? More boundaries?

Putting your needs first is self-care. So do something kind for yourself today. Put yourself first and listen to your body.

09/22/2022

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thrive-ocd-its-probaly-not-what-you-think-tickets-412040864317

Hey folks, you might want to check this out! There are some FREE seminars being offered through the Canadian Mental Health Association.

This one is on OCD, there is another on PROCRASTINATION, and multiple others to choose. You get tickets for them at the site and they happen on ZOOM.

Programs like these are incredible for learning more about these disorders.

Plenty of people struggle with both OCD and PROCRASTINATION and I know that y'all would benefit!

I am signing up for these two for sure! But I encourage you to go read up on all of the programs being offered.

This workshop aims to destigmatize and demystify the information around Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [ODC].