Amy Kucherawy, Registered Psychologist

12/20/2022

My office will be closed over the Christmas holiday from December 22th-January 2nd.
Wishing everyone psychological wellness, joy, and peace this season!

01/04/2022

01/04/2022

09/11/2021

⚠️ P.S. If you'd like us to message you a free supportive, encouraging, uplifting quote each day to help you through your depression, then visit https://thedepressionproject.com/daily-quotes ❤️

05/26/2021

This is for both those with depression and those who provide support to those with depression (i.e., everyone).

What is depression? What causes it? Break the stigma.

Donate to Mental Health Resources even $1 per person is enough to change mental health.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DV5UZHMPKJVLQ

03/19/2021

Why do people see a psychologist? Many people do so for treatment of mental health issues and managing the impact of physical illness. You can also see a psychologist just for maintaining or improving your psychological health and wellness!

10/11/2020

Today is World Mental Health Day! Take time to take care of yourself.

09/11/2020

There are lots of supports available 24 hours. Don’t ever feel like you’re alone in this journey. 💞

It is ok to not be ok. For additional supports & services call/text 2-1-1- or visit www.ab211.ca. ***deAwareness ***dePrevention

09/11/2020

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day. Su***de touches everyone and it’s an important topic to discuss openly. These conversation starters are perfect when you don’t know what to say. Su***de is 100% preventable. Now, more than ever, check in on your people, and reach out if you need.

If you or someone you know is in crisis please call our Distress Line at 780 482 4357 (HELP). For more information & resources please visit www.suicideinfo.ca ***dePrevention ***deAwareness

09/09/2020

You can book sessions online through my website amyinspires.com or by phoning/emailing me. I am still doing online/phone sessions as well as in-person sessions, and open to new clients.

08/07/2020

TV tells us that when we go to therapy we’ll be laying on a sofa talking about our childhood.

I don’t have a sofa. Sorry, but you’ll need to sit in one of my comfy chairs.

You also don’t need to talk about anything you don’t want to in order to heal. All sessions are based on where you are at that time as well, so if what you need changes, so will the sessions and methods used. Only current, evidence-based practices are used.

I am open to answering any questions about therapy with me, and want you to be well. I am available by phone or email.

06/10/2020

In-person sessions are available at limited availability. Online and phone sessions are still the preferred method for sessions.

05/08/2020

One of the best ways to regulate your body, mind, and emotions is to breathe. Yes, I know you breathe all day, but spending some time focusing on your breathing starts to build new neural pathways in your brain for you to think rather than react to situations.

I recommend starting out just focusing on your inhale and your exhale for a few cycles, really taking notice. Where does the breath first touch your nostril? Does your breath move in and out of both nostrils equally or one more than the other? Does any other part of your body move when you breathe? What is the temperature of the breath?

Just pay attention to this breathing for as long as feels comfortable and do it daily (that repetition I was talking about yesterday).

Enjoy your weekend and keep taking care of your mental health!

05/07/2020

If you’ve ever talked to me, you’ll know I come from a strong science background with an emphasis on neuropsychology. Neuro plasticity is a fancy word meaning that you actually have control over the way you think, feel, and your behaviour, so that if you want to change something you usually can. Now, I’m not saying it’s easy to change, but it is possible with repetition. I have lots of fun, simple activities I give clients who are building new neural pathways, but mainly it’s about getting out of your routine and patterns that you’ve built.

I love this infographic for giving the pros and cons of changing your brain structure! Check it out at the bottom!

When neuroscience began to discover more about the brain’s remarkable ability to change, it opened up new ways of thinking about our work with patients.

But neuroplasticity involves a number of complex processes, and it can be a difficult concept to convey to patients.

So we created this as a way for you to help patients understand how neuroplasticity works. Because if the brain can change, your patients’ lives can change.

If you'd like to print out this infographic, you can do so through the NICABM blog here: https://www.nicabm.com/brain-how-does-neuroplasticity-work/

05/07/2020

You’ve probably hear about Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) but what does that mean? Today I’m going to delve into the cognitive, or thinking area a bit, as you may not know that our thoughts are a major contributor to our mental wellbeing.

I’ve attached a quick summary of the most common cognitive distortions, meaning that they are maladaptive ways of thinking. For many people, we don’t even realize our thoughts are causing us upset until they are pointed out (usually in CBT). As a parent, I’m quick to stop these thought patterns from developing further in my child and I suggest other parents do too. If you want a more in depth read, check out positivepsychology.com, where this summary came from.

05/05/2020

How are you really? I often hear people say ok or good or angry or sad, but not much beyond that. While your feelings are valid, it’s important to identify exactly how you feel.

This emotions wheel is my favorite for all ages (find it at do2learn.com). The less intense emotions are near the edges and the most intense are in the middle. The colours also help identify emotions that feel similar. For example, notice how close angry, frustrated, and irritated are to one another, yet they are definitely different emotions.