Natasha Smikles

Okie dokie. #solidadvice

Really looking forward to being back in our office next week! #Repost @dbtwinnipeg DBT Winnipeg... DBT WPG will be back in the office next week. ALL SERVICES will still be avaliable online and by phone. As much as we miss our clients and would love to see you, we will not be allowing in-person sessions if you have cold or flu symptoms. If you choose to attend your session in person, we ask that you limit the amount of time spent in the waiting area and practice physical distancing. Hand sanitizer will be provided throughout the clinic and will be dispensed upon entry and exit of the premises. Should you have any questions about the safety measures being put in place please feel free to contact us! Stay safe and healthy!

Just wrapping up a webinar for Canadian Wildlife Federation's - Wild Outside youth program! . Thanks @ashmcadams1 for inviting me to talk about mental health and the outdoors!

I'm very glad to see that Manitoba is making mental health a priority! Please share this valuable resource, you never know who may need it!

Yes! - phone and online therapy sessions are totally an option! But maybe not with this phone.... If you are experiencing symptoms of cold or flu and would like to have your session by distance please email [email protected] and we can make it happen!

Happy International Women's Day! I am so grateful to be a surrounded with strong, independent, like-minded women in both my personal and professional life. You are amazing! . I believe it is important to support and encourage the women around us. I also believe that it is important to support not only women...but all genders, cultures and ethnic groups. Cheers to supporting equality in all forms, and of course to my fellow lady bosses!

NERDING OUT with some BRAIN FACTS! Just to give you a sense of how COMPLEX and FACINATING our BRAINS really are, consider the following.... . In one of my recent classes, I found out that our brains have 100 BILLION NEURONS (brain cells), and EACH NEURON will have approximately 30,000 NEURONS connecting with it! Now each of those connections can send 5,000 pieces of information in 3-5ms. So...that's 150 million pieces of information to 1 NEURON in 3-5ms...and we have 100 BILLION OF THEM. Mind Blown

Love this view, this job and this dog!

I came across this pic that @dakota_noel_photography () took from the BE KIND TO YOUR MIND EVENT a couple of weeks ago.... I guess this is what I look like when I'm talking in front of a hundred plus strangers about mental health....excited and terrified! Once again very dialectical!

A big thanks to Dakota Noel Photography for capturing these awesome moments from the BE KIND TO YOUR MIND EVENT!

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. For every view of this video, Bell will donate 5 towards Canadian mental health initiatives. Watch now and share this video to help us spread the word! #BellLetsTalk

Had a fun time this morning @ctvwinnipeg promoting SPEAK UP!s next mental health event: BE KIND TO YOUR MIND! Our @dbtwinnipeg program will be present at this event to teach tips and strategies for your mental health and wellbeing! . BE KIND TO YOUR MIND! SATURDAY FEB 1 CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HUMAN RIGHTS @cmhr_mcdp... . Hope to see you there! See more

We were live on CTV's morning show promoting the BE KIND TO YOUR MIND! event that will be held Friday February 1 at the Human Right's Museum. More info can be found through the following link: https://www.dbtwinnipeg.com/events Hope to see you there!

Our DBT program has linked up with some great community organizations to put on this event! Tickets are only $15 with all proceeds going to Sara Riel for mental health programming. More details can be found at: https://www.dbtwinnipeg.com/events Hope to see you there!

My lazy work mate! When he's not helping with soothin' he's snoozin'!

++= Remember to take some time FOR YOU over the holiday season! Self care isn't selfish, check in with yourself and consider setting the boundaries you need. Also coffee helps... . HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Back by popular demand!

Gaga talks mental health, DBT and TIPP skills- "I take dialectical behavioral therapy. I think that DBT is a wonderful, wonderful way to deal with mental health issues."

I came across this image a while back and I feel like it is quite relatable for the type of therapy I provide. . I think that there can be a common misinterpretation that therapy sessions "should make you feel good". Often many clients that I work with have gone through severe trauma, struggle with mental illness or have significant environmental stressors. This means they aren't going to feel good all the time, especially if painful emotions are justified. Sometimes one of... the most difficult aspects of my job is sitting with a client when pain and suffering is highly present. . My interpretation of this picture is that that therapist is helping the client learn to grow through the difficulties that they are experiencing. She is not focusing on putting out the smoke/cloud. Just simply validating and allowing the experience, while nurturing growth at the same time. . Any other intrepretations out there?? See more

Excited to announce my private practice and the DBT Winnipeg program will be moving to a bigger space in the new year! . My DBT partner Kyla and I have signed a lease for a 2000 sq ft suite at 70 Arthur Street in the Exchange. We are in the midst of completing an awesome reno, and looking forward to having a stylish new space for our clients and more room for our program to grow! Expected move in date is February 2020.

I'm remaining hopeful that diagnostic imaging will be the future of accurate mental health diagnosis.

MAURICE our DEAR MAN reppin' @dbtwinnipeg

It's been almost 2 years since we started working together on our DBT WPG program. Since then our program has grown and we have had the pleasure of working with... some amazing clinicians! Looking forward to DBT WPG's future- amazing practitioners and clients included! @kyla.johnston.rpn @natasha.smikles_rpn See more

This November we'll be coming up to 2 years of our DBT WPG program with @kyla.johnston.rpn and 1 year with @megangrant.nourishing_health. These ladies are so awesome! I'm glad we have been able to collaborate and grow such a fantastic treatment program!

This little reminder sits at my work desk. It not only reminds me to work hard (which is something I value), it's also a way to remind me of my client's hard work. As a behavioural psychotherapist I work with client's to help them change behaviours, habits and patterns that they've often held on to for years...even decades! CHANGE IS HARD WORK! I'm very thankful to be in such a great place in my career, and to work with such amazing clients! Cheers to the hard workers out there!

Seriously this was only 3 weeks ago ...it hit 28C! Anyone else having a rough go radically accepting the cold rainy weather of the past few weeks? . Time to load up the VITAMIN D. <-- one of my mood booster go to's. Numerous studies have linked deficiencies in vitamin D to low mood and depression. Vitamin supplementation can typically be a great way to ensure that you're getting that boost you need during these cold cloudy days.

Ahhh...the brain in love....a powerful and addictive force! That's right, love works on our reward systems in the brain much like addiction. . In a nutshell, romantic love fires in the VTA of the brain which in turn manufactures and sends out rushes of dopamine ->this makes us feel AMAZING...a cocaine high works in a very similar way. According to Dr. Helen Fisher, "you come down from cocaine, romantic love is an obsession, it possesses you and you loose your sense of self ...and you can't stop thinking about the other person". Unfortunately this obsession can grow with rejection. . Over the years I've worked with numerous clients whom have struggled with being stuck in love with ex's, abusers or people that don't love them back. Often these clients logically know these relationships aren't good for them but still get stuck in love and obsession. Healing begins when individuals understand these feelings as functioning like an addiction and not a choice. See more

When it come to focusing on your breath for relaxation it's important to BREATHE OUT LONGER than you breathe in. Why? It's your breath out that helps regulate your parasympathtic nervous system, which aids in helping to calm your body. Also breathing out is essential if you are having a panic attack. Often when we are in a state of panic we breathe in too much causing our lungs to fill, which makes us feel like we can't breathe so we try to breathe in more....but our lungs are full! If you can focus on breathing out, your lungs will automatically fill back up (they are like a vaccum) and your breath can become more regulated decreasing the state of panic.

Today is world suicide prevention day. One person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. Know who to call: Klinic Crisis Line 204-786-8686 or 1-888-322-3019 TTY 204-784-4097... Manitoba Suicide Line "Reason to Live" 1-877-435-7170 (1-877-HELP170) Kids Help Phone (national line available to Manitoba Youth) 1-800-668-6868 Klinic Sexual Assault Crisis Line 204-786-8631 or 1-888-292-7565 TTY 204-784-4097 Manitoba Farm, Rural & Northern Support Services supportline.ca - online counselling 1-866-367-3276 (hours Mon-Fri 10 am to 9 pm) First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line 1855242-3310 Counselling available in English and French - upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktut

New family groups starting @ DBT Winnipeg!

Instant mood booster #pleasantevent

New email addy is in effect [email protected] . Unfortunately the server for [email protected] has been experiencing numerous issues the past few weeks resulting in missed emails. My sincerest apologies if you have been unable to reach me by email over the past few days. Hoping this new email addy will keep us in touch.

NEUROGENESIS is the ability to produce new NEURONS (<--- cells found in our brain and nervous system) during adulthood. YES - we can make new NEURONS throughout our adult lives - in fact by the time we are 50 we will have replaced all the neurons we were born with! . One of the areas of the adult brain where NEUROGENESIS occurs is the HIPPOCAMPUS. This brain structure is known for helping with learning, memory and regulating mood. According to D.Stangl & S.Thuret (2009), "t...he level of neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus has been directly linked to cognition and mood." This means that there can be a direct link to the level of NEUROGENESIS and DEPRESSION. . So can we promote NEUROGENESIS? The answer is YES! The following help promote NEUROGENESIS: learning new things, exercise (running specifically has been proven), socializing with others, sex, sleep, omega 3 fatty acids, blueberries, caffeine, intermittent fasting (when done properly), flavonoids, folic acid, zinc. . The following can hinder NEUROGENESIS: lack of sleep, stress, aging, isolation, diets high in saturated fats, vitamin E deficiency, vitamin B deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, alcohol, high sugars and soft diet. See more

I've learned a lot about neurogenesis this past week in my studies. This Ted Talk is great for describing the link between neurogenesis and depression and I highly recommend checking it out!

That's right..."there's always tomorrow". How many times have you used that excuse? <---- guilty! Where did it get you? <----- procrastinating!

Just a little group planning....

Mr Cooper catchin' some zzzzz's . Sleep is vital when it comes to maintaining proper brain function and overall mental wellness. According to Harvard health, chronic sleep problems affect 50-80% of individuals with mental health disorders compared to 10-18% of the general population! For info on sleep, tips and professional resources I recommend checking out the NATIONAL SLEEP FOUNDATION website.... https://www.sleepfoundation.org