Nicole Croft, Registered Psychotherapist
582 Guelph Line Burlington, ON, Canada

Big thanks to Mother Mother @sessionslive @ryanguldemond @mollyguldemond @jasminparkin for singing about mental health with such honesty, transparency and humility. Your lyrics and music are keeping people alive. #sessionslive #mothermother #mentalhealth #psychotherapy #therapy #letstalk #mentalhealthishealth

I’m neither photogenic, or feel comfortable having my photo taken. Ever. @coreykellyimages made both those things disappear. A shameless plug for a guy you’ll never regret calling for any gig. I also, don’t do shameless plugs so there you have it. ... Professional Photos #registeredpsychotherapist #therapistsofinstagram #therapist #therapy #therapyworks #BurlON #photography #photographer #photo #photoshoot #letstalk #mentalhealthishealth #psychotherapy

When we respond to ‘the work’, and hear our own voice, our actions either break others down, or bring them with us in our healing, like a wave of internal inspiration. By examining our true motives, we are able to make genuine, honest choices and act with integrity. These acts create ripples of self-awareness and actualization in others. By choosing to be guided by our own voice and act with integrity, we are facilitating this very process in others. By choosing ‘us’, we a...re also choosing ‘them’. Choose you. #mentalhealthishealth #psychotherapy #psychology #letstalk #BurlON #mentalhealth #selfactualization #maslowshierarchyofneeds

A few weeks ago we were travelling and I took the opportunity to hit the pavement wherever I could. New places seem to always increase my self-awareness. There is something about the novelty to the senses that seems to temporarily reorchestrate my brain chemistry in order to provide opportunities for growth. On this particular run I remembered a feeling that I hadn’t had since high-school. The simultaneous feeling of the challenge and the resistance of body movement (a....k.a exercise). I became mindfully curious of the feeling and explore its memory. Why has it been so long since I’ve felt this feeling? Because it had been 20 years since I had enjoyed and been able to access this feeling. My mental health journey began at 16. Prior to that I was on every school sports team and was a straight A student. Athletics and academics were my life and both came to a halt when shit hit the proverbial fan. I was surprised in this moment that I was feeling as if my passion for athletics was starting to return. 20 years is a long time to ignore something that had been such a pivotal part of my life, with memories that go as far back as I can remember. There is something about exercise that has also been a recent and strong reminder to me that only if I put one foot in front of the other, can I run a mile. And that when my body feels tired and weary, that I can push my mind to take just one more step, and then another and then another, until. one. more. mile. has been run. We can do hard things, but only ever by simply putting one foot in front of the other. #psychotherapy #BurlON #mentalhealth #mentalhealthishealth #run

We regularly share a list of affirmations with our kids. One of which is, who can do hard things? to which the kids typically respond, Me!. I’ve recently only come to believe this is true for myself. We can do hard things. Life feels to only get more complicated as time moves on. And the ability to come up against a mountain and be able to move it, only comes if we believe we can move it. We can do hard things. Where you are is exactly where you are meant to be ...right now. And every inch you move forward is worth it. You can do hard things. #youcandohardthings #mentalhealth #psychotherapy #BurlON #letstalk #mentalhealthishealth #counselling

Thus it is up to me, and only up to me, as to how I choose to spend it. No one else is responsible for how I spend my time. I decide (either consciously or sub-consciously) how it is spent, and ultimately I pay the price when I choose not to spend it in ways that are honouring to my truth, and my voice and to those whom I have trusted access. #psychotherapy #BurlON #mentalhealth #time

It started to rain 10 minutes into my hour long evening walk tonight. At first it was only light, so I decided to press on. I wasn’t about to give up my nightly ritual for a sprinkle. Within the next minute it started to pour. I began to run. I don’t run. I shouldn’t run. My hips are about twice my age, but I didn’t care. I needed this. 2020 has been a year, and depression has always been an old wily companion of mine. Always on my heels, whispering sweet nothings i...n my ear. I didn’t run for home when the rain came, I ran my route. I’m sick of running for cover, and listening to the sweet nothings. I kicked at the puddles, sang and cried in the rain. It felt good. I leaned in. The voices in my past would call this dramatic of me. The sounds of my self-sabotage are almost always my words, but not always my voice. And I’m done with them. Dear depression, feel free to hang out at my heels but Im’ma keep running. Catch me if you can. #mentalhealth #psychotherapy #BurlON #depression #2020

Much of the practice of marital and family therapy rests on the foundation of systems theory. Systems theory is grounded in the perspective that problematic behaviours in individuals may 1) serve a function or purpose for the family, 2) be a function of the family’s inability to operate productively, or 3) be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns handed down across generations. So there you have it. . . Awareness is always the first step to change. Keep moving. You can do this.