Empathic Counselling Centre
100 Consilium Place, Suite 200 M1H 3E3 Toronto, ON, Canada

This needs to be said. The next pandemic is not physical, but mental, and we are not ready We’re one year into this pandemic and we are in no better situation than we were a year ago. I envy the cities and countries that have their act together and are ready to move forward from the disaster that is 2020.... Work has never been as busy as it is now. I’ve seen a significant increase in the number of clients that I see in a week and that number has been on a steady rise since June 2020. Clients are now coming to me to work through different issues - isolation, COVID-anxiety, interpersonal issues at home, and unique problems that only a pandemic can create. No one trains you to deal with mental health issues that arise within a pandemic and so my colleagues and I are forced to learn as we go, apply known techniques to unique problems, all while dealing with our own anxieties about the pandemic. Psychotherapists are angry, exhausted, and scared - angry at the irresponsible decisions of people and politicians, exhausted with carrying the emotional weight of clients, and genuinely scared for the future of our mental health. I take to my blog to vent about my frustrations and to give you insight into the stories I hear in the therapy room that no grad school prepares you for. Take a look to understand just how your actions (or inactions) affects the every day person, whether you know it or not. https://www.empathiccounselling.ca//a-letter-from-an-angry

So happy to introduce you to our new therapist, Suramya Agrawal! Suramya is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and provides both individual and couples counselling. She has been working in the mental health field for 5+ years and has ample experience working in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Suramya specializes in working with youth and adults who are in transitional phases of their lives and has been training in various modalities including CBT, Emotion Focu...sed Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Mindfulness, Art & Play Therapy and is a certified EMDR Level I Practitioner. She works in the areas of depression, anxiety, trauma, adjustment issues, peer relationships, relationship issues, self harming tendencies, and crisis intervention. Suramya is now taking on new clients for both virtual and in-person sessions (In-person on weekends only). You can contact her directly at https://www.empathiccounselling.ca/contact-us Learn more about Suramya and her philosophy on therapy on the website !

On May 7th, I was invited to join Aadhya Empower Yourself on their Instagram Live to discuss how to cope through COVID-19. One of the most asked questions during this time was, "What are some coping techniques we can use while we're stuck indoors?" My answer?... Write a letter to your future self in 2021. I took my own advice and took a crack at it. Take a look! https://empathiccounselling.ca/covid-19

I'm sure your sleeping habits have shifted since quarantine. Today I'm thrilled to have guest writer, @Sheila Olson from Fit Sheila talk about the importance of sleep. Take a look! https://empathiccounselling.ca//how-to-look-and-feel-young

From my desk to yours... The other day I went on my usual, "avoid COVID Anxiety" walk and I encountered a lovely man who drastically changed my mood. Check out my note to the kind man on my walk and how such a tiny gesture made a huge difference. https://empathiccounselling.ca/covid-19

Are you an extrovert or do you live with an extrovert who is not handling this whole isolation situation? Check out my "Tips for the Extrovert during the Pandemic" https://empathiccounselling.ca/covid-19

Being indoors gives me a lot of time to think about life Before Corona (B.C) and about how good I have it. I laugh thinking about how much I complained about life's minor frustrations. It all seems so silly now. I will GLADLY take on those frustrations if it means that I don't have to spend another day in isolation. Here is a list of things I will NEVER complain about Post- COVID-19 https://empathiccounselling.ca/covid-19

It's been about three weeks since I have been practicing physical distancing/isolation and it's been a whirlwind of emotions. From straight denial, to anger, to sadness, to eventually acceptance. It reminded me of the Stages of Grief- turns out I'm a textbook example. Check out what I have to say about going through the stages and where I am now. https://empathiccounselling.ca/covid-19

Instead of blog updates, I've decided to dedicate a whole page to Mental Wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. I will regularly update this page with information, tips, and even some insight into how your own local therapist is dealing/processing/coping with isolation. Join me for the ride, will ya? https://empathiccounselling.ca/covid-19

"Judgement Free Zone" is what I would look for in therapy. Check out what I have to say about the client-therapist relationship. Now taking bookings for tele-therapy sessions! Message me for details! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o234zRyeFQ

Who else was excited about Brad and Jen? Thank you Goalcast for the opportunity to weigh in on the second biggest reunion in Jen A's life. https://www.goalcast.com//jennifer-aniston-and-brad-pitt-/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyRfNW84058&feature=youtu.be Check out what I have to say about why I love working in Scarborough and what it's like to be in therapy with me. You can find me and other therapists at firstsession.co

And just like that, were at the last #weekend before #Christmas and I still havent done any of my Christmas #shopping. Long time #followers know that every year I vow to get my shopping done early and I ALWAYS fail. #linkinbio for a blog post from 2017 where I practice mindful last minute Christmas shopping. Take a look at the spectrum of emotions I experienced and only noticed because I chose to be mindful. Wish me luck this year !

And just like that, we're at the last weekend before Christmas and I still haven't done any of my Christmas shopping. Long time followers know that every year I vow to get my shopping done early and I ALWAYS fail. Here's a blog post from 2017 where I practice mindful last minute Christmas shopping. Take a look at the spectrum of emotions I experienced and only noticed because I chose to be mindful. Wish me luck this year! https://empathiccounselling.ca//coping-with-the-holidays-d

The secrets out! Check out todays blog post that reflects on exactly this! #linkinbio

Some much needed humour on this gloomy Wednesday. Happy Reading! https://empathiccounselling.ca//relatable-psychotherapy-me

Imposter Syndrome is alive and well yall! Mad struggle getting through this week without feeling it, especially with the book signing coming up. Check out what I learned about Imposter Syndrome and what you can do to help you get through it. Im still open to suggestions, by the way ! https://empathiccounselling.ca/bl/imposter-syndrome-is-real

'It's not that serious" is what I tell myself when I'm freaking out life's most mundane struggles. Read about it here! https://empathiccounselling.ca/blog/it-s-not-that-serious

DIY Anger Kit: Create your own Anger Management Toolkit. We are 1.5 weeks away from our book signing at Chapters! Come meet the author and get your personal signed copy!

DIY Anger Kit - Coming soon to a bookstore near you! Hope to see you there !!

NEW BLOG POST ALERT My weekly blog posts have turned into bi-monthly posts I promise to make a better effort with these! Check out todays post based on my recent-ish talk with @rehumanityfdn as I take you through my journey of learning how to ask for help and how to be that helper. https://empathiccounselling.ca//how-to-be-that-go-to-person

Tell all your friends!

Check out my interview with BEYOUROWN on my journey into private practice.

Just because you wake up in a #badmood, doesnt mean it has to be the mood of the day. Make a conscious decision to switch it up. Todays choice of shoes... @jimmychoo

#empathy is the backbone to my therapy style. It makes the client feel #comfortable #understood and #accepted. Todays post looks at @maisonvalentino #rockstud pumps to demonstrate. I was skeptical of the look until I tried on a pair of nudes. Oh. My. Goodness. I fell in love! I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I do. @lollipuff

I wanted to start off this week with a little #fashioninspo. These days (read:years), Ive been OBSESSED with #designershoes. Shoes are truly art pieces that you can wear and make a statement. Combining my love for fashion and all things mental health, I thought it would be cool to have a fashionable week of motivational quotes. Enjoy this one by #cocochanel, paired with a personal favorite by @giuseppezanotti

Imma leave this right here for those who need the extra #MondayMotivation What gets you through #Mondays? For me, its usually a nice wind down on #Sunday, topped off with a good nights #sleep. My #morning today was a little different- as I was making my way to the #gym in our condo, I decided to engage in conversation with my neighbor who I usually see at the gym. Today he was dressed up, ready for work. We briefly bonded over our #workout schedules and our choice of #proteinpowder. Even though I was half asleep when this conversation started, by the end of our 5 minute #conversation, I was in a really good #mood, ready to tackle my workout. Its amazing how such a small change, a slight decision made such a dramatic change to my morning. Try something new, folks! See what that does to your day!

Excited to be attending and participating in Momentum, The 2019 Canadian National Men's Issues Conference. Catch me on Day 2 as the panel and I discuss help seeking behaviours in men. Tickets are still available! https://equalitycanada.com/pro/2019conference-registration/

I really hope I don't have to put out a SPOILER ALERT - but you really should have watched Avengers: Infinity War. But, in the event that you haven't - this is your official SPOILER ALERT. "Masculinity has gotten a lot of smack for being a factor that causes depression in men. Although there are parts to masculinity that are detrimental for mental health in males, there are also aspects that can protect men from depression. I can argue that when Thor was depressed, he was acting on masculine factors that contributed to it, but when he transitioned into practicing positive mental health, he relied on protective masculine factors." https://empathiccounselling.ca//masculinity-thor-s-reason-

So proud to be Torontonian on a day like today. Seeing thousands on thousands gathered around to celebrate our victory and it's rightful place in the north. You've definitely heard, "We are the Champions" belted all over the city over the weekend. What a perfect reminder that June is also pride month! Recognize that figure in the back? It's the iconic Freddie Mercury!

I had the privilege of being a judge at the first annual Mr Tamil Canada This event showcased seven impressive men with a common goal: to raise awareness around men's mental health and to champion the initiatives of the organization. As I mentioned on stage, I was impressed by their ability to show comfort and confidence in a very vulnerable situation - not an easy feat and a beautiful example of resiliency! Congrats to all the participants! As for the title winner, Vijey Radhakrishnan, I have high hopes with what you bring to the table and I look forward to your advocacy in men's mental health awareness over the year.

Taking a walk down memory lane was we shift into a new website! Check out this blog post - this was published TWO years ago, but I still stand by it! https://empathiccounselling.ca//faking-confidence-fake-it-

"The problem that I was having about self-care was that it was always glamourized and made me come to believe that it was something that required 3 hours of time. As a young grad, I simply didn't think I had the luxury of finding three hours to sit in a tub of warm water while rose petals floated around and I was sucked into an episode of KUWTK (Yes, this is my idea of night in)." So what did I do? Take a read! https://empathiccounselling.ca//your-self-care-doesn-t-work

Today's post comes from Rufus Carter from Recovery Works. Rufus is a previous contributor and has generously offered to share his tips on how to write a new chapter in your life after addiction recovery. You can check out his article here https://empathiccounselling.ca//how-to-turn-addiction-reco

Check out what One Shlomo Radcliffe had to say about #DIYAngerKit https://www.yorkvilleu.ca//guest-post-macp-alumnus-schlom/

Thank you One Shlomo Radcliffe for your review of DIY Anger Kit! Shlomo is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who practices in North York and also specializes in anger management. You can check out his details here: https://www.shlomoradcliffe.com/ Review to follow!

I alluded to it earlier this week and I'm finally delivering. I found this hilarious BuzzFeed article entitled, " 27 Tweets That Only Someone In Therapy Will Relate To On A Deep, Dark Level " and I decided to give my side of the story from a therapist's perspective. Check out the article to take a deep dive into what happens in the mind of a therapist in session. https://empathiccounselling.ca//a-therapist-responds-to-yo

This BuzzFeed article has sparked an idea for this week's blog post. Check out the link in the meantime for some hard truth hilarity. https://www.buzzfeed.com//27-tweets-that-only-someone-in-t

It only took til March for me to release a blog post We hit the ground running once 2019 rolled around and the dust is slowly settling. I needed a break to recoup from the whirlwind and I finally settled down and wrote a post about the recovery process. Take a look at how I recognized burnout and what I did to turn it around! https://empathiccounselling.ca/blog/recovering-from-burnout

I needed a good laugh this weekend and went through Reddit's #showerthoughts section and I was not disappointed. My eyes landed on this gem and I definitely had to give myself a moment to let this sink in. Do you engage in DIY bullying?