Insight Counselling & Holistic Therapy

When it feels like your thoughts are spiralling out of control and the negative thoughts or self-talk seem overpowering, has it ever been helpful to Just think positively? . Thinking positively can feel like quite a stretch when you’re in a loop of negative thought . Awareness and effort can help move you in the right direction, toward a sense of control over your thoughts and a more neutral outlook; these are skills that you can build on through counselling... . The way I see it, moving from a negative mindset to a more neutral one is far more realistic than trying to think positively . Think of neutrality as the middle ground; maybe you can’t stretch all the way to the positive side of things, but if you can get to the middle ground at least you are that much further from the negative thoughts and you’re also now that much closer to the positive ones . It’s unrealistic for us to expect positivity and happiness in our lives all the time, even at the best of times; try not to buy into the ‘highlights’ that are being sold to you online . What if we started aiming for neutrality in more of what we do? How would that shift your expectations and outcomes? How would it change your thoughts about your feelings? Your outlook on your life? The way you experience your body? . Let’s talk more about how you can work this idea into your life . Contact Stephanie at Insight Counselling & Holistic Therapy to book a session to discuss ways that neutrality could help make things pretty good in your life 639-318-3356 [email protected] See more

They say love is in the air, so breathe it in . Every mindful breath is an act of self-love . Imagine approaching self love as an act, instead of as a feeling... . You don’t have to be feeling yourself, you don’t have to love every bit of yourself in order to show yourself some love . Showing yourself love might mean: saying neutral/nice things to yourself breathing mindfully taking some time to yourself to do yoga/read/catch up with loved ones/talk to your supports/get outside/etc giving yourself permission to feel, even when you don’t feel okay resting nourishing your body/mind/soul taking part in ceremony/rituals/cultural and/or spiritual practices . When you take care of yourself, you feel better, and no matter how your feel about yourself you deserve to show yourself a little love . What are some ways you take care of yourself? How do you show yourself love? See more

As part of my holistic practice, I have learned that coming back to Earth is such a powerful spiritual practice; it is in our nature to be surrounded by nature . Being barefoot on Mother Earth, tending to plants, observing animals, and embracing the metaphysical power of rocks and crystals helps me to stay connected to spirit . This Sask Map Mala was gifted to me by @peaceofme.yxe ... . It reminds me to honour this land, Treaty 6 Territory, and to be grateful for all the opportunities life on the prairies has brought for me . What helps you to cultivate your sense of spirituality? . @photogenesis_photo @peaceofme.yxe See more

Every day is a good day to talk about mental health and well-being . Keeping this conversation going will not only help you in observing the ebbs and flows in your own mental health, it will help to normalize and destigmatize the need for mental health support in general . What regular practices do you engage in to support your mental health and overall well-being? ... See more

The rays of light beaming from this morning’s sunrise remind me to shine my light, even after the darkness and shadows have taken over. Each day is a new opportunity to rise and shine.

Let’s check in with expectations.... . What are you hoping to get from your efforts? Why are you doing the work? (Um, also, what does doing the work mean anyway, and why does your therapist keep saying it? Let’s unpack this one soon) . We often think that we must work toward perfecting a skill if we’re going to put any effort into building it... . With this mindset it can be difficult to even try out these skills until we feel we have mastered them . What if instead of aiming for perfecting, we focused on simply making progress, moving forward, moving more and more toward the goal? . Would you tell a toddler to sit down until they can learn to walk without falling? Then why would you stop yourself from doing your thing until you’re perfect at it? . Perfection is an illusion that blocks us from feeling comfortable where we’re at . So, check in with your expectations, can you ease up on yourself at all? Can you let yourself shine, and embrace the steps you’ve taken to get where you are . Your progress is perfect, you don’t have to be See more

I started my career 16 years ago as a child and youth worker at New Beginnings Windsor in their residential group home program that once existed. My passion for trauma work grew from witnessing the trauma that was held in the hearts of so many of the youth I worked with. Realizing I didn’t have the tools to support those folks in the healing that could have helped them grow was eye opening, and drove me to want to do more. When my job there came to an end I pursued my MSW an...d yoga teacher training so that I could learn more about how trauma-informed holistic healing practices can support a person’s well-being. I am now better equipped to analyze the systems I have lived and worked within. I do my best to meet each individual where they’re at instead of trying to fit them into specific programs. I am so thrilled to be joining up with New Beginnigs once again for YOGA & YOU, a one-hour virtual trauma-informed workshop for youth aged 12-21 on January 21st at 4pm EST. Things are coming full circle for me and I am so excited to share them with you! What a cool cycle to be experiencing!

Be still . Notice what sensations arise in your body when you allow yourself to slow down . Notice what feelings fill your heart when you are still... . Notice what reflections come to mind when you take moment to pause . See more

We are one week into 2021 already! . As you settle back into routine after the holidays, perhaps it’s time to check in with yourself and any resolutions you set for this year . Is the focus of your goal to add something more to your life? Or to eliminate or change something about yourself? ... . Often times our goals focus on removing things we perceive as negative in our lives/about ourselves . What if instead of finding flaws, attacking ourselves and our ways of being in the name of self-improvement, we could instead seek to enrich our lives by bringing in more ways of coping with what we have going on already? . The ways we talk to and about ourselves impact the ways we feel and think about ourselves . Instead of aiming to change yourself, what if your goal was to continue growing as the amazing person you already are? Perhaps with more awareness of your patterns, impulses, and reactions? Perhaps with more tools to ground yourself and respond to intense feelings, thoughts, and triggers? . If this resonates with you, I’d be happy to work with you on your goals. And if this doesn’t resonate with you, I’d be happy to meet you wherever you’re at in life and go from there . Get in touch with Stephanie at @insight.counsellingyxe to talk more about your goals! . 639-318-3357 . [email protected] See more

Our emotional range is quite vast, but it boils down to a few core emotions that we start to show as soon as we are born . Anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise . We tend to overanalyze our emotions instead of just letting them be; we qualify them as good or bad and attach stories to them... . Our emotions do tell us things, they have a purpose . When we get carried away telling the story of our emotions, we sometimes overlook what our emotions are trying to tell us . Over the next week we will explore our basic human emotions and what those feelings might be trying to tell us . The last photo in this slide is my favourite resource for growing your emotional vocabulary/awareness. It was created by an english teacher, Kaitlin Robbs (not sure when, but it’s always relevant in my books!!) . It helps us to identify the core emotion and then explore its complexities from there . Emotional understanding can be tough, and without it emotional regulation can be even tougher (as if that isn’t tricky enough sometimes!!) . Follow along with me as we explore our range of emotion, and perhaps allow yourself to sit with whatever comes up for you . I choose to sit with my emotions. My heart is full, not because it is happy, but because I allow it to experience every facet of feeling . See more

Patience is a practice, and practice allows us to progress . Pause. Breathe in, breath out . Notice the thoughts that are coming up, and where you feel any agitation in your body... . Breathe in, breathe out . Breath into the parts of your body that are active with impatience (for me, my hands and feet get really fidgety in these moments) . Breathe in, breathe out . Can you release any amount of the agitation as you exhale? Can you still your mind as you still your body with your breath? . Breathe in, breathe out . I am patient. I am kind. . See more

Saskatchewan is experiencing a mental health crisis, especially in Northern communities where supportive services are not as accessible. Insight Counselling offers phone and video appointments to help make counselling more accessible. First Nations and Inuit people with status are eligible for health benefits covered by Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB). This means that mental health care can be accessed free-of-charge for eligible clients. Reach out to Stephanie at I...nsight Counselling & Holistic Therapy if you’d like to book an appointment for yourself. 639-318-3357 [email protected] See more

Pause . Take a few moments to check in and ground . Getting in touch with your five senses can help you to be more present and mindful... . Notice and name 5 things you can see . Notice and name 4 things you can hear . Notice and name 3 things you can feel . Notice and name 2 things you can smell . Notice and name 1 thing you are grateful for (or 1 thing you can taste, if you have something to eat on you) . Breathe in . Breathe out . Be present . See more

Counselling can help you see things you don’t notice on your own . Sometimes we get so accustomed to our patterns, healthy and unhealthy, that we don’t even notice when we’re in them . A counsellor can offer a new perspective for you to consider, opening you up to start seeing things that you may have missed otherwise... . See more