Suzanne Duc Counselling Services
1209-150 Isabella Street K1S 1V7 Ottawa, ON, Canada

Your feelings matter

Who surrounds you? Do they bring you peace? Do they have your back? Something to consider...

Oh yeah! My colleague, Amanda Rocheleau, MSW, RSW has the best posts...

This resonated with me. Anyone else?

My female clients seem to be dealing with heightened relational issues lately as they find themselves carrying more "mental load" and household responsibility than seems appropriate in this day and age of gender equality. I have heard this aptly referenced as women feeling like "emotional trampolines" during the pandemic. This is not to say that there aren't many wonderful men out there feeling the same but when I saw this card, I couldn't help but post it as a "shout out" to the many women I have talked to of late feeling frustrated with their spouses. I hope this makes you chuckle...

Seasonal change can bring about depression. If you are noticing any of the listed symptoms, don’t be afraid to seek help. Therapy can make a difference!

SUZANNE'S NEWSLETTER - NOVEMBER 2020 I have mixed feelings about November. My ambivalence stems from the fact that so many people I love are born in this bleak yet powerful month (cause for celebration!) and yet its arrival heralds endings: the end of warmth, the end of long, sunny days, the end of another year. Will we be so sorry to bid 2020 adieu? I suspect that for many, the response to my question might be mixed. There are always gifts in grief and growth that occurs... in the wake of stressful or traumatic times. The Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, said it best: "No mud, no lotus." What has your adversity taught you? As always, I like to share knowledge and I have come across a few gems of information recently that I am passing on as follows: - List of the best alcohol addiction recovery apps: https://www.healthline.com//top-alcoholism-iphone-android- - List of 6 excellent general addiction recovery apps: https://www.rehabs.com/smartphone-apps-for-recovery/ - List of addiction resources in Ottawa: https://www.sobriety.ca/drug-rehab-ottawa-ontario.htm - You can also PM me for a list of apps to help with sleep, relaxation, mental health, exercise and other useful things! "Read of the Month" This month, I am recommending Robert J. Ackerman's astoundingly intuitive book, "Perfect Daughters" which focuses on an exploration of the experiences, characteristics and the recovery of adult daughters of alcoholics. The window of understanding provided is uncanny and hopefully, it will lead to healing for those in need. This is a book that will help adult daughters thrive! "Watch of the Month" A cinematherapy and entertainment (!) recommendation for those of you who just want to Netflix and chill in the frosty evenings of the weeks ahead... I highly recommend the brilliant drama series, "The Queen's Gambit" which explores mental illness, addiction and chess. I was riveted! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrieqwSdgI Wishing all of you a gentle week and good business and busy-ness in the month ahead! I hope this helps. Suzanne

Take time to appreciate the little things...

Seasonal change can bring about depression. If you are noticing any of the listed symptoms, don’t be afraid to seek help. Therapy can make a difference!

Sweet dreams tonight!

Good morning to my Facebook Network! I have been sending out a monthly newsletter to my professional network since April 2020. Originally, this was designed for an audience of mental health and other healthcare clinicians but I have since realized that it may be of general interest to others as well. My newsletter contains links to online therapy and other resources, recommended readings and general information about my practice. The newsletter is visible through my publ...Continue reading

Animals; therapeutic and cuddly!

I work regularly with clients experiencing chronic pain, and have dealt with it myself. It is not for the faint of heart. These placards speak volumes of truth...

Shared from the excellent Instagram post by Lindsay Braman - Therapist & Psychoeducator... A lot of us begin therapy as clients with the expectation that the therapist will be the expert, that theyll speak (or help us find for ourselves) some magic words that must be uttered for us to heal, and that- like most professional relationships- there wont be difficult discussions that engage conflict. In fact, experiencing and then repairing miscommunications, disagreements, and... ruptures is a key part of how #goodtherapy works. See, how we respond to relational #conflict is a story uniquely wired in to each of our brains, and if we always do what we've always done, that wiring gets stronger- and if that story is making it hard for us to form supportive, satisfying relationships, that's a problem. Good relational therapy makes room for emotionally charged conflict, and makes it safe for us to choose to stay, engage, and experiment with handling conflict differently. Doing so has a powerful ability to change our brains by giving us vividly emotional experiences that help rewrite old stories with new endings in a way that just learning about relationship skills can't- creating a greater capacity to form and maintain fulfilling relationships beyond therapy.

Stop apologizing. Crying = release. It’s a good thing!

Forgive yourself

Its the start of a short week - hurrah! Take care of yourselves .

Cats are therapeutic

Keep your Saturday simple on this rainy day. Nap, be small and take care of yourself if you need it. You will better manage your responsibilities if you have prioritized your own needs at some point.

Food for thought...

I work regularly with clients experiencing chronic pain, and have dealt with it myself. It is not for the faint of heart. These placards speak volumes of truth...

Estrangement; a last resort but sometimes a necessary act of self-preservation.

Important differences to be aware of...

Shared from the excellent Instagram post by Lindsay Braman - Therapist & Psychoeducator... A lot of us begin therapy as clients with the expectation that the therapist will be the expert, that they’ll speak (or help us find for ourselves) some magic words that must be uttered for us to heal, and that- like most professional relationships- there won’t be difficult discussions that engage conflict. In fact, experiencing and then repairing miscommunications, disagreements, and... ruptures is a key part of how #goodtherapy works. See, how we respond to relational #conflict is a story uniquely wired in to each of our brains, and if we always do what we've always done, that wiring gets stronger- and if that story is making it hard for us to form supportive, satisfying relationships, that's a problem. Good relational therapy makes room for emotionally charged conflict, and makes it safe for us to choose to stay, engage, and experiment with handling conflict differently. Doing so has a powerful ability to change our brains by giving us vividly emotional experiences that help rewrite old stories with new endings in a way that just learning about relationship skills can't- creating a greater capacity to form and maintain fulfilling relationships beyond therapy.

It’s the start of a short week - hurrah! Take care of yourselves .

To thine own self be true...

I think there should also be a colour here for petting your cat or dog, and possibly one for chocolate consumption (in moderation, of course). What do you do to reduce anxiety that is not listed here?

Ah, teenagers. Does this resonate with anyone else but me this week?

Boundaries create calm

Truth. @compassionfatiguetherapy

Anxiety is basically fear over something that hasn't yet happened. It is "futurizing" in a dreaded way and often leads to avoidance. Although it may provide short-term relief, avoidance ultimately strengthens the fear response because the situation, person, thing etc. the person fears is never paired with a non-scary or positive outcome (i.e., public speaking to applause not ridicule). Help the ones you love face their fears and if they can't, help them seek the guidance of a therapist.

A novel way to conceive of trauma recovery. Thanks to Lindsay Braman - Therapist & Psychoeducator for the graphic!

Forgiveness is a process and sometimes a destination that remains out of reach. Go easy on yourself if you cant quite get there.

Great graphic from my wonderful friend Shannon. :-)

A PANDEMIC OF GRIEF Ive had an idea percolating to write about grief in lockdown for about a month now. Every time I went to write the article, however, I found myself shying away. Strange, because I specialize in grief and bereavement counselling, in addition to trauma resolution. In short, I havent wanted to talk about it. Being an introspective sort of person, I found myself wondering why I was avoiding a topic that affects so many and which is a personal area of ex...Continue reading

Truth. What 1% shift might you make this week that would bring needed change?

While so many of us are blessed with positive relationships with our mothers and children, this is not the case for everyone. In addition to the situations noted below, it is also important to recognize that some mothers may have given their child(ren) up for adoption, had them taken away, or are alienated, estranged or encountering difficult relationships with their children. These women may not be receiving needed support and understanding on this day. Feeling for those for whom Mother's Day brings mixed emotions... (Thanks to Katie Cassidy, my fellow therapist, for this graphic!)

My therapy cat Milo assists behind the scenes while I videoconference. Post a pic of your emotional support animal here if youd like!

LOST AND FOUND Today, I found myself officially sick of being in lockdown. Nothing bad happened to trigger this feeling although I noticed myself getting antsy last night. You know, that feeling when nothing is wrong but you find yourself restless and out of sorts? I can remember having exactly this same feeling when I was an awkward teenager with few friends and spent a lot of time shut up in my room playing solitaire (with actual cards, thats how old I am!). That parti...Continue reading

Excellent advice... From a psychologist: "After having thirty-one sessions this week with patients where the singular focus was COVID-19 and how to cope, I decided to consolidate my advice and make a list that I hope is helpful to all. I can't control a lot of what is going on right now, but I can contribute this....Continue reading

Dreary weather is tough on everyone and especially those with bored kids in their midst! This post is for you, tired parents

THE SECRET RESILIENCE OF THE INTROVERT I have noticed an interesting phenomenon happening in therapy lately. Many of my clients are doing much better! Id like to attribute this welcome change to my work with them but the truth is that the credit appears to go to the pandemic. Huh?! you may think to yourself. Trust me, I did the same. I have found that more often than not, if I just shut up and listen to my clients (as in let them do 80% of the talking), most of my que...Continue reading

Great article explaining why you might be feeling so tired these days... https://parasolwellness.com/why-am-i-so-tired/ Thanks to my friend Kelly McGuire Monaghan for the original post!

Hard to get sun on such a rainy day but the water shouldn't be an issue...

Love these ideas! : Ease Family Chiropractic

This flight attendant's take on "working from home" is priceless! Your morning laugh... https://www-foxnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org//flight-attenda

I am a registered psychotherapist specializing in grief and trauma resolution. I am also qualified to provide crisis management and critical incident stress debriefings for workplace and other traumas, or more wide-scale natural disasters.

SILVER LININGS I am very lucky to have had an exceptional grandmother who taught me a lot of things. Chief among them was to grow where you are planted and to help others do the same. This is perhaps one reason I became a therapist. I have realized that sometimes people are planted in a pile of crap and dont always get that it makes the best fertilizer for personal growth. Psychotherapy is a lot like gardening. You plant seeds, pull out weeds, shine the light of uncondi...Continue reading

A poem written by Kathleen O'Meara in 1869 after a plague devastated Ireland in the 1860's... A preface to my upcoming post called "Silver Linings", to be added this weekend. Thanks to my friend and former hospice colleague, Diane, for sending. SOMETHING LOVELY And people stayed home... And read books and listened And rested and exercised And made art and played And learned new ways of being And were still And listened more deeply Some meditated Some prayed Some danced Some met their own shadow And people started thinking differently And people healed And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways Dangerous, mindless, and heartless The earth began to heal And when the danger ended And people found themselves They grieved for the dead And they made new choices And dreamed of new visions And created new ways to live And heal the earth fully Just as they had been healed See more