The Blog
Rooted Reflections: The Calming Tree Counselling Blog
Real talk, insights, and a little inspiration.
Insights from the counselling and psychotherapy team at Calming Tree in Kitchener-Waterloo. Practical, compassionate writing on anxiety, grief, parenting, relationships, and starting therapy.
We offer children's, teen and youth, individual, and relationship counselling, in person in Kitchener and virtually across Ontario.
Category
- Adult Children
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- Blended Families
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- Individual Counselling
- Moral Disengagement
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- Parenting
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- Queer Therapy
- Reframing
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- Separation/Divorce
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- Uncategorized
Why “No” Is Not a Bad Word: The Power of Boundaries in Parenting
As parents, we want the very best for our children. We want them to feel loved, heard, and supported. But in today’s world of modern parenting, a growing theme in children’s counseling is emerging: many parents are struggling to say “no.”
Embracing Self-Compassion: A Guide from a Psychotherapist's Perspective
Welcome to a journey towards self-compassion, a vital practice often overlooked in our busy lives. As a psychotherapist, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of treating ourselves with the same kindness we readily offer to others.
Helping Your Child Cope with ... Anxiety
As a species, we all experience emotions and emotions have a function in our body and life. While emotions can be pleasurable and invite connection with others, they can also be uncomfortable and negatively influence our thoughts and reactions. Although our children may be little, the intensity of their emotions can be overwhelming to not only them but to you as their parent. Helping children manage their emotions and giving them tools to put them in the driver’s seat of their thoughts and reactions will support them in learning to cope and adjust their responses more effectively.
Supporting Your Child through Separation/Divorce
Separation/divorce is a very difficult life event that if it occurs, impacts all of those involved. Ending a relationship when there are children can bring about a plethora of changes and transitions that both children and adults need to work through. This could mean a change in residence, leaving behind a familiar home, friends, and school. It could involve adjustments to a blending of families and the navigation of new family roles and norms.
Considering Counselling?
We have often been asked “when should someone consider counselling services?” Just like most things in life, there is rarely a one-size-fits-all formula to initiate counselling and we would not want someone to feel “shoulded” into that decision. Realistically, the answer to when to consider counselling can be complicated, situational and personal.
How to Support Children following Tragedy
It may seem that everyday we are faced with another daily news cycle filled with tragedy. Sadly, it is not uncommon to be faced with horrific news stories, both here at home, across the country or around the globe and it can be difficult to reconcile our thoughts and feelings on that.
Back to school time!
These four words can cause feelings of excitement, panic and terror for parents and children alike. As the lazy days of summer wind down there are some easy things that parents and caregivers can do to minimize the impact of some of these negative feelings for our little and even bigger children.