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
- Advocacy
- Anxiety
- Blended Families
- Boundaries
- Budget Friendly Therapy
- Change
- Child Counselling
- Child Development
- Chosen Family
- Conflict Management
- Counselling Strategies
- Death and Losse
- Effective Communication
- Friendship Loss
- Goals
- Gratitude
- Grief Counselling
- Individual Counselling
- Moral Disengagement
- Numbness
- Parenting
- Postpartum Experience
- Queer Therapy
- Reframing
- Relationship Counselling
- Resources
- Self Compassion
- Separation/Divorce
- Sobriety
- Starting Therapy
- Student Counselling
- Substance Use Recovery
- Uncategorized
Blended Families: Understanding the Stepparent Role
Blended families are one of the most common family structures in North America today. Yet despite their prevalence, they face a distinct set of relational challenges that biological families typically do not encounter in the same way.
Constant Conflict? Ways to Understand and Move Through Conflict in Relationships
Whether we keep having the same fight with our partner, or are chronically arguing with our sibling, or stuck in a cycle of not talking about anything real with people who matter to us, conflict is one of the biggest reasons people seek help for their relationship.
Understanding the Perinatal Brain: Why Moms Need Grace
So, you just gave birth! Congrats, mama! 🎉 Now, you may be wondering why you suddenly feel like a whole new person (and not just because of the sleepless nights and constant diaper changes). If you've noticed some changes in how you think, feel, and even approach everyday tasks, guess what?
Beyond the Ideal: Real-Life Strategies for Managing Maternity Leave Expectations
Our expectations and hopes do not always turn out to be our reality. This has been the case for both of my maternity leaves. In this blog, I hope to focus on the importance of modifying the expectations that we have of ourselves and how we can cope when things are not what we anticipated.
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.