OVL Counselling

Together in this post, we will learn how to detach from self-judgement.  I did not anticipate it would take me this long to write a post after my last one, alas life happens, and I am finally back at it again. The ability to detach from self-judgement was helpful for me when the thought of my "tardiness" showed up. Being able to detach from self-criticism or self-judgment is an important step to building self-compassion. There is no quick fix to stop self-criticism/judgment, however with practice, these thoughts will have less power on us. To do so, we need to notice and name these thoughts, to let them show up without trying to push them away or distract from them.  With time, we will recognize the pattern of these words and the stories we tell ourselves. Some common examples of automatic thoughts that show up are "my life sucks", "I am not good enough", "I'm the worst parent", "what's wrong with me?". Sound familiar? It happen...

In this post, let's explore together one step we can take to develop loving kindness to ourselves.  Many of us have probably heard or been encouraged to utilize self-compassion. But what does it mean and what does it entail? It can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin and how this looks like for you. Self-compassion involves noticing and acknowledging your suffering and responding with kindness. To develop self-compassion, I encourage you to begin slowly and with curiosity.  There are many components to building self-compassion and I will introduce them one blog at a time. For this week, let's focus on acknowledging our suffering.  Find a safe space and with intention, notice and acknowledge your pain. Notice the painful thoughts, feelings, emotions, images, urges, and/or memories that are showing up for you in the present moment. The ACE skill from Acceptance and Commitment therapy, introduced in my previous blog, may be helpful with this. Name the thoughts and f...

Are you looking for a valuable skill to help you manage racing thoughts and overwhelming emotions or situations?  Allow me to introduce a technique I frequently incorporate early in therapy sessions. This technique, known as ACE or Anchoring (alternatively referred to as Dropping Anchor), has proven to be an invaluable tool to many of my clients. This technique was introduced to me in one of Russ Harris’ courses on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Anchoring, at its core, entails engaging with A.C.E principles, which encompass: A cknowledging your thoughts and feelings: In this step, you are encouraged to observe your inner experience without judgment. You might simply utter to yourself, “I notice a sense of sadness", or "I am experiencing frustration", or even "My mind is attempting to protect me again". C onnecting with your body: This action serves as a reminder that you are in control of your body, even if your thoughts and emotions remain unruly...