Our provisional psychologists have studied a minimum of 5 years in tertiary education before undertaking an additional internship year to develop their professional practice. During this internship, they undertake a higher level of supervision from fully registered senior psychologists. This supervision process ensures that provisional psychologists have additional support in skill development, ethical practice, and [...]

Depression after childbirth can be overwhelming and isolating. In the midst of becoming a mother, new moms are exposed to many new challenges. In addition to the responsibilities of caring for a newborn, many new mothers experience lack of sleep and breast pain as a result of nursing.  Additionally, the hormone levels of pregnant women [...]

Social connections are vital for our physical and emotional wellbeing as humans are social creatures by nature. Yet, alone time is also crucial to mental health.  There are benefits to spending time with other people, but there are also disadvantages. You are concerned with what people think and for fear of rejection and to fit [...]

More and more companies are embracing remote work in recent years and work-life balance is more important than ever. Remote work has many benefits, but it can also be challenging if you don't set healthy work-life boundaries.  With the rapid spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), employees struggle to maintain stability in the midst of the constantly-changing [...]

The term codependent is traditionally used to describe the loved ones of someone suffering from addiction. However, psychology studies show that codependence is often considered to be an addiction in and of itself. Codependence can be described as a set of maladaptive, compulsive behaviors acquired by a person in an atmosphere of great emotional stress [...]

How many times have you heard the words ‘stop worrying’ by those well intentioned loved ones? And how many times have you wanted to answer, “tell me how, and I will.”? It’s a frustrating experience to be repetitively told that all you need to do to ease your anxiety is to stop this seemingly incessant [...]

We find ourselves in strange times, in which we are experiencing something that very few of us have ever experienced.  It struck me recently the unusualness of our current situation when our neighbour in their mid seventies stated that she has never seen anything like this before. It has been a very difficult time for [...]

Anxiety, worrying or overthinking is like most things — on a scale. Some people will avoid ‘scary’ things like the plague, others will simply play an event in their head a thousand times, or  ruminate and stay up all night worrying about ‘what if’. Some people will be known as ‘nervous’ whilst others will be [...]

Many people struggle with psychological hunger, also known as non-hungry eating, or emotional eating at the best of times. We can eat for so many reasons other than being physically hungry. Usually these reasons are based around an emotion such as boredom, stress, anxiety, or sadness. Sometimes we eat to celebrate or treat or reward [...]

Did you know there’s a term for your bedtime rituals and nightly habits? Collectively, these behaviors are known as sleep hygiene. You already know sleep is important; and if you want to get a better night’s sleep, the answer often begins with improving your sleep hygiene. Improvements in sleep hygiene offer an “easy win” in [...]

You already know the drill. In an effort to keep you alive, your brain is constantly scanning its environment looking for things to worry about that are a 'danger' to you. It is a pattern recognition machine, and oh boy does it go to town when something is worrying you. Let' face it, your brain [...]

The research is very clear on this: if you want to say psychologically fit, strong and healthy, you need to socialise and bond with others. This makes sense, we are social animals, and we need social contact. But what does this look like in a time that we have been asked to physically distance ourselves [...]

It can be tricky as a parent to know how much to tell your kids about what’s going on in the world. It’s also normal to want to keep them away from bad news and let them get on with being kids. But it’s important they understand what’s happening and know how to protect themselves [...]

During self isolation you may find you have more time on your hands than normal. Although studies suggest people actually work more when they are at home, some of us may be unable to work as usual, and that leaves us more time to kick back and maybe watch that TV show or read that [...]

When the ocean is calm and you can see land, it is easy to navigate true north; you can see the way forward with your own eyes, all you have to do is stay the course. However, when the tides of emotion are high, and the sky’s are cast over with fear, isolation and confusion, [...]

We all are scared, and that's OK.  We face uncertain times ahead and for many of us, the fear of the unknown - an uncertain future, terrifies us the most. We want you to know these feelings are perfectly normal and valid, but they need not dominate your every waking moment. Strong thoughts about 'what [...]

Age 4 and up: Hoot Owl Hoot! (cooperation) Jenga (fine motor skills) Jigsaw puzzles (patience and patterns) Memory (memory) Race to the Treasure (cooperation and planning) Twister (balance) Age 5 and up: Charades (non-verbal communication and acting) Don't Say It! (verbal communication) Hangman (vocabulary and spelling) Parcheesi and Sorry (counting and probability) Pick-Up Sticks (fine [...]

Research has shown that practicing self-compassion can have positive effects on both our mental and physical health. As we continue to face the significant challenges of COVID-19, building self-compassion is one of the steps we can take to protect and improve our health. What is Self-Compassion? Self-compassion means treating oneself with kindness, patience, warmth and [...]

It isn’t a health secret that sleeping is good for you, but what role does your sleep play in your mental health? Studies show that during REM (rapid eye moment) sleep, the individual gains benefits of enhanced learning, memory, and can even contribute to your emotional health. Sleep disruption, or as we may refer to [...]

If you have recently received or your child has recently received a mental health diagnosis, you may be wondering if this diagnosis will last forever. The label and stigma of a mental health diagnosis can be pressure and temptation enough to want to avoid the entire process. Will this be my label for the rest [...]

Experiencing divorce can be complicated for the entire family. As parents, it is uncharted territory as to how to proceed when it comes to topics like shared custody or split time between parents. It can be particularly difficult if a child will be seeing one parent significantly less due to relocation or custody issues. Separation [...]

Is this normal? Is something wrong? Is this more than typical child- like behaviour? If you are parenting a child who may be exhibiting challenging behaviour then these questions may have crossed your mind a few times, or even a dozen times a day. Behavioural assessments are used to answer these questions, and examine whether [...]

It is no mystery that mental health is becoming more common in our children. There are staggering statistics that indicate children are experiencing more mental health issues and symptoms then the previous generations. The suicide rate for children 10-14 has doubled in the last decade. There has been a sharp uptick in both depression and [...]

Contempt is harmful to any relationship. It can surface in anything from familial relationships, professional relationships, friendships, and even in romantic relationships. What exactly is contempt and how can you prevent it from damaging your relationships and your personal wellness? Contempt is defined by Merriam Webster as “the act of despising” or the “lack of [...]

Did you know that criticism is one of the four defining behaviors that predict the success of a relationship? But avoiding criticism within a relationship is commonly confused with never vocalizing frustrations. There is a very distinct difference between criticism and verbalizing frustrations or complaints. Let’s look at the definition of criticism, as well as [...]

Divorce has become common in our culture, with almost half of all marriages ending with divorce. It can be a trying time for an entire family, but it can be hard to navigate divorce without some guidelines. Emotions are high, there is an increase in stress and it is the beginning of a major lifestyle [...]

Stonewalling is a common struggle in relationships. Some may also refer to this as receiving or giving their partner the “cold shoulder”. That moment when you or your partner shut down and walk away in the middle of a conflict. Perhaps it surfaces in your relationship as being intentionally avoidant or cold towards your partner. [...]

There can be a lot of questions about what is involved with receiving a DSM diagnosis. Let’s get rid of some of the myths, mystery and insecurity about receiving a diagnosis. Why do therapists, psychologists, and counselors even utilize diagnosis? The psychology world currently operates under a medical model of treatment. This means that mental [...]

Congratulations! You achieved your educational goal and now are a true working professional. Getting your first job is an exciting time of your life that should be celebrated, it may finally feel like you are now in the “real world”. Like any big life transition, there can be some struggles and challenges that you may [...]

We are lucky that culturally we have begun to focus on the impacts of bullying on children. Many organizations and schools have developed anti-bullying policies or practices. The problem is that the word “bullying” for most of us leads us to think of examples amongst school aged children. What if you are being bullied as [...]

Another day, another psychological assessment with a complicated acronym. Today, let’s look at the GARS-3 and talk about its function, its effectiveness, and how it is administered. First and foremost, the GARS-3 is an acronym for the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. The ‘3’ simply means it is the third edition. The psychological community is always [...]

Perhaps you are thinking about going to a psychologist or perhaps you have gone to a psychologist and are having second thoughts about whether or not you want to continue. When presented with what is involved with treatment and a comprehensive psychological assessment, it can be a little overwhelming! Sometimes so much so, that it [...]

If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, there is likely many emotions and changes taking place. It is normal to want to throw in the towel and surrender to the illness, but will some patience, love, and adjustments it is possible to living a fulfilling and happy life [...]

Raising a blended family can be full of unexpected blessings, but it can also come with some growing pains and unexpected bumps in the road. Whether you are new to being a step parent or trying to navigate your growing blended family, these tips can help guide you as you strive to raise a happy [...]

Many people will cite the birth of their child (or the day they adopted their child) as the “happiest day of their life”. Parenthood is a life giving and an incredible journey, but is a huge transition. We are often lead astray by social media or advertising that parenthood is only rainbows and butterflies to [...]

Defensiveness is a complex topic and often surfaces in important relationships such as romantic relationships, friends, families, and even within a work setting. If you are struggling with a relationship where an individual is defensive, it may be helpful to understand why they are behaving that way, then work towards an anecdote to the defensiveness [...]

If you have been doing research on getting your child evaluated for Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder you may have stumbled across the phrase “Conners 3”. It can be easy to get lost in the acronyms and fancy psychology jargon. Let’s break down what the Conners 3 assessment is and the role it may play in [...]

The big day has finally come, it is your child’s first day of school. Whether it be dropping your child off with childcare for the first time, or their first day at kindergarten or preschool, there can be many mixed emotions! It can be surprisingly difficult as a parent to drop your child off for [...]

Just as children are so vastly different, this holds true with their development as well as with the way they learn. When caring for a child who is struggling with schooling, one may look into possible learning disorders as a cause. There are learning disorders that are as vastly different as the children they impact. [...]

Sure, couples within a relationship have differences. The reality is that to some level, having a partner who has a different opinion, preferences, and perspective is probably what makes you love them. But there is a big difference in learning how to manage a difference in food preferences and TV preferences then learning how to [...]

In weddings, you make a vow to stick together for better or for worse, but no one really thinks about the “worse” in relationships. Married or not, keeping a relationship strong can be hard enough. Keeping a relationship strong through an external crisis can be even harder. External crisis can be a variety of things, [...]

Going to see a psychologist for the first time can be exciting but usually the dominate emotion that surround the first visit is “nervous”. It can be hard to know what to expect and you typically can be pretty desperate for some results or relief to your problem. Can a psychologist really fix me? It [...]

We hear it all the time. People whispering under their breath “What a psychopath”. Perhaps you are seeing how poorly your boss or a coworker behaves at work and can’t help but wonder, “Could they be a psychopath?” Let’s take a closer look at what psychopathy really is to understand what you could be seeing [...]

We all want to raise well educated children and most importantly want them to enjoy the process! We most commonly struggle with the stereotype that teaching your child involves sitting down and pulling out a textbook or workbook. What if we are getting this concept all wrong? Self- directed learning or Self- Learning are a [...]

If your child is struggling with schooling or having some behavioral difficulties, you may have been approached by a teacher or a school psychologist about having an assessment completed on your child. It can be a lot to sift through with opinions of teachers, psychologists and whom ever else may be involved with the challenges [...]

It can be difficult to know whether or not your partner is “the one”. Our minds our filled with scenes from romantic comedies and novels so it can be hard to determine what partner is truly right for you. Perhaps your biggest fear is that you will “settle” with someone you may not be happy [...]

Any major shift in a child’s life can be greatly difficult to manage. This is also true for children who are coping with a recent divorce or separation. Most times, ending a toxic or painful relationship between parents is ultimately the best decision you can make as a family. There is no need to feel [...]

Sure you may have heard of the importance of flexibility for you physical health in perhaps your yoga class, but have you ever heard of Psychological Flexibility? Psychological Flexibility is a term that is used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This therapy is gaining popularity and emphasises the importance of psychological flexibility. To define psychological [...]

We hear a lot about ADHD as parents today. The diagnosis rate is rising and it seems that ADHD is the first thing on everyone’s mind when a child acts out. But does every child who acts out or every child who is super active need an ADHD diagnosis? Absolutely not. Kids are kids. Some [...]