COUNSELLING AND THERAPY BLOG
Cultivating Self Compassion
If, upon reading this article title you noticed some dismissive thoughts arising; an eye roll; or a tightening in your belly, then let me begin by saying welcome!
You are in good company.
Self-compassion is an invitation to include ourselves amongst those we feel compassion for. While this may seem straightforward written out on this page, the experience of compassion involves recognizing suffering in ourselves and others, holding these experiences with gentleness and care, and recognizing that difficulty is part of the shared human experience – anything but simple!
The practice of self-compassion has a long history, with roots in Buddhist philosophy. Over the last few years, self-compassion has taken on particular relevance as we navigate individual and collective traumas such as the global pandemic, social injustice, and the climate crisis, to name but a few. This has left many of us with reduced access to community supports and resources in order to be with and process our suffering. Self-compassion invites us to bear witness to our pain, acknowledging this as a shared human experience and in doing so care for ourselves and help address our suffering in some way.
While compassion is a deeply human experience, for many of us self-compassion can feel unfamiliar, inaccessible, or daunting. We may think self-compassion is a nice idea in theory, however struggle when it bumps up against the narratives we hold about the ways we ‘should’ be navigating the ups and downs of life.
Kristin Neff’s work on self-compassion has brought this concept into wider social consciousness, which has been transformational for many (myself included!) and yet, as we have seen with self-care, these terms can often become coopted by capitalism, leaving us unclear and frustrated about how these ideas can actually help us navigate the challenges we face.
For many of us a practical exercise can be a starting place, a way to try on something new for size. What follows is an invitation first into the ‘what’ of self-compassion, followed by an exercise offering a way to practice the ‘how’ of self-compassion. Kristin Neff, a leading researcher in the field of self-compassion, identifies three pillars that makes up the foundation of self-compassion namely mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness.
While you can practice bringing these concepts into practice with the audio below, you can also use one, or all of them in every day life as you become more familiar with them.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of non-judgmentally bringing one’s attention to the present moment. In the context of self-compassion, a focus on mindfulness invites us to step into an observing relationship to ourselves, noticing the quality of our thoughts, emotions, as well as physical sensations in our bodies. We cannot offer ourselves compassion if we are simultaneously ignoring our pain, therefore being present with what is hard for us becomes an entry point into self-compassion. On the flip side, mindfulness also invites us to witness our difficulties without over-identifying with them, which helps us to be present with our experiences as opposed to re-experiencing them. For example, we might envision ourselves sitting on the bank of a stream, observing our thoughts, emotions, and body sensations as leaves calmly floating by, noticing their presence without minimizing or over-identifying with them.
Common Humanity
This element of self-compassion aims to undo our aloneness by acknowledging that suffering is part of what makes us human. In viewing our vulnerabilities, mistakes, and pain as part of the shared human experience, we begin to dismantle the isolation that our full, messy, human selves can evoke when encountering hardship. Rather than an indication of otherness, our suffering can be viewed as what connects us to those around us.
Self-Kindness
Self-kindness helps us to cultivate a warm understanding for the challenges we experience, rather than doubling down on our pain through self-judgement and harsh criticism. We acknowledge that the suffering we experience is enough and rather than adding onto it, we consider how might we tend to this hurt with a gentle, caring approach. For some of us, this may feel more natural when responding to the suffering of those around us; self-kindness is an invitation to include yourself into this circle of care.
Learning something new is courageous and I encourage you to offer yourself patience and kindness as you would to a loved one learning something new or encountering difficulty. It is also worth mentioning that the process of cultivating compassion for ourselves and others can put us in touch with some strong feelings. This is normal and expected and another great reason for finding a right sized examples to work with. This might look like being present with a corner of your difficult experience or bringing your focus to 5% of the pain, knowing that you get to set the pace for your practice.
Below is a practice grounded in the three principles of self-compassion, adapted from Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion Break Exercise.
Authored by: Camille Labonté Raymond, one of our registered clinical counsellors offering services in Vancouver BC.
Disclaimer: This audio and other mindfulness exercises provided are not intended to be used as a substitute for counselling or therapy. If you are experiencing ongoing or distressing anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation or are in any other form of distress, please seek the support of a Registered Clinical Counsellor or Psychologist.
How to Find a Therapist or Counsellor in Vancouver: The Search for the Right Fit
Our counsellors do this for a living, and we still find the search for a new counsellor daunting. Here's what we'd want you to know before you start scrolling through profiles: what to ask, where to look, and how to tell when it's actually a fit.
Our counsellors do this for a living, and we still find the search for a new counsellor very daunting!
Looking for the short version?
Get clear on what you want help with, check your insurance coverage, then browse a few counsellor bios or a directory like BCACC (or from our counsellors’ page!) Book a free consultation call before you commit to anyone. Training and approach matters, but how someone actually feels to talk to matters just as much. That's the quick version.
Read on for the fuller version, complete with questions to ask during your intro calls.
From our team to you, wishing you luck!
We are aware that especially in Vancouver, there are SO many counsellors and therapists to choose from, and that the process of reaching out to find a counsellor can feel like a lot rather than a relief, which obviously is far from the goal. With that in mind, here are some questions, resources, and things to sit with as you look for someone to work with, whether this is your first time reaching out or your fifth.
You're definitely not alone in finding this part hard, but hopefully we can help!
Before You Begin
Before you start scrolling through profiles, here are a few things to think through to help you know what you want, and to help narrow things down.
Finances
How much can you realistically invest in counselling right now? If you know you can only afford five sessions this year, your process is going to look different than if you can commit to twice a month for the next year or two. Neither is necessarily better than the other, it's just good to know going in and might inform your decision to even see someone low cost or avoid someone with a higher price point per session, as - yes, you guessed it - prices vary widely as well within this field.
Insurance
Make sure to check your extended health coverage before you get too far into your search; it’s not quite as simple as insurance simply covering counsellors or not.
Different plans cover different types of counsellors and therapists (and not others), so it's important to confirm what's included, and we know they can all look kind of the same:
Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC): masters level counsellors registered with the BCACC in British Columbia (our counsellors at New Tides!)
Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCC): masters level counsellors registered in Canada
Registered Social Workers (RSW)
Psychologists: typically have a phD (or master’s in Alberta)
Registered Psychotherapists (RP), depending on your plan: masters level counsellors in Ontario
It's also a great idea to consider checking your per-session reimbursement and whether there's a yearly cap so that you can know now, rather than partway through your fourth session.
You’ve gotten this far… need support start narrowing things down?
Spend a few minutes filling out a few questions about you, and we'll match you with a counsellor in Vancouver, or online anywhere in BC.
A Few More Questions For You to Ponder
How deep do you want to go?
Are you hoping to pick up a few skills, or dig into what's underneath things? If childhood trauma, attachment patterns, or complex trauma are part of what's bringing you in, look for someone trauma-informed and comfortable with attachment work or somatic (body-based) counselling. This kind of work can be slow and vulnerable, and finding someone you trust enough for it takes time. Some counsellors lean toward shorter-term, skills-based work, others toward deeper, longer-term process. These are good questions to ask (or what to look for as you’re browsing websites!)
Even if you don’t want to unpack everything, knowing that you want someone for years to come that you can pop in and out from, rather than just for one season alone, is also good to know, look for and name as you work your way through the process.
Personality Fit
This might be the most important piece here, and the hardest to search for. Notice who you feel pulled towards while reading through bios, or on a first call. Think about who you've naturally opened up to before. Someone quiet and patient? Someone with a big presence who gives you room to be your messy self? A warm, mothering kind of energy? That instinct can counts here too!
It can be a good idea to set up 2-3 consultation calls and see who most just genuinely just felt good talking to.
Values, beliefs and lived experience:
Are there any important anchors in your life such as spirituality, animals, religion? Or do you absolutely love Brené Brown? Just as in any other relationship in life, sharing values or beliefs can be a wonderful anchor in the therapeutic relationship. Having the same values, beliefs or lived experience as part of a community can be super important, particularly if you have strong political or relational beliefs, or ways of approaching life. This can be relevant if you have firm systemic or anti-oppressive values, are neurodivergent, or really want your counsellor to know what it’s like to be in your shoes (a certain cultural background, a parent of young kids, recently immigrated or going through a divorce, for example)
Your Schedule
This may seem obvious, but sometimes it’s easy to forget that availability rules people out fast. Check potential counsellors’ website booking links, mention your schedule in your first email or call can save everyone some back and forth.
Does "Therapist" and "Counsellor" Mean the Same Thing?
People use counsellor, therapist, psychotherapist, and psychologist a little differently depending on where they live and what they trained in.
In BC, Registered Clinical Counsellors are trained to provide counselling and “psychotherapy”, which essentially translates into counselling and therapy being interchangable. You'll see both words on our own site, since people search for both, and the work itself doesn't change depending which one you use. If you searched "therapist Vancouver" and landed on a counsellor's page, or vice versa, you haven't gone off track. We know it’s confusing and we wish it were simpler too.
Where and How to Actually Start Looking
A wonderful way to connect with a counsellor can be to ask around your network, particularly with friends who you know have been through similar life experiences, face similar challenges, and who you have personality traits or values in common with.
A Google or Google Maps is another good place to start if you already know what you want. The more specific you are, the better Google (or AI), will likely be able to help. For example, "Registered Clinical Counsellor for trauma and somatic therapy" beats "therapist Vancouver"). If there are a lot of counsellors in your area and being close matters, adding your neighbourhood helps too: Kitsilano, Fairview, Mount Pleasant, wherever's easiest for you to get to.
A Few Directories To Start With:
The BCACC
The BC Association of Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) is the licensing body for Master's-level counsellors in BC, and a good place to confirm someone's credentials.
Psychology Today
One of the most widely used directories out there. While it is useful for filtering by modality (DBT, EMDR, Attachment Focused) or population, it doesn't list every counsellor or every specialty; you’ll also need to keep in mind that there are a lot of different credentials accepted, so you’ll need to double check your insurance. Some profiles aren’t always monitored or updated, so information may not always be updated and you may not always hear back. Going to someones website to learn more is usually a helpful part of the process!
Counselling BC
A pretty straightforward directory that also includes psychologists, art therapists, and music therapists. Less options than Psychology Today which of course can have pros and cons.
Of course you’re welcome to browse our team of counsellors.
We have a filters that allow you to search through our counsellors based on approach, language spoken, concerns you’re coming in with and more!
Decoding All Those Acronyms and Therapy Modality Names
Regardless of the directories you use, you'll come across a lot of letters and terms while you're searching, and none of them are self-explanatory unless you already work in this field. You don't need to really know what they all mean in detail, but knowing the rough categories can help you figure out what you're actually looking for. Many counsellors integrate several modalities but seeing a lot of skills based or “bottom up” (process oriented) modalities usually gives you a sense of how someone works overall, or understand why a modality that worked for a friend might land completely differently for you.
Short-term & skills-based: structured, goal-oriented, focused on tools you can start using quickly
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy)
Solution-focused therapy
Long-term & relational: slower, deeper, tends to look at patterns that started long before now
Psychodynamic therapy
Relational therapy
Top-down Therapy: works through the mind first: thoughts, insight, understanding the "why"
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Traditional talk therapy
Psychodynamic therapy
Bottom-up Therapy: works through the body first: nervous system, sensation, what's happening underneath the thoughts
Somatic Therapy
Parts work (IFS or TIST)
A few others you'll see often:
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT): works directly with emotion as the path to change, rather than thought or behaviour
Mindfulness-based: present-moment awareness woven into the work
Systemic & anti-oppressive: looks at how the world around you (not just your history) shapes what you're struggling with
Questions to Ask Your Potential Counsellor
These are great questions to ask a counsellor in the 15-20 minute consultation most of them offer, or even in a first session as you get to know each other.
How do you view how change or growth happens in therapy? This will help you get a sense of what they actually believe helps people, why they believe it works and what sessions might actually look like (i.e. cognitive work, mindfulness, compassion-focused, understanding your childhood etc.)
On a related note, you can ask what part(s) of the clients experience do they tend to focus most on? Emotions? The Body? Attachment history? Negative Beliefs?
How did you learn to work with challenge you’re bringing in? This might be surprising to know, but not all counsellors are trained equally, AND not every counsellor learned everything they know from formal training. Experience working with issues such as trauma, disordered eating, identity exploration and others often includes advanced training, experience with clients, lived experience as well as supervision.
What do sessions look like? Processing emotion, building compassion, learning skills, exploring body awareness, telling your story? This will quickly give you a sense of how they work, the speed they move and the general therapeutic process. While this may seem abstract at first, if you speak with a few counsellors or therapists, chances are you will begin to hear certain things that “click” for you personally more than others.
Is there homework between sessions? Are you expected to do “homework” or readings? How do sessions flow from one week (or month) to the next?
How do you handle rupture and repair? An important question, and a little awkward to ask! In longer-term work, you'll probably feel stuck, hurt, or frustrated with your counsellor at some point. These “ruptures” in the therapeutic relationship are not only a normal part of the therapeutic process, but a great opportunity for exploration, change and growth, as often this shows up in other parts of our lives as well, and having a counsellor who is comfortable and skilled with the “repair” and growth process when difficult moments come up in counselling is essential.
What if It’s Not a Fit After All?
We try to remind every client that it's okay to bring up whats not working, even if that means another therapist might be a better match, especially if you’re feeling like ghosting rather than letting us know. Why?
1. Therapists are humans too! We may be paid for our time, but we do care, and when a client drops off of our radar suddenly, it does matter to us.
2. Navigating what is working and not working can be an important part of the process in therapy. It supports working as a team, as well as navigating potential challenges that come up for you personally around asking and expressing what you need, which isn’t always as simple as it sounds.
If it does end, it’s helpful to know that similar to other relationships, finding a counsellor who is not a great fit, or having an unfortunate experience in counselling does not mean that finding a good counsellor for you is hopeless or that counselling isn’t for you. Of course it can be incredibly hurtful and exhausting to open up and be disappointed, but hopefully this does not mean missing out on the magic that occurs when you do find a counsellor you click with. Often this takes a few trial and error; several of our counsellors have actually seen several different counsellors for different pieces of “work” over the years; keep in mind that your needs and preferences as a client can expand and grow over time!
As much as possible, try to be patient with yourself and give yourself permission to go slowly, especially early on, or with someone you're not quite sure of yet. Even in a space that's supposed to feel safe, trust takes time to build, and usually needs to be earned.
Best of luck in your search. If you're not sure where to begin, you're welcome to browse our counsellors or tell us a bit about yourself to be matched with a counsellor in Vancouver for in person sessions, or online therapy anywhere in BC.
Warmly,
Morgan, and the team of counsellors at New Tides, who wish you luck in finding a counsellor who you feel at ease with.
FAQ About Finding a Counsellor Who is Right For You
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Mostly, yes. In BC, Registered Clinical Counsellors are trained to provide both counselling and psychotherapy, so the credential matters more than which word someone prefers.
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Pay attention to how you feel talking to them, not just their credentials, trainings or what they claim to be the benefits of working with them. A free consultation call is the easiest way to test that before booking a first session.
Also you can feel free to use the first couple sessions as a test drive, and go slow. It’s ok to not be totally bought in at ease or sure right away. Give it some time before really deciding they are the one! -
That's more common than you'd think. You don't need the right description or a tidy goal to start. "I don't know what's wrong, but I don't want to keep feeling like this" is enough. Helping you figure it out is actually a large part of our job!
Understanding Anger as the Tip of the Emotion Iceberg
So often when we feel angry or someone in our lives blows up at us, we may need to look beneath the surface to know what's really going on. Anger is most functional when our survival is threatened. There are times when anger may bubble up to the surface, be warranted and make evolutionary sense.
So often when we feel angry or someone in our lives blows up at us, we may need to look beneath the surface to know what's really going on. Anger is most functional and makes the most sense when our survival is threatened. There are times when anger may bubble up to the surface, be warranted and make evolutionary sense. (ie. When we feel like our lives are at stake, when we need to assert a boundary or defend ourselves such as when someone physically threatens us or maybe even a squirrel steals our food).
In fact, anger is often in place to cover up or take the place a host of other emotions that accompany anger, which sometimes are more challenging or more vulnerable for us to feel. Typically, the more we suppress the emotions more closely connected to what happened, the more angry we will feel. Often, a 'primary' emotion will be our first reaction, but if it is difficult for us to feel, anger can come along and cover it up (to protect us!), sometimes before we even know it.
For example, if someone asks how you’re doing, or if you need help, support, sadness, or other vulnerable emotions might be difficult to land in, and anger might arise automatically rather than admitting how you really feel! You may also respond with anger if you’re expecting yourself to be doing just fine when you are indeed struggling. In these cases, your response might sound something like, “Of course I’m fine, stop bothering me”.
The reality is, it is way easier to become defensive or angry than face softer, more vulnerable emotions such as embarrassment, sadness or disappointment. In the case above, perhaps feelings of doubt or embarrassment were hovering beneath the surface (particularly if something IS wrong or we DO really feel like we need help). This is more likely to happen if we are already feeling embarrassed or insecure with ourselves or in our relationship with others.
But unfortunately, anger may hinder our attempts to problem solve, connect with others, or engage in the emotional expression that we may need to feel better.
So if you would like to explore what's underneath, here are a few ideas:
1. STOP. Take a deep breath, count backwards from 5, or take a moment to press your feet into the ground and pay attention to what that feels like. (More grounding techniques here).
2. INQUIRE. "XZY happened and I was angry." Does it make sense to feel angry given what just happened (and yes, sometimes it may - or sometimes we may want it to!)? Is this actually about the person or situation you're presented with, or is it more about something else going on inside you? Does a boundary need to be set? Is this anger a call to action? And finally what other feelings are there besides anger, or underneath the anger?
3. BE COMPASSIONATE with yourself. Try to be compassionate towards the part of you that is angry. It probably is there for a reason, even if that reason is not currently in front of you, threatening you (ie. “ Of course I’m angry; anger was the most acceptable emotion in my family - when my parents were upset or sad, it always came out in fighting with each other. It makes sense that I lash out or feel tense when I feel vulnerable).
4. SHIFT YOUR FOCUS. Can you start to focus on the other emotion? Imagine pressing the pause button on anger, or pushing it to the side and focusing on whatever other emotions are there, even if just for a moment! Give this a little more time and space so that you can respond from a more authentic place. (More on this later!)
Regulation Toolbox for Anxiety, Trauma and Overwhelming Emotions
This post will be regularly updated to include printable/saveable tools for managing activation! These tools can be used for regulating overwhelming emotions, anxiety, shame, trauma responses or triggers and more. Try them each when you are calm to see which ones you like!
Bookmark this page to find automatically updated links to printable/saveable tools on grounding and emotion regulation techniques for managing anxiety, trauma triggers, low mood and more.
As with all things, each tool may take some time to test out! Try using ONE tool at a time for about a week or so - practice it once a day when you are feeling mildly distressed (a 3-4 / 10) to allow yourself time to get the hang of a new technique when you aren’t feeling too distressed.
Remember - this is not about finding a TON of ways to calm yourself, but a few that really work for you. Be patient while exploring what works for you - chances are you may really not like some of them, and that’s okay!
Please chat about what is working, and what is challenging with your counsellor.
PS. Did you know that we also have an audio section with grounding and mindfulness tools? This includes:
A Calm Place Exercise (for those that love imagery and visualizations)
A 5 Minute Grounding Exercise with breath (one of Morgan’s favourites!)
A longer Body Scan Exercise to practice body awareness and relaxation
Square Breathing (Printable Tool)
Square or box or 4x4 breathing for working with anxiety, trauma, or other types of emotion regulation. This tool can also be used to practice mindfulness, before falling asleep at night, or anytime you need a moment of extra calm.
We feel anxiety a LOT in our bodies - think of how your heart might race, or you hands might shake when you are nervous. So when we are feeling anxious, one common way to tackle how we are feeling is through our thoughts and using rational thinking, but it can also be powerful to calm ourselves using our body. When our body starts to relax, this in turn can shift difficult emotions and even make it easier to address the pesky thoughts we may have been having (if we even still are focused on them at all - they may have disappeared!)
Here is a quick breathing exercise for you to try called 4x4 or square or box breathing.
You may want to try this first when you are feeling calm to get the hang of it, then later on when you're starting to feel difficult emotions.
Sometimes it also helps to tie an image to the breath - for example a balloon blowing up as you inhale, and deflating as you exhale.
Resources for Coping with Anxiety, Trauma, Mood Swings and More During COVID-19
Resources for coping with anxiety, trauma, low mood and more during COVID-19 , as well as Vancouver companies offering free classes, activities and support.
Hello there!
We hope you’re doing okay in this extended time of isolation and anxiety. Just a reminder that it is perfectly normal to feel a bit (or a lot) off kilter right now, and many of us need all the support we can get.
Here is a list of some of our favourite resources for you to connect with during this time - please feel free to add your own in the comments.
COUNSELLING
We are still here to support you, but online! Just in case you weren't aware, if you are NOT in a place where finances or insurance can support counselling, many Vancouver counsellors are offering online counselling at the moment and some have reduced rates or sliding scales for clients affected loss of income related to COVID-19. You can check out our counsellors at www.newtides.ca - all are currently offering online counselling, or search an array of Registered Clinical Counsellors at https://bc-counsellors.org. Many insurance plans (including student plans) do cover Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs)
Mindfulness and Grounding Resources on our website:
If you didn't already know, we have a tiny resource library on our website with the following....
Calm Place Exercise: which you can use when you're feeling triggered, very anxious/stressed/depressed to break the cycle. This can be difficult for some of us... be patient and go easy on yourself!
Grounding Exercise: designed to get you out of your head and into your body
Body scan: great to build body awareness before sleep
Yoga:
We are hoping to share some trauma informed yoga videos in the weeks to come, however, at this time, I'm happy to recommend:
Yoga with Adriene - accessible, varied yoga and meditation practices for free on YouTube!
If you have a regular yoga practice already and are looking to keep in up, or are interested in jumping right into a more active yoga practice, the Hot Box Yoga (Vancouver) offers free classes on their instagram live every morning at 10am
Meditation and Mindfulness Apps:
Insight Timer: many free and guided meditations form around the world
Headspace: has a few free guided meditations in a very user friendly manner.
Sam Harris's Waking Up App: a great progressive meditation program where science and spirituality meet. The app has a free into section, meditations that progress over time, and fun fact - if you email them they are happy to provide free paid services to people in need!
Free apps that promote mental health:
Calm Harm app: not just for those that struggle with self harm, this app provides short and long activities based on what you need in the moment. This is an awesome place to start when we need something to lift our spirits/distract ourselves etc. and we don't know where to start!
Stop, Breathe, Think: An app that prompts you to breathe and name emotions (research shows this on it's own is helpful!) and how you’re feeling physically before suggesting an activity (breathing, meditation or guided activities). Some of the voices of the meditation aren't my favourite, but its a great place to start with self-awareness of how you are even if you don't use the meditations.
Mind Shift: A CBT based app that allows you to track how you're doing day to day, journal and explore behaviours that might help alleviate anxiety.
Calm: Mediation and Sleep app (some paid options)
Crisis Lines:
The Vancouver Crisis Centre is not just for those in crisis, but anyone who needs a friendly ear and a few words of support. We highly recommend connecting if you need some extra support, no matter what your situation. They offer:
a chat line open from 12pm to 1am in BC (http://youthinbc.com)
Distress Lines (Greater Vancouver: 604-872-3311)
Suicide Lines (1-800-SUICIDE: 1-800-784-2433)
Recommended on Instagram
@Kelseymech : a great Victoria based counsellor and coach that has great and simple posts on anxiety, compassion, trauma ad more. She has a free webinar she recorded a few weeks ago on tools for emotional well-being during times of crisis (What a champ!)
@traumaawarecare (Trauma Aware Care)Vancouver writers/trauma counsellors that do a beautiful job offering compassion, normalization and tools for trauma responses - so necessary in this time where uncertainty can bring up lots of old triggers and patterns!
Free online activities and feel goods (most are local!):
Movement108, an amazing, small community-oriented fitness studio that has amazingly knowledgable and alignment based trainers is offering free online workouts at 7am and 4pm at
Teachers of The Hot Box Yoga Vancouver are offering classes live at 10am every day
Luminesque Dance, an amazing local dance company who encourages women of all ages and abilities to shine on stage is offering 7pm dance parties on instagram with one of their amazing teachers
Audible.ca currently has more free titles available than usual to help us out!
If you have a Vancouver Public Library Card, you can borrow books online at https://vpl.overdrive.com!
What did I miss? Please let me know any amazing mental health resources, or free/accessible feel god classes or activities that can help us all out during this time of transition, change and uncertainty!
3-part grounding is one of my favourite grounding techniques for moments when we need to reset, or are experiencing anxiety, or a trauma tigger. This technique comes from training in somatic counselling and trauma-informed yoga.