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We live in a world that celebrates speed. We demand faster progress, faster responses, and faster healing. Even our self-care often comes with an undertone of urgency: “fix,” “optimize,” “get back to normal.” Our bodies don't move at the pace of urgency. They move at the pace of trust. In my work as a somatic therapist, I’ve learned that the moments of real transformation rarely happen in a rush. They happen in the quiet spaces, when someone slows down enough to feel what’s here right now. It happens when the breath deepens, when the eyes soften, and when the body begins to recognize safety…

Have you ever noticed how your body tenses up when you’re stressed — maybe your shoulders creep toward your ears, or your stomach feels tight? That’s your nervous system doing its best to protect you. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is all about helping your body release that stored tension so you can feel calmer and more grounded. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE is a body-based approach to healing trauma and stress. Instead of focusing only on talking about what happened, it gently guides you to notice what’s happening inside your body right now — sensations, breath, muscle tension, even…

The most recent AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) textbook includes this phrase in its title: transforming suffering into flourishing. AEDP is a therapeutic modality that not only wants to alleviate the negative effects of psychological distress, but believes that as humans, we need opportunities to thrive in our lives, existing as our full, expansive, selves. We live in a world where much of mental health has become about managing symptoms or learning tools and tips to reduce the experience of anxiety or depression. For those of us who work as AEDP therapists, our goals…

Living with chronic fatigue can feel like moving through life with an invisible weight on your shoulders. Each morning you wake hoping to feel rested, yet the exhaustion lingers not only in your body but deep within your emotional being. Many people describe it as feeling disconnected from themselves, as if their inner spark has dimmed. While chronic fatigue is often viewed through a medical lens, emotional and psychological factors play a profound role in how the body holds and releases energy. In Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Dr. Leslie Greenberg, we understand that emotions…

Sometimes emotional pain doesn’t show up as tears or outbursts. It shows up as nothing at all — a sense of numbness, disconnection, or being “shut down.” You might go through the motions of life but feel flat inside. Or you may sense there’s something you need to feel or express but can’t quite reach it. This isn’t a personal weakness. It’s often a sign your nervous system has been overwhelmed and gone into a protective “freeze” response. The body does this to keep you safe when emotions or events feel too intense to process. The good news is that you’re not broken — and healing is possible…

Ever felt so overwhelmed by your emotions it becomes hard to describe your experiences? Many of us start therapy like this, desiring change when our inner landscapes contain more chaos than we can ever hope to handle. Getting words out can be a struggle when you’re chronically dysregulated, and feeling like you have to talk about upsetting experiences in therapy can come with a lot of pressure. Managing your symptoms gets harder when you are constantly overwhelmed. Logical reasoning doesn’t work when you already know what you should do. For most of us, it simply adds to our mental load…

Most couples don’t come to counselling because of one single fight — they come because they feel caught in the same painful pattern over and over again. You might recognize it in your own relationship: One of you shuts down when there’s conflict, while the other pursues and raises the volume. A simple disagreement turns into days of silence or resentment. You feel like you’re talking, but not really hearing each other. These cycles are exhausting — and they often leave both partners feeling lonely and unheard. Understanding the Cycle When couples get stuck, it’s not because they don’t love…

From Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion: Healing Shame Through Therapy Many of us are our own harshest critics. The voice inside our head might say things like: “You should have known better.” “You always mess things up.” “You’re not good enough.” This inner critic can feel relentless—and often, it’s rooted in shame. The Roots of Shame Shame often begins early, in the context of relationships. When children feel unsafe, unloved, or that they have to perform to be accepted, they may start to believe something is wrong with them. These early experiences can create deep attachment wounds and leave…

Many people begin counselling hoping that talking about their struggles will bring relief. And often, talking helps—it can provide clarity, insight, and a sense of being heard. But sometimes, even after sharing your story, the anxiety, tension, or sense of being “stuck” doesn’t go away. This can be confusing and discouraging. You might think, “I understand what happened—so why do I still feel like this?” Trauma Lives in the Body When we go through overwhelming experiences, our nervous system responds with automatic survival strategies: fight, flight, or freeze. These are built-in ways the body…

Have you ever thought, “I know what happened to me is in the past, so why do I still feel anxious, tense, or disconnected?” Many people who seek counselling have already tried talking through their story. They may have gained insight, but their body still carries the imprint of what they went through. Trauma doesn’t just live in our memories—it often lives in the body. As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains in The Body Keeps the Score: “Trauma is not just an event that took place in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.” Why Talking Isn’t Always Enough…