So you start a new therapeutic relationship with a psychologist who, all things considered, seems good. You have conversations and you get to know e...

Valentine’s Day is here, guys.  How about this as the perfect gift for your partner: Stop trying to fix everything! I hate to gender ste...

It's Bell Let's Talk Day. On Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell will donate more towards mental health initiatives in Canada by contributing...

I was at a party many years ago when a childhood friend told me how much she hated therapy.  She confided that everything she brought up in the...

Getting good at going on a shopping spree and generating debt? Living pay cheque to pay cheque? Putting all your faith in overdraft protection? Just...

The presenting problem of clients who come to see me is seemingly, anxiety.  They meet the criteria for anxiety conditions and their thoughts a...

Dear 40, On the eve of our meeting, I have some things I’d like to get off my chest. I wanna like you but first, we need to talk. I learned t...

Think about this: You’re driving along in your car and you get into a fender bender.  Someone hit you.  You immediately get pissed o...

OK, so you finally decide to seek therapy despite your reservations.  You go to your appointments with an open-mind and maintain that you are w...

So I just recently received a phone call from a client I saw years back.  She moved away and I had not heard from her since our last session circ...

Now, I apologize in advance if it sounds like I am gender stereotyping in this blog entry.  I am simply reporting on observations from my own p...

Before I start, let me preface this with the fact that I do not condone cheating. Infidelity rightfully causes resentment and rage and understandabl...

Photo courtesy of pinkshirtday.ca So Pink Shirt Day is upon us. I will most definitely be practicing kindness and protesting bullying on and until ...

So I'm on my way into the city listening to local radio when a listener calls in to express the fact that she refuses to give gift-cards as holi...

Look, platonic relationships between men and women exist.  Nobody should be so bold as to assume that there are ZERO platonic relationships betwe...

In order to treat the anxiety of many of my clients, we often discuss the nature and patterns of their interpersonal relationships - you know, how the...

I can’t begin to tell you how many people come into my office with similar dialogues about their jobs.  It goes something like this, &ldq...

Photo courtesy of Parts Unknown Two big names in one week. Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Two highly successful people took their own lives ...

So as a psychologist who specializes in anxiety, the presenting problem of a lot of my clients is, you guessed it, anxiety. As you can therefore imagi...

Ever feel like you have no idea why you chose your current partner? After the 75th thousand fight about the same frikin’ thing you secretly qu...

This is one of my favorite topics! This theory can very well help you finally create the change you want to see in your life. The alternative would be...

Have you ever realized what you think about in your ‘in between’ moments? You know, the minutes before, after, and in between the schedule...

I'm still totally obsessed with the idea that we are radically responsible for our romantic (and other) misfortunes (see blogs called Radical Self...

I thought it important to discuss the main reason why mental health awareness campaigns exist.  I can't begin to tell you how many clients co...

Photo: Bell As a psychologist, I see so many misunderstood individuals who are, not only plagued by symptoms of mental illness, but who are also he...

It is a misconception that Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is, put simply, a cluster of generally anxious symptoms.  GAD, in fact, points to a...

Do you often stay at work late to help a colleague?  Do you never take your allotted breaks?  Would you continuously pay your kid’s re...

With holiday parties coming up, I thought I’d discuss a phenomenon I’ve often witnessed and experienced both personally and professionally...

Sassy received a request to write about the age-old question of why some women choose the bad boy. I have three hypotheses as to why the bad boys &quo...

As a teacher, it is my job to issue consequences for academic dishonesty (like cheating on tests and plagiarising papers) but as a psychologist, I tot...

Here’s the sitch.  You have a woman who enters a new romantic relationship and wants to share the info with her two besties, so she texts t...

…ever cheat on a test?  After what I saw this past semester, I can tell you that cheating and plagiarism is alive and well among the young...

Parenting experts often discuss the importance of “cutting the cord” with your children to ensure that they can be autonomous and learn fr...

Have you ever felt guilty - like you weren’t doing enough for the people in your life? Are you the type to feel bad if you can’t attend ...

Based on this title, I must begin with the fact that I’m not encouraging you to jump to psychological conclusions about the people in your per...

A friend of mine (let’s call her Margo) had a pretty significant argument with someone in her personal life (let’s call her Joan).  A...

Ahhh, the elusive concept of self-esteem…. In my personal and professional experience, true healthy self-esteem is difficult to behold and ra...

I know, I know.  It sounds vague and, perhaps, airy-fairy when people say that you need to be nicer to yourself.  “Give yourself a b...

When we think of the word "enabling," we often think of its use in addictions. You enable an addict when your attempt to help them, hurts ...

If someone would have told me that I’d be teaching my clients about the importance of paced breathing, I would have said they were nuts.  A...

Sassy has talked about the art of receiving a few times, the most recent being: how to receive in the bedroom.  Today, let’s talk about t...

In the same way that human beings can get addicted to substances, we can also get addicted to our own respective emotions. Think about the emotions ...

Something I often hear in my office is, "am I normal?" Some people get really angry and judgemental with themselves for having thoughts th...

In an ideal world where everyone is psychologically evolved, conflicts would be handled with compassion, great communication, and emotional intellig...

Some people have a hard time believing that our childhoods affect our thoughts and behaviours as adults. Some of my clients casually say, “Oh&...

Many of us girls (and guys) can't help but fondly remember the Sex and the City (SATC) series. As a matter of fact, I was smack-dab in the middle ...

I’d love for everyone to think about the consistency of their behavioral patterns and tendencies. Do you habitually run from conflict? Do you co...

A good therapist must have many therapeutic strategies in their tool belt. Every client is unique and while one wants to talk about the past and their...