Blog
Coming Soon
Understanding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
January 27, 2025
New Blog Post
The Power of Gratitude
Incorporating gratitude into your everyday life has the potential to transform your outlook, deepen your relationships, and improve your overall mental health.
January 20, 2025
At Willow and Sage Counselling, we believe that everyone deserves a safe and supportive space to nurture their emotional wellbeing and personal growth. Our blog is an extension of this mission—a place where we share insights and inspiration to support you and your family on the journey toward balanced mental health and wellbeing.
Through our blogs, we aim to empower you to take charge of your mental health by exploring topics on anxiety, autism, self-care, mindfulness, and boundaries. Whether you are seeking tips for yourself, your child(ren), or your family, insights into overcoming challenges, or guidance for creating positive change in your life, you will find relatable and compassionate content in our blog posts. Each post is thoughtfully written by us at Willow and Sage Counselling, drawing from evidence-based practices and real-world experience. We strive to create resources that are informative, approachable, and, most importantly, helpful.
No matter where you are on your mental health journey—whether you are just beginning to explore therapy for your family or looking for ways to deepen your self-awareness—we are here to walk alongside you. To stay updated with our latest posts, visit our blog page and join us in fostering a community of understanding, growth, and balance.
Recent Blogs
Pathological Demand Avoidance
For parents and caregivers, the experience of navigating Pathological Demand Avoidance can feel incredibly isolating and frustrating.
Pathological Demand Avoidance is a term used to describe a set of behaviours often seen in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); though, it can manifest independently from an autism diagnosis.
January 13, 2025
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that usually begins in the fall and lasts throughout the winter.
Reduced sunlight can interfere with our body’s internal clock, leading to disruptions in sleep, mood, and overall wellbeing. People with SAD often experience the same symptoms as those with major depressive disorder.
January 6, 2025
Challenges of Work-Parent Balance
The balance between work and parenting can feel elusive. This blog looks at the unique challenges working parents face.
The pressures of work and parental roles can contribute to feelings of exhaustion and guilt. Added pressure from work commitments and personal responsibilities can leave many working parents feeling overwhelmed.
December 17, 2024
Blog Archive
Are you wondering if therapy might be for you? Please reach out if you are facing challenges.
You may be asking yourself if you should seek therapy because you are feeling off, or you are struggling. Well, the short answer is yes! Everyone can benefit from therapy, no matter where they are on their mental health journey.
What is Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and how does it differ from PTSD?
CPTSD occurs when someone is exposed to traumatic events or situations over a long period of time. Including physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse, childhood neglect or abandonment, and/or exposure to violence in various environments.
Understanding early forms of communication from your child.
Watching your child grow and develop is one of life’s greatest joys. Early communication development is critical for your child’s social, emotional, and academic success. Read more to learn about these milestones.
What is co-regulation and why is it important?
Caregivers play a crucial role in a child’s social-emotional development. From birth through young adulthood, the process of co-regulation enables caregivers to support and shape the child’s self-regulation skills.
Understanding your Window of Tolerance on the path to trauma recovery.
Navigating the effects of trauma can be confusing and challenging, but learning about your “Window of Tolerance,” and how to manage the associated emotions can help mitigate these challenges.
Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive, and Uninvolved. What type of parent are you?
Understanding different parenting styles is key to creating a nurturing and supportive environment for your children. Each family is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting.
Understanding the early signs of autism spectrum disorder in infants is crucial to supporting your child’s development.
As a parent, you may be attuned to every small milestone your baby reaches—their first smile, the first time they roll over, and their first words. But what if you notice that your child isn’t reaching these milestones?
Knowing when to seek therapy for your child is essential in helping them navigate challenges.
Children, like adults, face a range of emotions and challenges as they grow. Therapy can offer a safe and supportive space for children to explore their emotions, develop coping strategies, and build resilience.
You do not need to manage the emotional and practical challenges of parenting a child with autism alone.
Parenting is often described as a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. However, when your child is diagnosed with autism, that journey can feel particularly overwhelming.
Anxiety is a normal part of life. You do not have to navigate these difficult feelings alone.
Have you felt nervous or worried about a change in routine, an upcoming event, or something else? Do your feelings become overwhelming or persistent? We can help you manage feelings of anxiety.
Learn more about how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can support children and adults.
CBT is one of the most well-researched and widely used therapeutic approaches in mental health care. CBT has proven effective in treating various mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Learn how you can help your child copy with perfectionist tendencies.
While the drive for excellence can foster growth and achievement, when left unchecked, it can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout. Helping children develop healthy ways to manage perfectionism is crucial.
Self-care is important. Read more about how to find balance in the smaller moments.
Self-care does not have to be time-consuming or extravagant. In fact, it is often the small, intentional moments throughout the day that make the biggest difference in maintaining your mental health and wellbeing.
Understanding executive functioning skills in adults, and why they are important.
Self-care does not have to be time-consuming or extravagant. In fact, it is often the small, intentional moments throughout the day that make the biggest difference in maintaining your mental health and wellbeing.
We explore how to support children and adults with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
ARFID is an eating disorder that differs from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Characterized by a strong aversion to certain foods or types of foods, ARFID is not driven by body image concerns.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a highly structured therapeutic approach that combines cognitive-behavioural techniques with principles of mindfulness and acceptance.
DBT is rooted in the idea that individuals can benefit from finding balance between acceptance and change. It has proven to be effective in supporting people of all ages in managing their mental health.
The holiday season, while often a time of joy and connection, can also bring with it a lot of stress. Setting boundaries can help!
As the holidays arrive, so do gatherings, traditions, and expectations. Do you find yourself struggling to maintain your personal space and mental wellbeing? This blog explores settings boundaries around the holidays.
Life can feel like a whirlwind of tasks, goals, and responsibilities, making it easy to feel overwhelmed or distracted.
Incorporating small moments of mindfulness into your daily routine can help you slow down, improve focus, reduce stress, and boost overall wellbeing. Even just a few minutes each day can make a world of difference.
