EMDR Therapy

Struggling with low mood, fatigue, or emotional ups and downs as the weather changes? Learn how seasonal transitions impact mental health — and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) can help you cope. 

Spring invites a sense of renewal—but emotional growth doesn’t always look like a fresh start. This piece explores how to move through seasonal change with reflection, gentleness, and self-compassion.

Spring cleaning can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. This piece explores how small, intentional steps can help you declutter your space, reduce stress, and feel more in control.

You’re going about your day as usual. Then you realize you made a mistake on that work report your boss has been asking for. Or you forgot the dentist appointment you booked months ago. Or you replay something awkward you said at a party.

And then, like clockwork, the self-criticism begins.

Close friendships between women can feel like everything when they are nourishing — and devastating when they become complicated or come to an end. Female friendships are not just social connections; they are often central to women’s mental health, emotional wellbeing, and sense of belonging.

For many of us, Spring begins with an annual ritual - the spring cleaning. A chance to declutter and say goodbye to our unwanted stuff - to refresh our living space by getting neat and tidy. However, spring cleaning can actually bring about other, unexpected benefits when it comes to your mental health.

We’ve been talking and writing about change this month and two questions that have come up over and over again are “how do I know when it’s the right time to make a change?” and “how do I know if this is the right change to make?”. Given that these are the questions people are asking, we will endeavor to answer!

We know that navigating Ontario’s complex mental health care system can be daunting, so here’s some useful info that can help. Making the decision to start therapy is stressful enough. Figuring out how to pay for it shouldn’t be an added stressor. That’s why we’ve put together this outline of what is and isn’t covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan - OHIP.

We completely understand that finances are an issue for many people who are in search of a counsellor or therapist in Ontario. That’s why we have compiled this list of low cost counselling options. Take a look and see what might be an option for you.

Criticism has been identified as one of the major predictors of divorce. If criticism has become a problem in your relationship, it is essential to the long-term health of your relationship to combat it.

We know that the pandemic is affecting intimacy and sexual relationships but chances are, even without this ‘mandatory togetherness’ you’ve notice changes in your sex life already. Maybe sex has decreased in your relationship or maybe the sex is feeling dull, uncomfortable or obligatory instead of being exciting or fun?

There is something unique and interesting about the experience of loneliness during COVID for people in relationships. COVID has brought a whole new level of challenge to our social landscape, putting major pressure on the person/people in our direct household to meet all of our social needs. And it doesn't seem to be enough.

The Why Art podcast is a Hamilton-based project that interviews Canadian artists about everything related to their art. everwell was invited to the podcast to discuss the very important and timely issue of mental health for artists. Whether you’re an artist or not, we think you’ll enjoy this conversation.

Grieving people often struggle to find the support they need. Well-meaning friends and family sometimes miss the mark which can add additional emotional burden during an already difficult time. Friends and family of grieving people struggle to provide the support that their grieving person needs. They want to help but sometimes they don’t know how or why their efforts are not well-received. Why is this so hard??? Let’s take a look at what’s happening under the surface.

Do you know someone who’s struggling with anxiety and you’re just not sure what you can do to help? Here’s what you need to know…

Grief is often viewed as something that we have to “get over” in order to move on with our lives. It’s like there’s this unspoken expectation for us to heal and get rid of our grief by looking forward and tucking away the past. This perspective, however, denies the reality of our grief: we all move through grief in our own way.

As a therapist who has the privilege of working with grieving people, I am often asked “Why?” when I begin to work with a client on the expression of emotions associated with their grief. As a general rule, our culture doesn’t do a good job of teaching us how to deal with difficult emotions. So it’s important for us to find ways to express our loss and grief…

When you hear the word grief, you often think of the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, but with the coronavirus, we are experiencing grief due to the loss of our “regular” lives before the pandemic. We are experiencing the loss of our routines, our schedules, our relationships, our sense of security and safety.

It’s winter in Canada. Winter is tough at the best of times but winter in the midst of COVID lockdown feels harsh and unfamiliar. Many people are feeling down, stuck, and unmotivated. I know I am. I’ve been working through this ‘funk’ with many of my clients over the past couple of months and together we’ve begun to describe this phenomenon.

We’re talking Registered Social Worker, Emma Griffiths, to get her perspective on what trauma is and how those suffering from trauma can start a path towards recovery through therapy.

Recently, Registered Psychotherapist and founder of everwell Counselling Carly Fleming, was interviewed by The Toronto Star for a feature on ‘The Kit’, (a lifestyle news source for Canadians) about finances and the impact it can have on relationships. Specifically, the interview centred on the types of issues and possible solutions a couples counsellor can offer for those struggling with ongoing arguments about money. Here’s what Carly had to say…

There is a critical and ongoing crisis at Canadian colleges and universities: students are at increasing risk of mental health problems, and these academic institutions are struggling in their efforts to respond. This reality reflects a broader crisis in youth mental health across Canada, which has seen increasing rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among young people over the past decade. And, the pandemic has only made things worse.

More than a few parents joke that they fall third or forth in the partner’s priorities, after the kids and the dog. But for many partners, it’s not really a joke. Many assume that’s the way it should be- being a good parent means putting the kids’ needs first because that’s what it takes. But we’re here to tell you there’s strong evidence that proves otherwise.

We’re talking to Monica Donsanjh, a Registered Social Worker, here at everwell who has Level 1, 2 and 3 Gottman Method Training about what the Gottman Method is and how it can benefit couples in counselling.

Did you know that 69% of problems in a relationship are unsolvable? Trying to solve unsolvable problems is counter-productive. Instead, couples must learn to manage conflict rather than avoid or attempt to eliminate it. Here are three ‘blueprints’ for managing conflict in your relationship.

The reality is committed relationships don’t happen overnight. Healthy relationships take much time and care to protect. We’re talking to Mikaela Gossmann-Bond, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), here at everwell about couples ‘getting real’ about their relationship.

We’ve been told about the ‘birds and the bees’, but have we ever been told what a healthy sexual relationship should be? What it shouldn’t be? Here are 12 characteristics of sex that identify what a sexually healthy can be. How do you feel in your relationship?

Over the last several weeks, we have received questions about virtual counselling, so we thought we would put them all here with some answers. If you have a question that you don’t see here, feel free to contact us and we’ll be more than happy to answer.

If you and your partner have decided that you need couples therapy, there are probably many feelings coursing through you. Seeking therapy for your relationship can be frightening, especially if you do not know what to expect. While you may not be able to anticipate exactly how the first sessions go, there are certain things that you and your partner should be able to expect from any couples therapist.

As the world has changed so has the structure of therapy. Technology’s importance in everyday life is rising, and the current pandemic climate is keeping us in our houses more than ever. With these factors, more and more couples are wondering what it might be like to do couple therapy online rather than in the office. Online couple therapy is not a sub-par replacement for office sessions, but in fact brings its own unique benefits. Here are some reasons why online couples therapy might benefit you.