​This is the third in a series of monthly posts about some of my favourite children’s books (first post and second post). With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation around the corner on September 30, I thought it was meaningful to share four of my favourite books I like to read to my two children to support their understanding of the importance of protecting the environment and being stewards of change, and to remember and recognize the tragic history of residential schools. Please find them below:   

My journey in becoming an Art Therapist started at a young age when I turned to art to express myself and capture what was important to me in my world. In the process as I grew older, I built my skill which fueled the interest in continuing this as an outlet, and also started to provide positive verbal recognition from teachers and peers. (As a side note any of those new to Art Therapy, please note skill is not necessary to achieve the benefits of Art Therapy, I am mentioning this as a precursor to how I found my way to art therapy.) 

Mindful healing is a conscious way of healing that promotes lasting change, helping the client to feel empowered in their ability to navigate life’s ups, and more confident in their own skin. A key part of healing is engaging in mindfulness practices, this article speaks to the science behind mindfulness, multitude of research studies, and the numerous health benefits. I like to think of healing as a journey, and as we progress in our healing new doors and possibilities open for us, and we can start to see the next steps along the path. For some their healing may involve investing more in areas of their life, having better boundaries, valuing yourself, saying no, reducing the self-doubt, transforming the after effects of trauma, or finding ways to get off the loop of feeling broken or anxious. I believe mindful healing has the best outcomes with a collaborative approach, with the client motivated and invested in exploring different possibilities including integration of various approaches and professional expertise. Below are four invitations to support mindful healing:

​The big day is upon us, the return of back of school! With this comes an array of emotions for parents and children alike. Find some strategies below to support the first day and week of school:

​This is the second in a series of posts about some of my favourite children’s books. With school starting in one week these books can support easing the anxiety many kids may be feeling by supporting self-regulation through mindfulness. This post is relevant for developing a child’s understanding and application of mindfulness including awareness of our thoughts and feelings, building body awareness by connecting with our sensations and feelings, and kid-friendly mindfulness tools. Many of these books were integral in informing the the children's mindfulness groups I ran in the past. Please find below five of my favourites:   

​Does the idea of drawing feel daunting to you? I often here this from adult client’s when I share how art therapy can support them to achieve what they are working towards whether it is breaking through the impacts of past trauma, experiencing more confidence and feeling relaxed in their own skin, or feeling less anxious and more able to navigate life’s ups and downs.

The good news is you do not need to know how to draw to do art therapy, as the process of the art is the key part of the art therapy process and not the aesthetics of the final product. In art therapy we do offer opportunity to discuss what you as the client created, but it is not about evaluation of your use of colour, or working on rendering the images for more realism. Rather, what do the colours you use mean for you, and how is this image important to you and what meaning does it hold. 

Midway through August with the days growing shorter and a bit cooler, back to school becomes more real for parents and kids alike. With the thought of school and the transition back to the routines, afterschool programing and homework, some parents anticipate the challenges of the transition back to school. Here I provide some tips to get you started in supporting this transition:

​More than half way through summer, I love to continue to take in the moments of summer and taking mental snapshots and snapshots of the felt sense in my body to help me to embody the previous moments of summer I love. Find below three key things:

​This is the first in a series of posts I will be doing about some of my favourite children’s books for some of the common areas’ kids can benefit from support around including validating and coping with anxiety, managing anger, understanding feelings, grief and loss, and social skills. This post is relevant for supporting anxiety including understanding anxiety, not feeling alone, and coping. And for some parents as we are approaching the half way point of summer, anxiety for some kids starts to increase around mid-August and having some relatable books can help reduce some of the unease. Please find below four of my favourites:   

​Reaching the mid-point of summer, I like to tune in with people to see how their summer is unfolding for them and their family. As summer is such a key rejuvenating time of the year for many it is important to check-in to see if summer intentions are matching up with what is unfolding. It can be easy to fall victim to the overscheduling and leaving little room for down time. If you are looking for more balance this summer, and are feeling like you have not found it this article is for you! Please find below some ideas to support you in finding the summer balance you need: