BY LIORA BAROOK, RP · REGISTERED PSYCHOTHERAPIST AT INSPIRED WELLNESS — — — There's a question I ask almost everyone who comes to see me, usually within the first session or two. It isn't a diagnostic question. It isn't about symptoms or history, exactly. It's this: "When was the first time you remember feeling like you had to manage yourself really carefully?" The answers are always different. Sometimes it's a specific moment — a classroom, a parent's face, a teac

Spring often indicates a time of change and renewal. The days get longer, the temperatures rise, and signs of growth are all around us. For many folks, there’s a positive connection between the early days of Spring and our overall sense of well - being. However, the less favourable changes that occur this season are not often discussed. Any change can activate anxiety, especially when our bodies don’t have adequate time to adjust. Seasonal changes can aggravate inflammation

Valentine’s Day often highlights our relationships with others—but what about the relationship we have with ourselves? As a psychotherapist, I see so many folks who are quick to offer kindness and care to others, but struggle to extend the same grace and warmth to themselves. Kristin Neff, a leading researcher in the study of self-compassion, reminds us that being kind to ourselves isn’t self-indulgence or a warm and fuzzy feeling, but an act of emotional resilience. Self-com