One of the most important indicators of positive therapeutic outcome and reduction of symptom severity across different types of therapies and populations is a strong working alliance between therapist and client (Horvath & Symonds, 1991; Raue & Goldfried, 1994). A working alliance, also used interchangeably with the term “therapeutic alliance”, is defined by […]
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Each year we find ourselves creating New Year resolutions, and often these plans fail to manifest into reality. The most common New Year resolution goals focus on themes of health and fitness, finances, or personal growth. These types of goals or healthy habits can be easily considered beneficial to any individual, yet willpower
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Gratitude is a complex and multidimensional construct that varies largely in definition within the psychology literature. Common descriptions of gratitude emphasize that it is an orientation towards acknowledging and appreciating the good or positives from either oneself, from other people, or from life in general (Wood et al., 2010). It is proposed that
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Older adulthood is another developmental period of life that is accompanied by its own unique challenges and adaptations, but also its own misconceptions between aging and mental health. Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health issues affecting older adults (James et al., 2018; Sunderland et al., 2015). One erroneous belief
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Imposter syndrome can be characterized as a self-doubt of one’s abilities, accomplishments, and intellect, which makes one feel like a fraud because of the belief that the circumstances that allowed one to obtain their current situation or status was only through luck or other external factors. Individuals who struggle with imposter syndrome have
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Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is typically a change-process therapeutic modality, however there is recognition that sometimes there are problems in life that cannot be resolved, are difficult to endure, or cannot be worked on using traditional CBT tools. In these cases, acceptance becomes an integral strategy to help navigate challenging life circumstances. For instance,
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We often recognize that we are more compassionate and kinder to other people than we are to ourselves. Self-compassion is defined as “how we relate to ourselves in instances of perceived failure, inadequacy, or personal suffering” (Neff, 2003). Many of us will judge and criticize ourselves for the shortcomings, inadequacies, and mistakes that
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Warning: This blog speaks about suicide. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in danger of harming yourself, you can get help by contacting the Suicide Crisis Helpline anywhere in Canada by calling or texting 9-8-8 (toll-free, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), visiting your nearest Emergency Room, or
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Once you have successfully met your therapeutic goals or significantly reduced your psychological symptoms (great work!), it is helpful to consider relapse prevention. When you arrive at the final stage of therapy where learned skills and strategies have now become automatic and mood is markedly better, it is important to hold onto these
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We often hear external messages of ‘try to do your best’ and we might also internally strive to succeed at our own goals and tasks. Most people consider setting high standards and expectations to be advantageous, for instance studying and getting good grades to get accepted into university, working hard to advance one’s
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