Validation is a term we hear more and more these days, and in therapist Candace Kensley’s work with couples and families, it is something that comes up in almost every session. What does it mean, why is it important, and how can we use it to build better relationships? Let’s talk about it!
Social support plays a monumental role in creating, maintaining, and promoting health. In fact, we know from the literature that it is a protective factor against several physical and psychological health problems. Read on for more on why we need it, what it is and how to get it.
Ambivalence can make us feel torn between opposing thoughts or feelings. In the context of therapy, this is SO normal, but the experience can be preoccupying and exhausting!
“People sometimes worry that if we offer comfort when children are upset, we are saying I accept your behaviour. What we are really saying is I accept your emotions.” – J. Milburn
Our capacity to connect with others is key to our psychological health, and the way that we express our emotions is key to our capacity to form close relationships. Social signaling – non-verbal signs we convey to others – has a strong impact when it comes to forming and maintaining our relationships.
As parents we don’t need to be perfect to be enough – there is a lot of value in being a “good enough” mom. Kids don’t need perfect parents. In fact, there is some evidence that helicoptering over our children makes it harder for them to learn valuable lessons about independence and making mistakes. Kids need their parents to be – ON AVERAGE (not perfectly!) – consistent, reliable, and warm.
You often hear people talking about feeling fat. But when you stop to think about it, fat isn’t actually a feeling. Joy, anger, sadness, and fear are all examples of emotions. So, why is it that so many of us use “fat” to describe a feeling and understand exactly what others mean when they tell […]
There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence or having expectations, but what happens when you find yourself taking things personally, feeling depleted, or thinking you are a failure because you received feedback from someone? If your perfectionism is causing you to act or react in ways that negatively impact your relationships, there are strategies you can engage in that will help.
December 23, 2020
