You may be familiar with the growing rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the military, as outlined in this Globe and Mail article, however, a recent conversation on The Current with CBC notes that PTSD and suicide rates are high—too high— in the ranks of our Emergency First Responders as well. And no wonder,…
Written by: Erika DeSchiffart, psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group Teenage Self-Harming Seeing evidence of your child self-harming, or hurting themselves with intention, can be a terrifying experience for a parent. In addition to the fear, you may be unsure of what to do or say, and want desperately to stop the behaviour. This is…
You may have noticed that we have posted several blogs recently about Valentine’s Day, (relationship check-up here, and ideas for the whole family here). That’s because at Relationships Matter and at Capital Choice Counselling Group we firmly believe that our relationships are at the centre of our physical, social, spiritual, emotional, and mental health. We…
There’s a reason your Facebook homepage might be showing more pictures of sunny beaches with luxurious white sands like the one above – it is that time of year where many Ottawa residents are dreaming of summer. Yet, not everyone is able to take a week off to the sunny south, and for many, the…
First, this blog is not meant to be a “bah humbug” on Christmas. It can be a wonderful time of family, friends, celebrating, volunteering, and yes, even giving. Gift giving can be a very thoughtful way to let someone know that they are remembered and loved. However, this blog is an invitation for us to…
1) High Quality Counselling and Psychotherapy Capital Choice Counselling Group is committed to high quality individual counselling, couples’ therapy, marriage counselling, and family counselling. All our counsellors are dedicated to meeting your needs and seek to offer effective and quality counselling services in a safe and professional environment. Our goal is to improve your relationships…
Happiness & Wellness: The Correlation Written by: Dr. Ben Boucher, BSc, MD Very often we focus on feeling happy during the holiday season, after all, isn’t it supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year? Yet, as our last Relationships Matter seminar in Ottawa discussed, happiness is actually more of a by-product of well-being,…
Written By: Erika DeSchiffart, Psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group If you have been searching, or have searched for a therapist, you may have come across this term: “Therapeutic Fit”. It will usually come in the form of statements such as “finding a good therapeutic fit” or “having a good therapeutic fit”. So what…
Written by: Erika DeSchiffart, MA, Psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group It is an understatement to say that anxiety is not a pleasant emotion, especially with its accompanying physical sensations. This is why it is natural to adopt a “fighting” stance towards the feeling, because who wants to experience prolonged anxiety or panic attacks? It…
Written by: Erika DeSchiffart, psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group. It would be difficult to find someone who has been not been affected in some way by the Ottawa shooting that occurred on Oct. 22, 2014. This type of event touches on our fundamental sense of safety and security, which is a vital need for…