December - 2020

Dec 31, 2020
2 min

What you Resist, Persists

The general contents of this website are provided solely for educational and informational purposes and are not meant to provide professional medical or psychiatric advice, counselling or therapeutic services. I just finished taking a course called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Chronic Pain. One of the metaphors they talk about is getting stuck in quicksand and how it relates to pain. If you get stuck in quicksand, the more you struggle and fight against it, try

Dec 24, 2020
2 min

What if I am not as Broken as I Think?

I often see my daughter Greta as an exception to the rule. Medications and treatments that work for others don’t work for her. At first I was hopeful that things would work, but as time went on I became less hopeful. This is probably a common sentiment in this group. We kind of feel like our kids are broken…an exception to the rule. And sometimes they hear us talking about them like that...to doctors, to friends and family... I also realize that I see myself as an exception

What if We Do All We Can and the Pain Persists?

Dec 17, 2020
2 min

What if We Do All We Can and the Pain Persists?

What happens when we are doing all we can and the pain still persists???!!! We just keep doing all that we can. I realized one morning a few months ago that I can take all the steps it takes to be a healthy, pain-free person (exercise, eat clean, meditate, socialize, hydrate etc) and STILL have pain. The result of being pain-free is not guaranteed. And then I started to think this kind of is true for everyone… We can do all the steps it takes to get a great job, but it doesn’

Dec 10, 2020
2 min

The 2% Theory

I came up with this idea I call “the 2% theory” sometime last year and it has helped to shift my mindset. It goes like this... I am sure you have tried A LOT of things to help with chronic pain ~ medications, physiotherapy, diets, acupuncture, chiropractor, massage therapy, specialists, tests and imaging…. And perhaps, like in our case, none of them seemed to relieve the pain. BUT when you get to the point of acceptance, to the point of realizing that you might have pain fo

Dec 9, 2020
2 min

Lessons From a Scared Kitten (Part 2)

This little kitty we have (“Baby”) is teaching me lots about the nervous system. If you didn’t read my first post about our kitten, you can read it in Part 1. Baby has become very playful and confident since spending most of her time in one room (the whole house was too big and scary for her at first). Since being in one room she is far more interactive with us, comes to us for cuddles, and doesn’t get scared when our hands come towards her to pet her or pick her up. So, we

Dec 7, 2020
2 min

Lessons from a Scared Kitten (Part 1)

We got a new kitty for Greta on Saturday. Greta gave her the name Baby. She is 7.5 weeks old and absolutely adorable. But she is scared. All these giants are walking around her and there are loud noises and strange smells. She is on high alert at all times. She explores the house when no one is there but as soon as one of us enters the room she darts for the nearest hiding spot. It reminds me of Greta’s nervous system. On high alert and terrified of any extreme stimul

Dec 3, 2020
2 min

Things Might Be Okay, for Now

If Greta is humming, I know she is okay. If she is singing in the shower, things are okay. Sometimes I need obvious visible and audible reminders like this to let my nervous system know that things are okay, I can put aside worrying for this moment. It is easier to recognize the indicators that things are not okay ~ When Greta used to be in bed all day I would always be aware of indicators like the volume level on Netflix (if it was really soft then I knew she was in a lot of

A Small, Daily Routine can Ease your Mind

Dec 3, 2020
2 min

A Small, Daily Routine can Ease your Mind

It almost feels like if I am not moving forward, I am moving backward. Greta and I both experience this. For myself I notice that on the days I do my morning routine, my mind is more at ease. I feel a little proud of myself. I have a little glow. And I am not always wishing things were different. Because I feel like I am working towards making things different. I am not talking about self-care so much as building a small routine. I need it to be small enough that I can do it

About the Author

Hi, my name is Carla and I'm a Licensed Psychotherapist, Pain Coach, Life Coach and Teacher. If you are looking for support for parenting, chronic pain, anxiety, relationships, or stress management, click the booking link above for a free 20 min intro call. I work with children, parents, and individuals worldwide, providing support, encouragement and guidance, while creating a warm and non-judgmental environment in which we can explore and resolve the challenges you are facing.
One of the most important things you can do is ask for help when you need it. Help is one click away.

Carla Friesen
Counselling

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