May - 2021

Maybe We Shouldn't Always Keep our Eye on the Prize

May 21, 2021
3 min

Maybe We Shouldn't Always Keep our Eye on the Prize

by Carla Friesen (Licensed Psychotherapist, Pain Coach, Teacher) "Sometimes we need to loosen our grip on the outcome to start becoming aware of our progress." This thought came to me while I was showering today. I don’t know why deep thoughts often come in the shower. And then we often lose them by the time we towel off and get to a pencil and paper. For years we were focused on fixing Greta’s pain. We wouldn’t stop until we could figure it out. We did what you all have been

Maybe This is the Way My Story Goes Today

May 12, 2021
2 min

Maybe This is the Way My Story Goes Today

by Carla Friesen (Licensed Psychotherapist, Pain Coach, Certified Teacher) Sometimes it helps me to take a step back and look at my life as a story. Things are going pretty well. Then something happens. Then things start to decline. And then I hit rock bottom. And then I hit a further rock bottom. I get a new perspective and things improve a bit. We have a win. Then we have a calm stretch…. You know how it goes. “Maybe this is the way my story goes today” is a phrase

May 6, 2021
2 min

Exhausted Beyond Physical Rest

By Carla Friesen (Licensed Psychotherapist, Pain Coach, Life Coach, Teacher) We are exhausted and overwhelmed. Our bodies are tired. And somehow, relaxing doesn’t seem to fix it. Physical rest doesn’t seem to be the answer our bodies are looking for. Our exhaustion goes deeper Our bodies keep pushing us to rest. Sending us pain. Sending flare-ups. Sending anxiety. Sending new symptoms. But physical rest (no matter how long we lay in bed) doesn’t seem to be the remedy to our p

May 4, 2021
2 min

Big Emotions = Pain Flare

By Carla Friesen (Counsellor, Pain Coach, Life Coach, & Teacher) I was angry yesterday afternoon. I felt tension in my head. And butterflies in my stomach. The same thing that happens when I get a migraine. Stress usually shows up for me where I have my chronic pain. I don’t get angry very often. I journaled and it helped to ease my anger. This morning I felt anxious and excited. I felt tension in my neck and head, where I get my migraines. My body perceives both my a

Balancing What's Best for our Kids with What's Best for Us

May 1, 2021
3 min

Balancing What's Best for our Kids with What's Best for Us

This morning Greta went off to her first day at her new part-time job (her first real job ever). I French braided her hair, helped her decide on and outfit, and we talked through a few things. I was also packing my bag to go to the coffee shop because I wanted to work on some assignments from my life coach. Greta wanted to know whether I would wait until she left for her job interview. “Sure, yes, of course!” I said. I started watering the plants and doing a few things to

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

About the Author

©2020 carlafriesen