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Mental Health

Ditch the Sleeping Pills: Natural Sleep Solutions That Actually Work!

woman with insomnia pouring sleeping pills into her hand while lying on bed

Ditch the Sleeping Pills: Natural Sleep Solutions That Actually Work! Struggling to fall asleep night after night? The exhaustion affects your mood, focus, and productivity, leading many to turn to prescription sleeping pills for quick relief. But over time, side effects like grogginess, dependency, and increased tolerance become apparent, making […]

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How Exercise Improves Sleep: Creating the Right Conditions for Rest

aged woman and man running and exercising on a road

Sleep is one of the most essential pillars of health, yet many of us struggle to get enough quality rest. While there’s no magic pill for good sleep, research shows that exercise plays a significant role in improving the conditions for restorative sleep. Importantly, exercise doesn’t directly make you sleep—instead, it helps […]

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Cognitive Defusion: Breaking Free from Thought Traps

Have you ever found yourself caught in a spiral of negative thoughts that just won’t let go? One minute you’re going about your day, and the next you’re completely tangled up in worries, judgments, or painful memories. We’ve all been there. These thought patterns can be incredibly powerful, often dictating […]

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Sleep and Chronic Pain or “Painsomnia”

In the quest for better sleep, especially if you’re struggling with chronic pain, the journey can become nights filled with anxiety and frustration rather than rest. The more elusive sleep becomes, the more we crave it, inadvertently ramping up the pressure on ourselves to get it. This, paradoxically, makes sleep […]

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Free and low-cost counselling options in Ontario

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This page contains a regularly updated resource list of free, low-cost, and sliding-scale options for counselling and therapy services in Ontario. I’ve included and noted the services requiring a referral from a primary care provider. Some private clinics and therapists offer reduced cost and/or sliding scale options. In these cases, […]

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Navigating Mental Health Communication: The LEAP Method from “I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!”

photo of two men talking while sitting on chair

Dr. Xavier Amador’s book “I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!” sheds light on anosognosia, a condition where individuals with severe mental illnesses fail to acknowledge their illness, not out of denial, but due to neurological deficits. The book introduces the LEAP method (Listen, Empathize, Agree, and Partner) as an empathetic communication approach to assist those suffering from mental health issues and resistant to help. The method aims to build trust, mutual understanding, and collaboration, promoting effective support and acceptance of treatment.

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