When "wellness products" seem too good to be true - they probably are.

As a mental health professional with 20 years of years of experience and a specialization in acute crisis assessment/prevention/intervention, I've worked within the community, within healthcare and within the justice system.

Suffice to say, I've spent LOTS of time learning about how to manage stress & burnout. I've facilitated trainings teaching others how to manage their mind and body so that anxiety, trauma responses, sleep problems etc. don't sneak in to disrupt their lives.

...and yet.

Despite knowing these coping skills and managing my own stressors pretty successfully overall, I began to realize that something within me had fundamentally changed. I had lost faith and trust in the people and systems designed to support me and eventually began to lose trust in myself to always make the "right" decisions. Exposure to intense trauma as a First Responder requires more than a few random acts of self-indulgence and as a working mother of 3 it was a challenge to prioritize my own self care, so often I made excuses because I felt "fine" and

But trauma is sneaky and we don't always get to choose when/how something beyond our control might impact us. For me, it wasn't the crisis work that knocked the wind out of me - it was the workplace which I had faithfully trusted failing to implement policies to protect my colleagues and I when there were clear injuries occurring that blindsided me. Looking back, there were years of promises that didn't come to fruition in time to stop

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Please remember, these tools and resources are meant to introduce you to new ways that you can embed wellness practices into your daily life.

Since the use of profanity is a personal preference, anything containing swear words can be easily identified by this "Swear Jar" icon:

The Niagara region of Ontario, Canada is situated on treaty land. This land is steeped in the rich history of the First Nations such as the Hatiwendaronk, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Today, this gathering place is home to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum agreement’s three principles: to take only what you need, leave enough for others, and always keep the dish clean.

Acknowledging the peoples whose territory we are on, and the agreements that guide their stewardship of the land, reminds us to reflect on and respect their unique relationship to this land. It also is an invitation for all of us to identify and engage in actions that respect and reinforce our commitments to Truth & Reconciliation and Indigenous Rights.

There are many ways to learn more, here are a few:

However, they are not a substitute for professional support. Think of them as a boost for your personal self care activities - not to take the place of expert advice.

This is a safe space where everyone is welcome and boundaries are respected.