by Leah Jivan | Jul 28, 2026 | Anxiety, Communication, Curiosity, Depression, Emotional, Guidance, Health, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Reflection, Relationships, Self Care, Stress, Therapy |
Have you noticed why on some days you can handle stressors with ease while on other days, similar situations leave you feeling overwhelmed? Well, if you have, you are most definitely not alone.
In this post, we’ll explore how your nervous system works and introduce the Window of Tolerance. We will also take a look at what happens when stressors push you beyond this window into a state of hyperarousal or hypoarousal.
So what is the Window of Tolerance and how does it work?
The window of tolerance refers to the optimal state in which our nervous system is able to effectively respond to stressors, challenges or uncertainties (Neff, 2023). When we are in this window, we are more likely to feel engaged, curious, grounded and calm (Neff, 2023). Our nervous system helps us adjust to our surroundings through two processes: the sympathetic nervous system which increases activation and energy, otherwise known as the “fight or flight” response and the parasympathetic nervous system which reinforces rest, otherwise known as the “rest and digest” response.
It is important to note that the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work conjointly to respond to everyday stressors and challenges.
Dr. Megan Anna Neff shares an important metaphor of a gas and brake pedal of a car, acting as the sympathetic and parasympathetic process working together (Neff, 2023). Moreover, she notes that such fluctuations between both processes are necessary as she speaks about an activation of the sympathetic nervous system when faced with a stressor or engagement of the parasympathetic nervous system when we are going to sleep (Neff, 2023).
Now you may be asking yourself, what happens when we leave our window of tolerance?
The body goes into one of two states. In the hyperarousal state, the sympathetic nervous system predominates, and our body becomes mobilized for action (Neff, 2023). Some common signs our body is entering a hyperarousal state include panic, fear, a racing heart, heightened awareness or aggression (Neff, 2023).
In a hyperarousal state, the body needs regulation which can look like:
- Mindfulness and breathing exercises which can help regulate our nervous system and ease or reduce heightened levels of alertness by signaling a sense of safety to our body (Marks, 2022)
The other way our nervous system may respond to stress is by entering a state of hypoarousal. In this state, the body goes through decreased nervous system activity and can lead to shut down or withdrawal due to overwhelm (Neff, 2023). In this state, we may be feeling numb, disconnected, fatigued and dissociated (Neff, 2023).
In a hypoarousal state, we want to stimulate gentle activation which can be done through:
- Grounding exercises that engage the five senses (sight, hear, smell, taste and touch) (Marks, 2022)
- Temperature exposure, specifically cold temperatures by splashing ice cold water on the face which activates the sympathetic nervous system
- Physical movement can increase heart rate and therefore, increase energy levels
Tying this all back to the beginning of the post, why does it feel like we can overcome stressors with more ease and confidence on some days and not others?
Well, there’s a range of factors that can impact how narrow or wide our window of tolerance is. This can include:
- Previous traumatic events
This can even come down to everyday differences. In Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Marsha Linehan speaks on vulnerability factors which she described as the factors and history that made one vulnerable leading up an event (Linehan, 2015). I’ve listed a few factors below, but I encourage you to think about factors that are potentially impacting how you show up everyday which can be affecting the width of your window of tolerance. Here are a few to get us start thinking about vulnerability factors:
- Ongoing stress in multiple realms of our life (e.g., school, work, interpersonal relationships, career, financial situation, health, etc.)
- Life transitions (e.g., new career, relocating, taking on new roles such as parenting)
If you can take one piece away from this post, I want to remind you that it is natural for one’s nervous system to shift and change throughout the day. I encourage you to practice recognizing patterns or signs when you feel your body has moved beyond our window of tolerance into either hyperarousal or hypoarousal.
Neff (2023) suggests a practice called nervous system mapping in which we can set some time, once or twice a day to scan our body and note how we are feeling. Moreover, she notes that just paying attention to a racing heart rate or tension in our body can point towards hyperarousal or fatigue can point towards hypoarousal (Neff, 2023). Paying attention to what our body is telling us is crucial and necessary in order to engage in the skills to regulate us back to our optimal zone and effectively manage daily stressors.
Understanding your nervous system is an important step toward understanding yourself and how your body responds to stress. We are here to help you along the way. Contact Us if you’d like to speak with one of our counsellors.
References:
1 Marks, T. [Dr. Tracey Marks] (2022, May 4). Window of tolerance: what is it and how to stay in it [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD8hhboXYTI
2 Neff, M. A. (2023, January 8). The window of tolerance: how to build emotional resilience and regulation. Neurodivergent insights. https://neurodivergentinsights.com/window-of-tolerance/?srsltid=AfmBOopUSbQ677ejHjiAB7rqVG636K66QGOyoV67ozOyqlsxWa8duLYa
3 Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
by Leah Jivan | Nov 7, 2025 | holiday, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Seasonal, Self Care, Stress
As we enter the final few weeks of the year, a mix of both excitement and stress begins to set in. For many people, this winter season brings the anticipation of several celebrations – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day – each filled with valued traditions, excitement, and meaningful connections with others. Whether you celebrate these holidays or not, their presence is felt everywhere you go – from tree lights and extremely crowded shopping malls, to last minute runs to the grocery stores to host festive gatherings with loved ones.
Hectic Holidays
With the festive ambiance filling the air all around us, there is often an unspoken conversation around the end of year stress. Whether it’s meeting work deadlines, navigating financial stress, hosting gatherings or simply trying to wrap things up that have accumulated, fatigue, burnout and feeling all over the place during this time of year are all too common.
As a student, December has often felt like three months packed into one. The weeks leading up to the holidays was filled with joy and anticipation while simultaneously also juggling assignments, deadlines and fatigue. This rollercoaster of a month somehow always comes as a surprise every year despite trying to prepare in advance.
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling that way, you’re not alone. Over the past few weeks, I’ve done some research and taken some time to reflect on what has helped me manage this bustling and hectic season. My hope is that by sharing these tips, you can take what resonates with you to help make it through this final stretch. I also recognize that this time of year can be difficult for some as it can bring up personal memories linked to more challenging times in their lives
These tips are universal and can be used whether or not you celebrate any holidays in December or throughout the year. They can serve as a guide to wrap up the year with more intention and hope:
Creating Intentional Moments to Pause
One of the most impactful practices I have incorporated in my life is to try and intentionally make space to pause. In the book, “Mindful Relationships: Seven Skills for Success”, the author notes the basic need to rest and repair is grounded in our physiology – however, many of us replace the need to rest with caffeine, sugar, exercise or living on the edge which overtime, leads to physical and emotional burnout (Bullock, 2016).
Living in a world where we are constantly being pulled in different directions by school, work or personal obligations and being reminded of the ever-present “hustle culture”, the idea of even attempting to take a break can feel impossible. Bullock (2016) highlights the common mindset in our society of “work hard, play hard” which gives into the idea that we “should” constantly occupy ourselves with not one minute to spare. Intentional pauses in our lives can take many forms. I’ve personally found that simply taking five minutes before bed to process my whole day or going for a walk around the community are meaningful ways to pause. This can also look like journaling, meditating, grounding exercises and so many other little techniques! One of my personal favorites when I’m sitting in bed is to just think of one word or phrase to sum up my day or where I’m at right now.
You Know Yourself Best: Be Mindful of When You May be Reaching Your Full Capacity
John Kabat-Zinn, the creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction defined mindfulness as “paying attention in the present moment in a non-judgemental way” and he breaks it down with six key ideas (Bullock, 2016). In a nutshell, I have summarized these six key ideas1 below:
- Recognize your recurrent or repeated response tendencies
- Notice how your perceptions, way of communicating and stories impact others
- Listening over the urge to immediately respond
- Fully listen to what someone has to say rather than responding right away with a personal reflection, a solution, criticism or judgement
- Reframing communication through the lens of an observer not an evaluator
- Notice and acknowledge what signs our body is sending us and taking a step back before reacting
Let’s break down two of those key ideas in more detail:
Setting an intention to pause and notice your automatic, habitual patterns of response. During periods of high stress, we have a tendency to deny and block out the ability to feel negative emotions and over time, we may or may not notice a pattern of engaging in the same, general tendencies. This is a subtle internal process but recognizing this pattern can be so powerful to acknowledge in times of stress.
Recognizing signs when you are stressed or overwhelmed and intentionally taking a step back to regulate before responding in a way that could be harmful or not intended. Our body constantly sends us different signs and messages, telling us to fight or flight from our sympathetic nervous system or rest-digest from our parasympathetic nervous system as well as emotional, physical and behavioural signs. Listen to these signs! They are there for a reason…You know yourself and your body best.
Practice Presence in the Here and Now
Do you sometimes find yourself multitasking between what seems like ten things at the same time and you find it challenging to be fully present? You are definitely not alone! Let me introduce you to the concept of “One-Mindfully” (Linehan, 2015). The idea of One-Mindfully is one of the core components to DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) and is key to the psychological and spiritual traditions of mindfulness (Linehan, 2015). One-mindfully encourages that just for right now, try to be present in what you are doing, taking it one thing at a time (Linehan, 2015).
A book called “The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less” describes the consequence in “hurrying” as we become so focused on the destination that we see and hear only what we want to (Hershey, 2011). However, when we pause, we can explore things beyond this tunnel vision, we see or hear things as they are, not as we expect them to be (Hershey, 2011). This practice invites the opportunity to notice any desires to multitask while encouraging you to go back to the one thing you were focused on (Linehan, 2015). The book describes this practice with different examples such as, when you are eating, actually eat, or when you are remembering, actually remember (Linehan, 2015).
Recognize the Expectations While Transforming Your End of Year Checklist to a Flexible Guide
The end of the year can feel like a marathon as we try to fill so much into each day, racing to the finish line. While reading a little passage from “The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less”, I was reminded that most traditions recognize that we as humans, have the ability to hold a “doing” space and a “being” space (Hershey, 2011). Moreover, in the “doing” space, we work, produce and accomplish and in the “being” space, we carve out time to rest, pray, sleep and wonder (Hershey, 2011). Often, these marathons can feel like a mandatory checklist that we need to complete but being able to create space for both the “doing” part and the “being” part is necessary (Hershey, 2011).
I hope these tips are something that we can all take into the last few weeks of the year. Whether December is a joyful time of the year for you or one that is more challenging, I hope these tips can serve as a gentle reminder to try and take a pause, give yourself grace and remember that you have the strength to overcome these last few hurdles before starting a new year.
You don’t have to face this challenge alone. Contact us if you would like to speak with one of our counsellors.
References:
1 Bullock, G. B. (2016). Taking a Purposeful Pause. Mindful Relationships: Seven Skills for Success (pp. 107-113). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
2 Hershey, T. (2011). The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less. Loyola Press.
3 Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
by Abi Olson | Oct 3, 2025 | Health, Mental Health, Parenting, Self Care, Stress
Mothers are some of the most powerful and resourceful people in our communities. Every day, they balance a multitude of roles—caregiver, professional, household manager, emotional anchor—and do so with resilience, determination, and love.
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, the expectations on mothers have grown. More mothers than ever are contributing to the workforce while continuing to be the heart of their families. And while this can bring a sense of fulfillment and purpose, it also presents a very real challenge: stress.
A Changing Landscape
The number of working mothers has increased significantly over the past 50 years. According to Statistics Canada, the participation rate of mothers in the workforce has nearly doubled, from 40.5% in 1976 to 76.5% in 2021. This shift highlights not just the changing societal norms but also the immense contributions that mothers are making both at home and in the wider economy.
While the evolving role of mothers brings new opportunities, it also brings increased demands on time, energy, and mental bandwidth. Juggling work and home responsibilities can often feel like walking a tightrope.
Recognizing the Weight You Carry
Research shows that working mothers often face higher levels of stress than their non-working counterparts, with about 26% reporting high stress levels compared to 13% of stay-at-home mothers (Sohail & Imtiaz, 2018). However, this isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a testament to just how much mothers are carrying, often silently and without pause.
Stress can affect not only physical health but emotional well-being too. And while this may sound daunting, there is good news: there are powerful, accessible tools that mothers can use to support themselves. Prioritizing mental health and wellness isn’t selfish—it’s essential.
You Deserve Support and Restoration
When left unaddressed, stress can manifest in the body in many ways—fatigue, lowered immunity, anxiety, depression, and burnout. But here’s the truth: You are not powerless.
Stress doesn’t have to define your motherhood journey. It can be a signal—a nudge to care for yourself with the same compassion and intention you give to others. Investing in your well-being is a powerful act of love—for yourself, your children, and your family.
Let’s explore two effective, research-backed practices that can be integrated into even the busiest routines:
-
Meditation: Small Moments, Big Shifts
Meditation is a simple, accessible tool with profound benefits for mental and physical health. You don’t need hours of solitude or expensive equipment. Even a few minutes of deep breathing or quiet reflection can shift your day.
Why meditation works:
- It’s free and time-efficient.
- It can be done anywhere—during a lunch break, before bed, or even in the car before daycare pickup.
- Studies show it reduces stress, improves emotional regulation, boosts attention, and lowers activity in the brain’s fear and stress centers.
How you can start:
- Focus on your breath for one minute.
- Do a quick body scan when you first wake up or lie down to sleep.
- Repeat a calming word, affirmation, or prayer.
Even short moments of mindfulness can create long-term resilience. In fact, meditating before a stressful event can make you more adaptable and less reactive (Dunlop, 2023).
-
Nature: Healing in the Everyday
Spending time in nature—even for a few minutes—can have a deeply calming effect. While city life can be stimulating and fast-paced, nature provides the pause we often crave.
The benefits of nature exposure:
- Lowers heart rate and blood pressure
- Improves mood, memory, and focus
- Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Supports emotional regulation and overall well-being
You don’t need to escape to the mountains:
- Take a walk in a nearby park.
- Listen to nature sounds (birdsong, rain, flowing water).
- Add indoor plants to your home or workspace.
- Watch a nature video during a break.
- Pause and notice the sky, trees, or flowers while you wait in line or walk to your car.
Even just hearing nature sounds or looking at photos of natural settings can lower stress levels and restore a sense of calm (Zhang et al., 2023; Gu et al., 2022).
The Power of Reframing Self-Care
For many mothers, self-care can feel like a luxury. But in reality, it is a necessity—a non-negotiable part of maintaining your health, your energy, and your ability to show up for the people and responsibilities you love.
When mothers are well, families are well. And workplaces, communities, and society as a whole benefit. Healthy, supported mothers contribute to stronger relationships, more engaged parenting, and a healthier next generation.
Self-care isn’t about perfection or elaborate rituals. It’s about small, consistent acts of compassion toward yourself.
In Summary: You Are Worth the Care
Being a working mother is no small feat—it is a powerful act of endurance, love, and commitment. The stress you feel is valid, but it does not have to be the whole story.
By equipping yourself with simple, effective tools like meditation and nature connection, you are building resilience, restoring balance, and modelling healthy habits for your children.
Stress management isn’t just about survival—it’s about thriving. And every mother deserves the opportunity not just to make it through the day, but to feel whole, strong, and well in the process.
You are not alone in this. And you are doing an incredible job. Connect with us today if you would like more support in taking care of yourself as you care for your family.
by Fiona Scott | Dec 16, 2024 | Anxiety, burnout, Creativity, Guidance, holiday, Mental Health, Positive, Relationships, rest, Seasonal, Self Care, Stress, Tips
Where did all this holiday stress come from?
Diwali and Thanksgiving are over. Hannukah, Christmas and Solstice are rapidly approaching. Eid is still a little way off. But whatever and however you do, or don’t, celebrate, it’s impossible to miss ‘The Holiday Season’. It’s everywhere. It’s on every social media outlet, tv station, radio station … and it’s exhausting.
Don’t get me wrong – I love me some cheesy music, lots of pretty lights and the excitement of an approaching ‘event’. But even though this year we don’t have children to deal with (ours have grown), major family commitments, or a lot of enforced socializing, I still find myself automatically going into that continuous, low-grade panic state. You know, that constant pressure to get it all done, have my home in a state of decoration that I’d never consider necessary during the year, become an instant gourmet cook, be able to source the perfect locally-made and sold goods (affordably) for people I don’t know that well … and on, and on, and on.
This isn’t meant to be a downer. I’m just wondering, in the middle of this apparent marathon which is December, to take a detour from the prescribed racecourse? Here are some suggestions – and please, this is NOT supposed to be a ‘more things to check off the list’ set of tasks. Just a few thoughts about making some meaning at a time that’s meant to be meaningful, but often leads to sadness, stress, mental load and overwhelm.
Make a New Tradition
We all love our traditions, don’t we? Well … do we? I spent years making my family come to pick out and cut down a real Christmas tree – my favourite family tradition – until I realized that everyone except me hated it, and once I knew that, I couldn’t really enjoy it anymore. So, that’s no longer on the list.
So, how about making a new tradition? Or tweaking an old one? Would the big family get-together work better on Christmas Eve, or Boxing Day? Could an annual snowfight become a new tradition in your family? Or a holiday scavenger hunt?
What would it look like to do the usual things, but in a way that didn’t load on hany big expectations? Could making cookies with the family HAVE to be from absolute scratch with hand-piped designs, or could you buy the ready-made dough with the baked-in designs and let the kids do it themselves (with predictable but fun results)?
Play Dysfunctional Family Bingo
How I wish I could take credit for this, but it goes to the author Martha Beck. If you HAVE to attend a family celebration and you’re dreading it (for whatever reason), find one or more fellow attendees who are likely feeling the same as you (whether it’s your partner, a cousin, whatever) and make up a bingo card of all the things you’re worried might happen. Auntie Dolly will have one too many and start singing embarrassing rugby songs. Grandpa will say something insensitive about minorities. Uncle Dave will bring up politics and start an argument. One of the kids will sneak chocolate and get it all over Cousin Sally’s white sofa. You get the drill! That way, when the feared worse DOES happen, then you can sneak a look at your co-conspirators and it will become funny, rather than awful. Trust me, it works!
Have Breakfast for Dinner
At some point during the holidays, have breakfast for dinner – whether it’s a huge fried hot meal, or cold cereal. Pair it with hot chocolate or hot apple cider, and make it a fun occasion. Don’t worry – just for once – about making sure the kids have 3 vegetables, or whether they’ll get crazy on the sugar. Just let everyone choose what will make them happy, and release all expectations for just one night.
You could tweak this to be a hot dog night, or anything else that everyone else will enjoy – the point is to take the pressure off everyone for a day, be a bit silly, and take a moment to relax your expectations.
For Goodness’ Sake, Get Out!
Isn’t it interesting that we have this perception that we should spend 24/7 with our loved ones at this time? If you don’t play ‘happy families’ at other times, then why do you think that you should be able to do that at a time the stress is already high? Find reasons to get out, whether it’s walking the dog, offering to be the one to pop out to the store to get extra stuffing or being the one to drive someone home after they’ve had a few drinks (buying you the solo drive back home).
The point of this is to manufacture little breaks in your time where you can put on some music/podcast, or just listen to the peace and quiet outside, take a few breaths, allow some stillness to creep into your mind and realize that life will go back to normal soon.
Try to Manage Expectations
You may have a very strong opinion on how things should go during the holidays. However, try thinking of things from others’ perspectives – maybe the twins’ parents need to leave early because right now it’s taking 3 hours to get them both to sleep. Maybe Uncle Bert refuses to attend a family dinner because he is scared to drive home at night but doesn’t want anyone to know. We don’t always know why people behave the way that they do, but if we can try to ‘assume best intentions’ – that they have their reasons and it probably doesn’t have anything to do with you – then it’s a lot easier to enjoy whatever energy people bring at this time of year, and return your best to them, also.
Support for Holiday Stress: Navigating the Season with Ease
If you’re finding the holiday season especially overwhelming this year, you’re not alone. The pressure to meet expectations, balance family dynamics, and maintain a sense of peace can take a toll on your mental well-being. Alongside You is here to support you during this challenging time. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, stress, or simply need someone to talk to, our team of compassionate professionals is ready to help. Don’t face the holiday season alone — contact us today to explore how we can help you navigate this time with greater ease and peace of mind.
Whatever your holidays do, or don’t, look like – happy holidays, and I hope you find some peace this year.
by Nik Stimpson | May 24, 2023 | Anxiety, Counselling, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mental Health, Self Confidence, Stress, Therapy, Tips
Do you find yourself constantly worrying about every possible scenario that could go wrong? You’re not alone. Constant worrying, overthinking, and feeling out of control can take a big toll on your mental health and well-being. This makes it incredibly difficult to focus on daily tasks or enjoy life to its fullest. But there is a solution: Coping Ahead is an effective technique from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) that helps you prepare for stress and manage emotions ahead of time.
Eventualities
When I was 19 years old I learned to pilot gliders (airplanes without engines, also called sailplanes). Before each flight, we would always go through our pre-flight checks, even if the aircraft had just landed from a previous flight. We would make sure all of the controls worked as expected, the instruments were reading correctly, and of other important things worth double-checking when you’re propelling yourself two thousand feet into the sky!
The very last step of every pre-flight check was to review “eventualities.”
Though it’s been many years now since I last flew, I still remember vividly what I would say out loud to myself at this step, time and time again:
“If a wing drops on the launch and I cannot recover, I will release the launch cable and land ahead. At a safe height and speed I will start to climb. In the event of a launch failure, I will release the cable and lower the nose to a recovery attitude, and gain sufficient speed before maneuvering. I will land ahead if possible. Otherwise, I will turn downwind, which today is [left or right] and complete an abbreviated circuit or find a safe landing solution. The wind today is ___ knots which means my minimum approach speed is ___ knots.”
Coping Ahead saves time and effort.
The reason for talking through these eventualities in so much detail on the ground is that you’ve already made all of your decisions in the event of an emergency. In an unlikely situation where the pressure is on and seconds count, you don’t need to waste precious time or mental effort deciding what to do. You’ve already thought it through, and simply must follow your plan.
And this skill isn’t just for pilots! In DBT, coping ahead is an emotion regulation skill that can help you rehearse strategies ahead of time to better handle stressful situations or uncomfortable emotions. By visualizing and planning out how you will cope with challenging situations in advance, you start to feel more confident in your ability to face them, boosting your self-esteem and reducing stress.
What’s the difference between Coping Ahead and overthinking?
Overthinking is a common response to stress that can be counterproductive. It is also a common feature of anxiety that involves dwelling on worst-case scenarios, often leading to a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions. It can be triggered by a wide range of every-day stressors or perceived threats.
On the other hand, rather than going in circles about problems, Coping Ahead involves thinking about solutions. It is a deliberate and proactive skill, rather than a reactive response that actually impairs your problem-solving abilities.
How do I learn to Cope Ahead?
If you want to learn how to Cope Ahead, there are some practical tips you can try.
- Identify potential stressors in your life, such as upcoming deadlines or social events.
- Plan coping strategies that work for you, such as deep breathing, positive self-talk, or seeking support from friends.
- Rehearse your coping strategies in your mind, visualizing yourself using them and picturing how they will help.
- Lastly, remember to take some time to relax and ground yourself. Well done!
If you are struggling with…
- Overthinking
- Low self-confidence
- Anxiety
- A sense of low control in your life
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Other conditions that cause intense emotional reactions to common life stressors
…then consider seeking support from a mental health professional. Coping Ahead is a skill that can be learned and practiced, and therapy can provide a safe and supportive environment for developing this skill. Contact our clinic to learn more about how we can help.
by Stefanie Tong | Jul 12, 2021 | ADHD, Anxiety, Autism, Creative Arts Programs, Depression, Health, Mental Health, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Stress, Therapy, Trauma
Many people feel apprehensive or intimidated when they hear the word “dance.” Movement is a beautiful and intricate part of who we are. We are in constant motion, from blood flowing through our veins to neurons firing during thought processes and through the simplicity of breath. Our very existence depends on the continuous movement happening within the body.
Therapeutic dance, or movement, is a mind-body approach for working with emotions towards holistic wellness. We often dismiss the subtle signs of stress from our bodies until it becomes a chronic issue, preventing us from functioning in our daily lives. Therapeutic dance and movement explores the presence of emotions within the body and shows us how to care for the emotional symptoms that we may find.
What do you mean by emotions living in the body?
Have you ever noticed sayings like, “I have butterflies in my stomach,” “That gave me the heebie-jeebies,” or “My blood is boiling”? These sayings are examples of how we experience nervousness, fear, and anger in the body. Some people describe these feelings in their body as “gut feelings.” We often override gut feelings using the mind and ignore what is happening in the body. Learning to trust in the body’s wisdom is an important skill to possess in today’s fast-paced world.
In therapeutic dance and movement, the connection between the mind and the body is facilitated as a conversation used to achieve a deeper understanding of the self. Emotions in the body are made aware by paying attention to the subtle shifts in the body and linked back to spoken language.
What does an appointment look like?
Clients are often surprised that a session does not have to involve dance whatsoever. Sessions are NOT like a dance class, experience in movement is not even required. Therapeutic dance/movement is an approach that gives your body the space to express what words cannot. Do you ever move your hands when you talk? That’s a form of therapeutic movement! A session can consist of talking to someone, along with the optional invitation of moving, breath-work, or spontaneous dance. It’s entirely up to you! Another way to interpret therapeutic dance/movement is as a counselling session. Your whole body is invited into the conversation, and expression is created from the inside to the outside.
There have been times clients have said, “I’m not sure why I just did that.” The body knows what the mind may not understand quite yet. Therapeutic dance/movement helps to bring understanding and self-compassion to patterns of being. Session goals are co-created between client and practitioner. With this, a therapeutic movement session becomes a journey of creative expression and experiential processing.
What can therapeutic dance/movement help with?
Therapeutic dance/movement can help with anything, such as stress, pain, difficulty sleeping, relationship issues, chronic illness, temper tantrums, developmental disabilities, and neurodiverse diagnoses.
Some other issues therapeutic dance/movement can support:
- Feeling stuck
- Feeling agitated or angry
- Anxiety
- Depression / low mood
- Trauma
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Tantrums and intense emotional upsets
- Strengthening relationships
How Can I Start Moving?
Whether you want to start moving by speaking, storytelling, writing, drawing, or dancing, get your emotions moving today by calling our office to book a therapeutic dance/movement session. Have a quick question about therapeutic dance/movement? Click here to email our therapeutic dance/movement practitioner, Stefanie.
