For months, we’ve all been in a state of ‘survival’ dealing with uncertainty, fear and isolation. But now, with restrictions lifting and vaccines being distributed, we find ourselves starting to feel a little bit better. We’ve finally returned to warm weather, sunshine and holidays… but what does this mean for our mental health?

Working mothers are a resilient group, accustomed to juggling work responsibilities and family time. Before the COVID-19 crisis, they had slowly been making progress in the workplace. But the challenges of the past year have left many working moms overburdened and rethinking their careers entirely. Here’s why…

Many moms just don’t have the time or energy to understand why they feel so awful. As a result, they push aside their feelings and do the best they can, day after day, after day. Sound familiar?

This week we are talking to registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank about Anxiety in Children, Pre-teens and Youth. This week, Kate will help us recognize whether or not what we’re seeing in our kids is anxiety or typical behaviour.

This week we are talking to registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank about Dispelling Myths about Child Mental Health. Many of us hold certain outlooks surrounding mental health, whether we are aware of them or not. This week, Kate challenged some of those beliefs.

Mental illness can distort a child’s perception of reality, how they handle conflict, how they deal with their emotions and; emotional responses. When this negative behavior becomes consistent, stronger, and inhibits their ability to interact with people and maintain relationships, it could be a cause for worry.  This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about how to recognize signs of mental illness in children and adolescents.

Unfortunately, mental health problems in children is more common than you might think. 70% of mental health concerns have their onset during childhood. Approximately 1 in 5 children and youth (under age 18) in Ontario have a mental health concern.  This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Melissa Persadie, about how to nurture your child’s mental health.

In many ways racism in Canada is just as bad - if not worse - that the U.S. In September 2020, a grassroots organization called Project 1907, created by Asian women, dedicated to elevating marginalized voices, collected national data that shows Canada has a higher number of anti-Asian racism reports per capita than the United States.

Every person is unique. Therefore, every relationship is also unique. Some need work. Some are entirely toxic. But throughout these descriptions of different kinds of relationships, you’ll find what makes a healthy relationship. Because no matter who you are, a healthy relationship is exactly what you need when you’re looking for a partner.

Bullying can arise in many ways, from physical to verbal, social to cyber bullying. With the increase in social media, bullying has taken on another face that was quite unexpected, but nonetheless, just as damaging. With the progress of technology, bullying has quickly changed from physical bullying (fights at school) to social/cyberbullying (happening on social media or technology).  This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about the impact of 21st century bullying on our kids’ mental health.

There is a fine line that divides beneficial social media usage and negative social media usage. Making sure your time on social platforms is serving you properly is an endeavor that many young people are struggling with.  This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about the impact social media can have on our mental health.

How do you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind? This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about body image, self-esteem and mental health.

What’s your relationship with food? Do you keep things casual or is it love? Or maybe it’s an obsession? A toxic lover you just can’t quit? This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about the causes, prevalence and impact of eating disorders.

Transitioning from childhood to adolescence is tumultuous time in a young person’s life, with so many developmental and social changes occurring. And, for many 10-18 year old’s, it has become a stressful and often painful experience. This week, we interviewed Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank, about the challenges facing pre-teens and teens when it comes to their self-esteem.

Transitioning into adulthood should be an exciting time in a young person’s life, but for many 18-25 year old’s, it has become a stressful and often painful experience. And it’s no wonder. No generation has had to tackle the same kind of uncertainty about their future. This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Masters of Social Work Training Therapist, Claire Arkett, about the challenges facing what has been described as the ‘Covid Generation’.

“I can’t wait until 2020 is over.” How many times have you said that to yourself? For many of us the end of 2020 somewhat equated to the end of the pandemic. That somehow once the clock struck midnight we would be able to leave the nightmare of 2020 behind. What are you thinking now?

The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time of year, but for many people it can be a lonely, isolating, and stressful experience. Why is it like this? This week, we interviewed our Peachey Counselling and Family Support team member, Registered Social Worker, Kate Brockbank. Read what she had to say about coping with seasonal depression, most often referred to as the ‘holiday blues.’

This year, in true 2020 fashion, the added stress of having a ‘Covid Christmas’ is making it hard to feel that holiday spirit. This week, we interviewed Patricia Ramos, a Registered Psychotherapist here at Peachey Counselling and Family Support, to get her thoughts on how to deal with the stress, anxiety, depression and feelings of isolation brought on by COVID-19 this holiday season.

Mentally speaking we are all tired of this pandemic. We thought - just wait until summer, just wait until fall, just wait until the new year and things will be different, better, back to normal - but they’re not. This week, we interviewed Stefanie Peachey, a Registered Social Worker and Founder of Peachey Counselling and Family Support, to get her thoughts on how we can manage our stress and build resiliency in this unprecedented time of uncertainty.

With guidance, families can learn strategies to cope with this challenging process and to minimize any conflicts and disputes that arise. The goal of separation and divorce counselling is to ultimately move beyond the separation /divorce towards acceptance.