There seems to be this perception of what counselling looks like. Thanks to the movies, likely! The client is sitting on a leather couch with their feet up, the counsellor sitting on a tall wingback chair with a clipboard making notes and asking the question, “How do you feel about that?”.

I won’t be the first to tell you that our bodies and mind are better off with movement, and I won’t be the last either. Since years ago parents would encourage their kids outside to play and run and though exercise was not always as widely spoken about, the benefits have been highlighted for decades.

Sitting face to face is not the only way to do therapy. We aren’t created equal and we all bring something different with us, along with a different comfort level. My favorite way to work with clients is often through movement.

Oh boy, this is a favourite topic of mine! I live in a small rural town in Ontario. There is lots of stigma and ideas about what therapy is or what it should look like. I have heard comments like “Hope I don’t need therapy”, “It’s not that bad”, “I am not that far gone” etc. It’s too bad really because I often wonder if stigma is a barrier to seeking support.

One of the biggest questions or concerns I hear as an Ontario counsellor focusing on grieving is, “Is this normal?”. Well, there is no normal, there is no one way, your way will look different than others and thank goodness. We aren’t robots. Our relationships are different, our supports, coping skills and resources, are all different too. 

There are lots of ideas out there, don’t limit your brainstorm to this list. These are a few ideas that people have appreciated. Along with casseroles of course! Those are still a favourite.