I
believe that all parts of our selves are interconnected. If we improve
in one area: physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, we
improve in all. Each healthy choice we make increases our overall
wellness – making it easier to continue making healthy choices and live
a healthy balanced life.
For
example, if we eat healthy food we will have more energy. With more
energy we are more likely to engage in physical activity. With physical
activity we tend to sleep better. This all leads to improvements in
other areas of our lives such as: personal relationships, work, and
inner growth. It begins to look like an upwards spiral of wellness.
Unfortunately, this is also true when we make unhealthy choices. If we
don’t engage in physical activity we may not sleep well. With poor
sleep we are more likely to make poor food choices. Poor food choices
can lead to feeling unhealthy and fatigued. These unhealthy choices can
have a negative impact in other areas of our lives as we may be feeling
fatigued, irritable or stressed – somewhat like being on a downward
spiral.
In
order to live a healthy balanced life we need to focus on healthy
choices and build on the synergy they provide us for living well. Often,
even though we know intellectually that we should be making these
healthy choices, we don’t always do it. So how does one hop on the
upward spiral and stay on?
A
solid foundation is required in order to stay the course - an action
plan so to speak! Ever hear the saying, “Fail to Plan – Plan to Fail”?
This is where working with a counsellor can help you achieve your
goals. As a counsellor I help people decide what is important to them
and what they want to achieve. We will explore your values so that all
of the work we do together is in harmony with your ideal life. Your
ideal life is explored by discussing what you value, what you want to
achieve and what success looks like to you. Success for each person is
different and once you identify that vision you can start moving towards
it!
With
your vision in place we will start to develop small measurable goals
that will help you get to your long-term goal. Small changes lead to
significant results! Each small goal should be something you can see –
something you can measure such as: number of visits to the gym, hours of
sleep, positive comments to a spouse or child, mindfulness practice and
so on.
As a
counsellor one of my main goals is to help you become aware. Aware of
what you want, aware of what is preventing you from achieving your goals
and aware of how your behaviour will help you reach your goals. I can
provide you with information that might be helpful as you work towards
your goal. You may have the opportunity to focus on how thoughts or
feelings affect your behaviour and interactions with people in your
life. We will check in to see what is working and what isn’t working.
Often I will provide you with additional resources that can help you
achieve your goals, should you choose to use them.
For
some people learning new skills such as: positive ways to communicate,
healthy ways to express anger, learning to identify self-sabotaging
thoughts and behaviours or focusing on self-care, can make a significant
difference in overall health and happiness.
Counsellors do not judge people for something they have done in their
past or for current behaviour. We are here to walk with you in your
journey, providing hope and support along the way. Bumps and setbacks
are inevitable in life and having someone you can trust and count on can
go a long way in keeping you on your upward spiral of health and
wellness.
Because I believe that our whole self is interconnected I believe that
people who want to achieve whole self wellness will benefit from working
with other helping professionals such as: naturopathic doctors, medical
doctors, chiropractic doctors, massage therapists, physiotherapists,
nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, spiritual leaders, nutritionists or
any other helping professional that can assist you with your health.
In
the end the change you make and the success you achieve will be from
your own effort and commitment to wellness. I will be there with you,
but I cannot change for you. I wish you all the best in feeling well
and achieving the best life you can have! I look forward to working
with you should you decide that you would like to explore the benefits
of counselling.