As winter quickly (It’s actually here) approaches, and the days get darker and colder, our thoughts can turn to the negative, often leaving us feeling down, frustrated, sad, angry, which can sometimes turn into unhealthy coping strategies. While some turn towards alcohol, drugs or food, others turn towards gambling, shopping and sex. All of these behaviours are used to manage or cope with those negative feelings, often too difficult to experience. However, they are destructive behaviours that can impact ones life personally, socially and professionally. In addition to finding healthier coping strategies for the difficulties in life, we also need to change the thinking that got us there in
In the last thirteen years of actively practicing cognitive-behavioural therapy, I have seen one tool that stands out apart from all others. Disclaimer - I am not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ kind of therapist. What works for one individual may not work at all for another. People come to me with different goals, struggles, personality types, working styles. All of these factors must be taken into account when choosing the right plan or program as a solution. My job as a therapist is to have a big bag of tools and techniques that I can offer, taking into consideration all the variables I just mentioned. That said, there is one tool I have found that has resulted in the greatest success. I’m g
