When we think of the spring and summer months, we often think of the return of longer days, spending more time outside, and being more social. People are often grateful for winter to be over and for the return of long sunny warm days. Yesterday my family was walking together and so many people were… Continue reading Seasons of Ambiguity: Mental Health Challenges in the Spring and Summer Months
Category: mental illness
Mental Health Mapping: A Year Comes to A Close
When you silence your needs, your soul shrinks in isolation. When you express yourself, your soul comes out to play. ~Melody Godfred, Self Love Poetry Photo by Meegan Simpson-Cooke This cloud formation this week foreshadows changing weather. The sun of summer will change to more cloudy days as we move through fall. Winter's hibernation is… Continue reading Mental Health Mapping: A Year Comes to A Close
Post-Episode Recovery: “A Slow Build”
“Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough” Unknown I think this quote reminds me of how mental health episodes can lead to important life changes and self-understanding. Perhaps my biggest breakthrough after my last episode was returning to lifestyle choices and a life balance that supported my own wellness. Right after… Continue reading Post-Episode Recovery: “A Slow Build”
Looking Back, Looking Forward: May is Mental Health Awareness Month
"Healing Yourself is Connected with Healing Others" Y. Ono Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is a month to promote awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness and to offer support and resources to those with lived experience of mental illness, and their supporters. CMHA, the Canadian Mental… Continue reading Looking Back, Looking Forward: May is Mental Health Awareness Month
How Art Therapy and Mental Health Recovery Values Align
“Art is a way of recognizing oneself” ~ Louise Bourgeois This blog post weaves in material from a paper that I wrote about mental health recovery and art therapy. The topic of the paper is that mental health recovery principles align naturally with art therapy and that people with lived experience of mental illness can… Continue reading How Art Therapy and Mental Health Recovery Values Align