Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Understanding Spiritual Trauma

In the tapestry of human existence, our spiritual journey is a thread woven with experiences that shape our souls in profound ways. Some of these experiences may leave invisible wounds, impacting how we perceive ourselves, others, and our belief systems. Today, let's embark on a journey together to explore the concept of spiritual trauma, shedding light on what it means, how it might show up in your life, and how you can begin the healing process.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Strength-Based Parenting: Embracing Your Child’s Emotions

Parenting is a journey filled with challenges, joys, and the incredible opportunity to shape the future. As a parent, you likely find yourself grappling with various approaches to raise a happy and successful child. One powerful approach is strength-based parenting, which focuses on recognizing and nurturing the unique strengths and emotions of your child.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Navigating Grief this Holiday Season

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, warmth, and togetherness. However, if you're grappling with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of an important relationship or friendship, these festivities can feel like an emotional minefield. Grieving during the holidays is uniquely challenging, and it's important to recognize that your journey is your own. With thoughtful strategies that prioritize your mental well-being, you can navigate this period with grace and resilience.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Nurturing Your Healing: Trauma & the Role of Therapy

Embarking on the path to healing from trauma is a courageous and deeply personal endeavor. Trauma, a multifaceted experience, is more than a singular event; it encompasses any overwhelming experience that leaves an enduring mark on your emotional and psychological well-being.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Navigating Your Path to Wellness

Your journey toward mental wellness is a deeply personal endeavor. In this blog, we put you, your feelings, and your needs at the forefront. We'll explore strategies designed to empower you in addressing various aspects of stress that impact your life: the physical, emotional, psychological, and behavioral facets. Together, in this article, we will discover action-oriented and perception-oriented strategies for managing your stressors, the importance of self-acceptance and compassion practices, and the role of meaningful human connections.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Embracing Your Mental Wellness Journey

Your mental wellness is a precious aspect of your life journey, and we want to focus on you, your emotions, and your needs in this article. The World Health Organization beautifully describes mental wellness as "a state of mental well-being that enables you to navigate life's challenges, recognize your unique abilities, grow, and thrive while contributing to your community”.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Webinar: Anxiety Answers

We have heard of anxiety and we have all felt anxiety at some level. Sometimes it might even feel like anxiety comes out of the blue like a giant wave. In this webinar we will dive into why we have anxiety and what anxiety might be telling us. We will discuss tools that can help prevent and manage anxiety when it arises in order to build a better understanding of your anxiety so it no longer feels like it has control over you.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Webinar: Open Hearted Boundaries Webinar

We often think of boundaries as something harsh or distancing. However, boundaries are a way of acknowledging our own limitations while maintaining connection with those we love and care about. When we set boundaries, we are respecting our own needs and keeping love in our relationships. This webinar explains the value of boundaries and will help you to identify your own boundaries and how to communicate them in a way that allows you to be more connected with those around you.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Webinar: Befriend Your Body

If you have every spoken negative words towards your own body, felt uncomfortable in it, or have simply wished to build a healthier relationship with your own body, this webinar will help.. We learn, in this webinar, where our body image issues may have started and how we can begin to view our body through a healthier lens.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Common Concerns We See in Therapy

People go to therapy for a million different reasons. Here are just a few concerns that come up frequently in our practice….

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

6 Ways to Boost Your Mood Now!

The sun is finally out and I don’t know about you, but the change in weather has had an enormous impact on my mood. If you’re anything like me and you’re determined to capitalize on that improvement, here are six practical ways to build on that momentum and riiiiiiide that boost!

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Book Review: Attached

It seems like every week, I end up recommending Levine and Heller’s Attached to another client or friend. It’s just so freaking good. It’s well known that our brains are not fully developed until we are 25 years old. So, in addition to our early childhood experiences, it only makes sense that our early relationships during adolescence would also have an enormous impact on our attachment styles later on.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

How Self-Compassion Can Simmer Down Your Inner Critic and Help You Be Kinder To Yourself

Self-Compassion is one of those buzz words at the moment that is significantly more difficult to practice and apply than it is to throw around in conversation. Put most simply, self-compassion is the act of extending compassion to oneself. Let’s take that one step further: Compassion is noticing another’s suffering, being moved by it and to feel a strong desire to help the suffering person in some way; to alleviate their pain. If we can feel so moved by another’s pain that we can extend them warmth and care, then why is it so hard to extend this level of kindness to ourselves?

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

How Validation Can Enhance Connection With Your Loved Ones

Many a parent has asked me to provide a “tip sheet” on how to best support their child’s mental health. How strange it is that we are not given a manual for parenting; wouldn’t that just make things so much easier!? Alas you are in the same boat as many if you are having difficulty navigating how to support your child’s big emotions and foster growth and resilience. I simply cannot emphasize the importance of validation enough. But what does this even mean?! If I validate my child’s emotion, doesn’t that mean I lose control and I am just reinforcing their actions and behaviours? Absolutely not.

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Kristen Hamilton Kristen Hamilton

Self-Care 101

WHAT IS SELF-CARE?

Self-care is the practice of purposeful and self-initiated actions and attitudes that contribute to our general well-being. It is taking care of our physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual wellness through actions, intentions and behaviours that increase our overall wellness. Self-care is not selfish. It is not self-indulgent or self-serving. It is crucial. We know this and yet things still get in the way…

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