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Jesus Had A Blended Family

Before the cries of 'heresy' are yelled out during this Merry season -- bear with me! Reality dictates there are a lot of step-parent living situations and blended families in this day and age. If we take a look at Jesus we see that he was actually raised by his…
Beth_Murray
December 21, 2018
Mental Health

Is it Clinical or Situational Depression?

This is a very important question to determine when it comes to depression. Situational depression is something that most of us face at some point in our lives. It is a short-term form of depression that follows a traumatic disruption to life or a series of losses. Often a situational…
Beth_Murray
December 5, 2018
Mental Health

Feeling Stuck?

Are you feeling stuck? That's odd because stuck isn't a feeling, it's more of a state! However, feelings that occur around being stuck include apathy, depression, helpless, frustrated and so on. Apathy is a bad one because we don't care when we're apathetic. Problem being that we have to care…
Beth_Murray
November 14, 2018
Mental HealthRelationships

Aren’t Boundaries Rude?

Putting boundaries in place can feel like you are being rude but they are actually a self-protective, defensive move. Sometimes we need to put a boundary or limit into place in order to preserve a relationship or transform one into a more healthy relationship. "What is the difference between a wall…
Beth_Murray
October 16, 2018
Mental Health

Believe It or Not!

What we believe directs how we live our lives. Our core beliefs function like a filtering system that looks for evidence. If the core beliefs are positive and effective, reflecting truth about ourselves, the evidence we look for is positive and supportive. They also help us filter the negative incidents…
Beth_Murray
August 31, 2018
Mental Health

How to Actually Change

Change is a great idea but sometimes that's as far as it goes. Alcoholic's Anonymous is believed to be the source of a great quote "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results." This is something that we seem to struggle with…
Beth_Murray
July 23, 2018
Mental Health

The Problem with Process

Our world has become quite intolerant of process. We like quick fixes and things to be 'easy-peasy.' We stand by microwave ovens tapping our feet, wondering why it's taking so long. We've become a society of Instant Gratification Junkies. Instagram. Snapchat. Texts that travel from one device to the other…
Beth_Murray
July 6, 2018
Mental Health

Become More Resilient

Becoming more resilient is a good investment of time and energy. We often don't stop and think about resiliency as something that we can influence or build. Have you ever heard a story about a family where one person rose above the overwhelming, negative odds to make something wonderful of…
Beth_Murray
May 24, 2018
Relationships

Couples Counselling ‘Cause Cr*p Happens

Couples counselling is often viewed by many as an ultimatum thrown out at the end of a heated argument. "WE need to get couples counselling!" It kinda gets a bad rap, like giving someone a gift card for a root canal or a "date night" suggestion of getting a colon…
Beth_Murray
April 23, 2018
Mental Health

The Problem With Stuffing Emotions

Many people are quick to stuff their emotions or deny them. Sometimes this is a long standing behaviour, a habit that a person has developed or a defence mechanism. I've even heard people say 'if I were to ever go there I would lose it!' Indeed, that is what a…
Beth_Murray
February 21, 2018
Mental Health

How Your Inner Monologue Impacts Your Outer Life

Ever found yourself singing along to a song you didn't even realize you knew the words to? We have an amazing ability to retain what we hear throughout the day. Songs. Words. Messages.  If the messages are positive then we tend to feel pretty good and our mood is pleasant.If…
Beth_Murray
January 26, 2018
Mental Health

Holiday Seasonal Affective Disorder

Holiday Seasonal Affective Disorder for real?? Okay no but you may feel like it's real! After all the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) are having less energy, trouble concentrating, poor sleep, fatigue, greater appetite/weight gain, etc. It sounds like it just might fit for this Holiday Season too! (By…
Beth_Murray
December 13, 2017
Mental Health

How Our Words Impact Our Mental Health

Words are so powerful! Whether we speak them to others or run them over and over in our head, what we tell ourselves affects how we feel and what we believe. If we hear the words again and again, or the messages they represent, we can end up rutting on…
Beth_Murray
August 16, 2017
Trauma

What Makes Something Traumatic?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is a fairly well-known condition in our world, yet some people go through horrific things and don't develop PTSD. What makes something more likely to be traumatic or give us trauma symptoms? Why can thousands of people go to combat but only a portion of…
Beth_Murray
July 12, 2017
hope
CBTMental Health

Coping When Life Goes Sideways

Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. Life happens, catching us off guard and knocking us down hard on our backsides. Sigh. It isn't fun! In fact, sometimes the throes of this life can be overwhelming. How do you keep a positive attitude when life throws a curveball? Coping…
Beth_Murray
May 11, 2017
Marriage

Five Horsemen of the Marital Apocalypse!

Marriages are under attack! It's hard enough keeping a relationship healthy and strong without the many pressures that face us in this society. Let's take a look at FIVE top issues that impact marriages today and some ideas on how to defend your relationship. Busyness. When someone asks you how…
Beth_Murray
January 27, 2017
AnxietyMental HealthRelationships

Deck the Halls! Gonna Deck Somebody?!

Sometimes the Christmas/holiday season is not a festive time for some people. People struggling with eating disorders and addiction find this season especially triggering and difficult. People who have gone through a major loss or facing a tough season of life, find that the celebratory parts of the season reinforce…
Beth_Murray
December 14, 2016
fresh hope counselling office
News

Fresh Hope has Expanded!

We are so pleased to see our practice grow over the past year and a half. Last summer, we had Dr. Cath Thorlakson, Registered Psychologist and Cathy Murray, Master's Level Social Worker and Therapist join us. As the year has gone by, there has been an increased need for counselling…
Beth_Murray
November 3, 2016
Mental Health

B.E. BE AUTHENTIC!

Thought it was time to do a little bit of cheerleading for the promotion of authenticity. In a world where media bias is constantly presenting us with a skewed agenda, we can become disillusioned with this world of ours. If you are a highly sensitive person, or even moderately high,…
Beth_Murray
October 31, 2016
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