Emotionally Intelligent Marriages

31, July, 2015

What can make a marriage work is surprisingly simple says relationship expert John Gottman. Happily married couples aren’t smarter, richer, or more psychologically astute than others. But in their day to day lives, they have hit upon a dynamic that keeps their negative thoughts and feelings about each other (which all couples have) from overwhelming their positive ones. They have what Gottman calls an emotionally intelligent marriage.

Recently, emotional intelligence has become widely recognized as an important predictor of a child’s success later in life. The more in touch with emotions and the better able a child is to understand and get along with others, the sunnier that child’s future, whatever his or her academic IQ. The same is true for relationships between spouses. The more emotionally intelligent a couple – the better able they are to understand, honor and respect each other and their marriage the more likely that they will indeed live happily ever after. Just as parents can teach their children emotional intelligence, this is also a skill that a couple can be taught. As simple as it sounds, it can keep husband and wife on the positive side of the divorce odds.

Toronto couples therapist Larry Borins says, “couples often come to me when they are in emotional distress and there has been a breakdown in communication”. Borins shares that perhaps one of his favourite video clips to show couples during one of his counselling session is called, “It’s Not About the Nail”. Not only is this video hilarious… because its so true, but it also a great reminder about the power of empathy, listening and how to be more emotionally attuned with your partner.

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What is Meditation?

30, October, 2015

For those who practice it, it’s a way to self regulate internal mental distractions. A scientist’s perceives meditation as a means to enhance brain function and cognition in both normal and impaired people.

The average person has around seventy thousand thoughts per day which, depending on the thought, could provide someone with plenty to stress over. Meditation is like exercise for the brain, it is a form of training. In doing so, a person infuses their thoughts with love, happiness, and wellbeing. Doing this also helps maintain a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

There are also different types of stress. There is acute stress, which is more short term, often something recent and anticipated that comes along with its own pressures and demands upon the person. Then there is chronic stress, which as suggests is a lingering and long term type of stress, such as a childhood trauma, poverty, a dysfunctional family, or possibly something environmental. Regardless of which kind it is, stress has a physiology. First it causes tension or possibly panic, then the hormones get in on the act as the body releases cortisol, adrenaline, and epinephrine. The more lasting effects are high blood pressure and the body takes energy away from the immune, reproductive, and digestive systems in order to combat the stress. Enjoy several charts which show the effects of meditation in different study groups.

Meditation

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How Healthy Relationships Change Our Brains

2, November, 2015

By Jenev Caddell

We are much more interconnected than we realize. As technology advances and we are able to actually see into the human brain, we now have proof of this. These are exciting times in the fields of psychology and mental health.

Psychologist and relationship expert Susan Johnson, in a collaboration with neuroscientist James Coan, published a study on how the quality of one’s romantic relationship has a direct effect on how the brain responds to fear and pain. The study demonstrated how a type of couples therapy called Emotionally Focused Therapy can actually change partners’ brains as a result.

The Experiment – Phase One:  Before Emotionally Focused Therapy

The experiment involved placing an unhappily married woman in an fMRI machine. She was told that she would be given a shock to her foot when she saw an “x” on the screen. Understandably, when she saw the “x,” researchers noted that her brain lit up with all kinds of fear and pain. She reported that the shock hurt. She then held the hand of a stranger, and had the same response – she was scared and it hurt. She then held the hand of her husband, whom she probably wasn’t too fond of at the time; she again experienced fear and pain, consistent with the fMRI. No change.

The Experiment – Phase Two:  After Emotionally Focused Therapy

The couples who went through phase one worked on their marriages with an Emotionally Focused Therapist (EFT). EFT has been demonstrated consistently in the research to have higher than a 70 percent success rate with couples in distress. After these couples went through EFT, the wives again went through the experiment. The results were notable.

When the woman was alone in the fMRI machine, she again felt fear and pain and the fMRI showed her brain responding as such. When she held the hand of a stranger, the response wasn’t as strong, but was still present. After EFT couples therapy, she held the hand of her husband and received the shock again. Her response was profoundly calmed. The fMRI demonstrated relatively little fear response, and she denied feeling nearly as much pain, she merely thought the shock was uncomfortable.

The results and their implications

The implication of this study is that healthy relationships literally soothe our brains. This study is but one piece of evidence about how our mammalian brains are wired to connect with one another to face the trauma and difficulties of life. We are much better off going at life together than alone. Creating secure bonds and staying connected is how we as a species evolved, and how we will continue to.

“Love is a safety cue that literally calms and comforts the neurons in our brain.”
Sue Johnson

EFT is one of the most evidence-backed forms of couples therapy. In this study, Johnson demonstrates how it can help literally create physical changes in partners’ brains once relationships are repaired.

To see Sue explaining her study, watch this:

“We all fear facing life alone, and we all yearn for loving connection,”
Sue Johnson.

Sources:

Byrne, M., Carr, A., & Clark, M. (2004). The efficacy of behavioral couples therapy and
emotionally focused therapy for couple distress. Contemporary Family Therapy:
An International Journal, 26, 361-387

Johnson, S., Moser, M., Beckes L., Smith A., Dalgleish T., et al. (2013) Soothing the Threatened Brain: Leveraging Contact Comfort with Emotionally Focused Therapy. PLoS ONE 8(11): e79314.

Johnson, S., Hunsley, J., Greenberg, L. & Schindler, D. (1999) Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: Status & challenges (A meta-analysis). Journal of Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6,67-79.

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The Mindful Way Through Depression

2, November, 2015

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

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The 3 Minute Breathing Space

2, November, 2015

The 3 Minute Breathing Space is a mini meditation for the purpose of stepping out of automatic pilot and reconnecting with the present moment experience. This practice can be very useful when negative thought patterns arise, attempting to push you into a downward spiral of emotional reactivity. By slowing down and turning into the present moment, with acceptance and compassion, this exercise can help you respond more skillfully to stressful situations. More choices become available with purposeful attention and we can start to respond to negative emotions instead of simply reacting to them.

  1. Awareness

    Bring yourself into the present moment by deliberately adopting an erect and dignified posture. If possible, close your eyes.

Then ask:”What is my experience right now…in thoughts…in feelings…and in bodily sensations? Acknowledge and register your experience, even if it is unwanted.

  1. Gathering

    Then, gently redirect full attention to breathing, to each in-breath and to each outbreath as they follow, one after the other.Your breath can function as an anchor to bring you into the present and help you tune into a state of awareness and stillness.

  2. Expanding

    Expand the field of your awareness around your breathing, so that it includes a sense of the body as a whole, your posture, and facial expression.The breathing space provides a way to step out of automatic pilot mode and reconnect with the present moment.

The key skill in using Mindfulness is to maintain awareness in the moment. Nothing else.

From Segal, Williams and Teasdale (2002). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. Guilford Press

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Marriage, Couples Counselling, Therapy

Hold Me Tight

2, November, 2015

Love demands the reassurance of touch. Most fights are really protests over emotional disconnection. Underneath the distress, partners are desperate to know: Are you there for me?

Here is a great article on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, an approach to counselling that really gets to the bottom of the relationship distress. The article was written by Dr.Sue Johnson, a leading expert on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.

Also, here is a video clip from Sue Johnson, as she speaks at the 2009 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium:

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A Butterfly’s Lesson

2, November, 2015

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So to help the butterfly, he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of it’s life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we were to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

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Conversations For Connection

16, November, 2015

Do adults bond with their partners in the same way that children develop attachments to their parents? Love Guru, Dr. Sue Johnson shows groundbreaking evidence to suggest that they do in her book “Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Life Time of Love.”

In December 2011 I had the opportunity to attend a week long externship training with Johnson in Ottawa, where I got immersed in her empirically validated model called Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT).

Emotionally Focused Couple’s Therapy (EFT) is a short-term (8-20 sessions) therapy used to reduce distress in adult love relationships and create more secure attachment bonds. This approach is based on the assumption that relationships have a powerful impact on our mental and physical health. According to Johnson, lovers are regulators of each others physiology and emotional functioning and when there is relationship rupture this can send the couple into distress, panic, depression, trauma and forgiveness dilemmas. The good news is that each partner holds the key to unlock each others pain and loneliness. Emotional presence is the solution.

The message of “Hold Me Tight” is simple says Dr. Sue. “Forget about learning how to argue better, analyzing your early childhood, making grand romantic gestures, or experimenting with new sexual positions. Instead, get to the emotional underpinnings of your relationship by recognizing that you are emotionally attached to and dependent on your partner in much the same way that a child is on a parent for nurturing, soothing and protection”.

Dr. Johnson teaches that the way to enhance or save a relationship is to be open, attuned, and responsive to each other and to reestablish emotional connection.

Love is a very special kind of emotional bond. It is a basic need that is wired into our brain by millions of years of evolution. It is a survival strategy. Our brains identify isolation and abandonment as danger, and the touch and emotional responsiveness of loved ones as safety. When we experience a loss of connection from attachment figures, this triggers “primal panic,” a special set of fear responses.

According to the code of attachment theory we all need a safe haven relationship to turn to when life is too much for us and that offers us a secure base from which to go confidently out into the world. This is effective dependency.

Dr. Johnson shares that the heart of the matter in couples therapy is not about the arguments that play out around the kids or money. The fighting is really about the key attachment questions that drive a couple’s negative dance.

The key questions are: “Are you there for me?” “Do I matter to you?” “Will you turn towards me and respond to me?” Partners often do not know how to ask these questions, and therapists often miss them or even see them as a sign of immature dependency.

This externship gave me a new road map for working with couples and a deeper understanding for marital distress. Attachment theory seems to be the missing glue for all the other experiential and humanistic approaches I’ve been trying to piece together and integrate. I believe that this model is a truly revolutionary breakthrough in couples therapy. It has been exciting to bring “Hold Me Tight” conversations into my work with couples and families, as the evidence for its success is significant.

Author:
Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto, a centre for emotional wellbeing. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients get out of the vicious cycles of negative emotions, recognize destructive patterns, find deeper connections, and explore new options for positive change.

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Why We All Need To Practice Emotional First Aid

13, December, 2015

We’ll go to the doctor when we feel flu-ish or a nagging pain. So why don’t we see a health professional when we feel emotional pain: guilt, loss, loneliness? Too many of us deal with common psychological-health issues on our own, says psychologist Guy Winch. But we don’t have to. Winch makes a compelling case to practice emotional hygiene — taking care of our emotions, our minds, with the same diligence we take care of our bodies.

Guy Winch gives a great Ted Talks  on the benefits of practicing emotional hygiene. To watch the video click Here: Why we all need to practice emotional first aid.

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A Butterfly’s Lesson

15, November, 2016

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So to help the butterfly, he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of it’s life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we were to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

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The Summer Day

26, April, 2017

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Many Bad Feelings Come From Illogical Thoughts

27, March, 2018

Happy Spring, friends:

Daylight savings time may have brought with it a series of grumbles – “what do you mean we lose an hour of sleep?” – but it does have one very positive perk: MORE SUNLIGHT!!!!

For those of us who experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), increased light can shake away feelings of depression and enhance our mood. People simply feel better on longer days.

Spring promotes hope, happiness and inspires us to “spring into action”. Shake-off the cobwebs and dust from the winter months. It’s spring-cleaning time! We can also “spring clean” our mental and emotional spaces. Do away with the mental debris that no-longer serves you. Whether you notice it or not, your limiting beliefs, skewed expectations or negative internal dialogue influence every aspect of your life.

I just wrote a blog post that touches on this topic: Many Bad Feelings Come From Illogical Thoughts. Biased thinking patterns are often linked to stress, anxiety and depression.

With the change of seasons comes a chance to try something different.

Do you have any new and exciting changes planned for the coming season?

In Mind Health and Happiness,
Larry

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Just Take a Breath

26, October, 2020

This might sound a little weird, but hear me out…

I want you to just take a breath, and relax.

We’re living in a weird time and things likely haven’t gone the way you thought they would in 2020.

So go on, take a 3 minute breathing space.

Maybe you or a loved one lost your job…

Maybe you feel frustrated by world leaders because we weren’t properly prepared for this…

Maybe you’re sad because you miss your family, friends, or favorite coffee shop…

Or maybe you’re angry because you feel like the government isn’t doing enough – or doing too much…

We’re all experiencing Coronavirus in different ways.

Many of us feel fear, sadness, confusion, and frustration…

But if you’re anything like me, you’re not going to let it get the best of you.

We can either simply react to the chaos, or choose to act in a way that will improve our lives.

We can respond by focusing on what we can control: our actions.

My question to you is this:

What will you have accomplished when this is all over?

Will 2020 be the year you look back on as a waste… or as a turning point in your life?

Your life is the story you choose to write. And I’m here to help.

Let’s come out of this pandemic better than how we came into it.

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COVID-19: Maintaining Your Mental Health During The Pandemic

22, November, 2020

Mental health amid the stresses of working full time can be challenging enough on its own. Throw a pandemic into the mix and suddenly managing one’s mental health can become a monumental undertaking. Fear and uncertainty seem to be everywhere; these can lead to anxiety and/or depression which in turn, can affect every aspect of your daily life. There are a number of strategies to help keep our mental balance in check. Here is a short video I created :

VIDEO: MAINTAINING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19

Like many people, the onset of COVID-19 I had to move from my office in midtown Toronto to working virtually from home. I found the process of adapting to the new world we’re living in to be challenging. I was really reluctant to leave the office environment when the pandemic first hit. Like many, I believed that this was only a temporary disruption and wouldn’t be out of the office for very long. I was in a place of denial and resistance and it was only in the last number of months that I actually accepted that this new reality was not as fleeting as I thought. Only then was I really able to let go and move forward in a positive way.

FIND NEW WAYS TO CELEBRATE

We’re used to getting together to celebrate milestones like birthdays, engagements, weddings, baby arrivals and even work achievements. Since the pandemic, many people have not celebrated those things because they can’t do them in person. My encouragement is that it’s important to still honour traditions and cultural events. Get together with your family and your friends virtually to celebrate birthdays, holidays and other milestones. Applaud work accomplishments online, during team meetings. Even if you can’t do it in person, celebrating virtually together still adds significance to an event.

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING

We’re all navigating through the pandemic in different ways. And in a strange way, that can be a source of comfort. So be kind to others. Take the time to listen if someone is speaking to you; see if anyone needs any support in the form of a conversation, a warm meal, or just a friendly hello. If someone you know is under the weather physically or mentally, check in on them via email, a phone call, or a knock on the door. We’re all in this together and supporting each other through it can make a huge difference for someone.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT’S TIME TO GET PHYSICAL

One of the best ways to turn around a low mood like depression or anxiety is to increase your activity level. So, put on some warm clothes, get outside and walk around – even if it’s for just a few minutes. With the diminishing daylight up ahead, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is going to going to affect some of us too. Vitamin D supplements and using a light therapy can help. If you find they’re not making enough of a difference, consider finding a mental health professional near you. Respect the power of a routine.

We all had routines to follow while we were in the office. Now that we are at home, many of us are finding ourselves at loose ends. Having a routine and “knowing what comes next” is really important in that it adds structure to your day. Try to start at the same time each day (hopefully after some exercise!), take time for lunch, and try and log off at a definite time.

STAY CONNECTED AND COMMUNICATE

It can be really easy to retreat behind your laptop, hunkering down to just get the work done. Before you know it, the end of the workday arrives, and you realize that you haven’t spoken to a soul. Make sure to stay connected to people in your personal and work network by phone, video-chats or by email. It will do your mental health a world of good.

TURN OFF THE NEWS

It’s very easy to stay glued to your TV and fixate on “the COVID count”. Instead, try only watching the news 5 minutes in the morning and at the end of the day. For the rest of the time, use TV as your escape. Find TV shows that make you laugh, are entertaining or provide some type of escapism. Getting caught up in the negative news cycle will only cause stress and anxiety, and that won’t do you (or anyone around you) any good.

EXPAND YOUR DEFINITION OF SELF-CARE

Unfortunately, a lot of the ways we used to practice self-care are no longer possible: we can’t go to the gym, the movies, or to see a concert. That means we now have to discover new ways of looking after ourselves. Meditation, at-home spa treatments, reading, exercise, or talking with friends and family are great ways to do this. If you’re struggling with depression or anxiety which many of us are right now, don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

KEEP YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IN BALANCE CAN BE CHALLENGING

The pandemic has unquestionably forced us all to discover new ways of looking after ourselves. My hope is that these strategies can help you re-frame your daily life and re-adjust to living in challenging and uncertain times.

Staying connected, getting active and celebrating old traditions in new ways can provide stability during these turbulent times. If you find that you’re still struggling emotionally, there is no shame in reaching out and asking for help. Therapy has become more accessible than ever before; now it can be done virtually, right from the comfort of your own couch.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR HEALTH CARE BENEFITS.

Many work benefit plans include mental health service coverage for you and your dependents. Check with your insurance company to determine if a Registered Social Worker, Psychologist or Psychotherapist are included within this. Your mental well-being has become more important than ever during this challenging time. So be sure to stay on top of yours.

 

CANADA: It has been eight months since the pandemic started – and winter looms. Mental health issues related to the pandemic and lockdown are especially difficult for people with depression and other mental health concerns. The Canadian Mental Health Association has a toll-free 24-hour helpline: 1-833-456-4566 Also, there is a clinic crisis line at 1-888-322-3019

Use these tips and resources to take the time to take care of yourself. We want you and your loved ones to stay healthy, both mentally and physically.

 

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10 Effective Strategies for Managing ADHD Symptoms in Adults

27, February, 2024

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can present unique challenges for adults, affecting their ability to focus, organize, and manage their time effectively. However, with the right strategies and support, adults with ADHD can learn to manage their symptoms and improve their daily functioning. Drawing from the book “ADHD 2.0” by Edward M. Hallowell, MD, and John J. Ratey, MD, here are 10 effective strategies to help you better manage ADHD symptoms:

  1. Create a structured routine: Establishing a daily routine can help you stay organized and manage your time effectively. Set specific times for tasks such as work, meals, exercise, and relaxation.
  2. Use visual aids: Visual aids such as calendars, planners, or apps can help you track appointments, deadlines, and tasks. Use color-coding or reminders to make them more effective.
  3. Break tasks into smaller steps: Large tasks can be overwhelming. Break them down into smaller, more manageable steps, and focus on one step at a time.
  4. Set up a dedicated workspace: Create a workspace that is free from distractions and conducive to focus. Use tools like noise-canceling headphones or background music to help you concentrate.
  5. Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Mindfulness meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises can help reduce stress and improve your ability to focus.
  6. Limit distractions: Identify and minimize distractions in your environment. This may include turning off notifications, setting boundaries with others, or using noise-canceling headphones.
  7. Exercise regularly: Physical activity can help reduce hyperactivity and improve focus and mood. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
  8. Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep is crucial for managing ADHD symptoms. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
  9. Seek support: Joining a support group or working with a therapist who specializes in ADHD can provide valuable support and strategies for managing your symptoms.
  10. Consider medication: In some cases, medication may be recommended to help manage ADHD symptoms. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine if medication is right for you.

Managing ADHD as an adult can be challenging, but with the right strategies and support, you can improve your focus, organization, and overall quality of life. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can better manage your symptoms and thrive in your personal and professional life.

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Mindfulness – CBS News – 60 Minutes

2, November, 2015

The following is a script from “Mindfulness” which aired on Dec. 14, 2014. Anderson Cooper is the correspondent. Denise Schrier Cetta, producer. Matthew Danowski , editor.

“Our lives are filled with distractions — email, Twitter, texting we’re constantly connected to technology, rarely alone with just our thoughts. Which is probably why there’s a growing movement in America to train people to get around the stresses of daily life.” Click here to watch:  MINDFULNESS – CBS NEWS – 60 MINUTES

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‘This is my Instagram:’ Self-editing, fear keep kids glued to social media

2, November, 2015

It is definitely a scary reality for teens growing up in a technologically mediated driven world says Larry Borins, social worker and family therapist. Here is an interview Larry did with Metro News on teens and social media.

Read full article on metronews.ca

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Mind Health Toronto

Office Space for rent

17, December, 2015

Mind Health Toronto is seeking an energetic and skilled psychotherapist to join our progressive mental health centre for adults, couples, families, children and youth. We are a newly formed collaborative and creative community of interdisciplinary professionals in mid-town Toronto. We emphasize eclectic approaches: humanistic, CBT, Mindfulness Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy,  Family of Origin Work and Relational therapies. We are a group of experienced Psychologists, MSW’s and Psychiatrists who can provide on site assessment and follow up. We offer a loving and supportive work environment, ongoing professional development, and friendly access to peer supervision; all of this in a beautifully renovated, professional space.

 

 

To learn more about Mind Health Toronto please visit our websitewww.mindhealthtoronto.com

4 thoughts on “Office Space for rent

  1. Hello, I am currently looking for office space for my part-time private practice in Toronto. I currently have office space on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8pm in the west end and I am looking for space more central.
    Do you have any available office space on Wednesday, Thursday or Fridays, half day 2-8 or 3-9?
    Thanks so much!
    Don

  2. Do you have office space available currently? I am an RP looking for office space full time or at least 3 days per week. Thanks.

  3. Hi. I am a registered psychotherapist in Toronto looking for lease space. Please let me know if you have any available. Thanks. Tara

  4. Hi! I am looking for a new office space…I see about 15 to 20 patients per week with room to expand…I believe I know Danielle from EFT training…thanks so much 🙂 Beth

Hello, I am currently looking for office space for my part-time private practice in Toronto. I currently have office space on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8pm in the west end and I am looking for space more central.
Do you have any available office space on Wednesday, Thursday or Fridays, half day 2-8 or 3-9?
Thanks so much!
Don

Do you have office space available currently? I am an RP looking for office space full time or at least 3 days per week. Thanks.

Hi. I am a registered psychotherapist in Toronto looking for lease space. Please let me know if you have any available. Thanks. Tara

Hi! I am looking for a new office space…I see about 15 to 20 patients per week with room to expand…I believe I know Danielle from EFT training…thanks so much 🙂 Beth

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Mind Health Toronto

Office Space For Rent

28, April, 2016

Mind Health Toronto is seeking an energetic and skilled psychotherapist to join our progressive mental health centre for adults, couples, families, children and youth. We are a newly formed collaborative and creative community of interdisciplinary professionals in mid-town Toronto. We emphasize eclectic approaches: humanistic, CBT, Mindfulness Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy,  Family of Origin Work and Relational therapies. We are a group of experienced Psychologists, MSW’s and Psychiatrists who can provide on site assessment and follow up. We offer a loving and supportive work environment, ongoing professional development, and friendly access to peer supervision; all of this in a beautifully renovated, professional space.

PROFESSIONAL OFFICE FOR RENT – PART-TIME. (1 day a week starting August 1, 2016). If you are interested in being a part of this professional community, contact:

info@mindhealthtoronto.com

To learn more about Mind Health Toronto please visit our websitewww.mindhealthtoronto.com

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CO-DEPENDENT BELIEF

13, May, 2016

“I always thought I had to be there for everyone, no matter what.”

Relief is on the way……

This day forth, I shall live my life and my life alone

Allowing each soul that I meet the same privilege

Not judging, manipulating, controlling or even

Protecting them from their own realities

For my moment is their moment also,

This new space I have allowed myself

I shall fill with _______________(love)  (me).

 

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3 Questions To Ask Yourself As You Start Therapy

9, June, 2016

Starting therapy can seem daunting. By asking yourself the following questions you can assess with your therapist whether you are ready to take this important step forward.

 

Mark your answers on the scales below. On a scale of 0 to 100:

 

1. How much of a negative effect has my problem had on my life?
0……………………….…………….………… 50 ……………….…..…..………………… 100
NO EFFECT                                                                              EXTREMELY NEGATIVE EFFECT

 

2. How important is it to me to feel better?
0…………………………………………….…… 50 ………..………………………………… 100
NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL                                                        EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

 

3. How willing am I to make getting better a priority in my life?
0……………………………..…………..….… 50 ……………..…………………………… 100
NOT A PRIORITY                                                                      EXTREMELY HIGH PRIORITY

 

If you scored less than 50 on two or three scales, you may be considering change, but still
feel uncertain.

If that is the case – is now the right time for therapy? If not take some time to discuss your options with a therapist. If you do feel that now is the right time, what can you do to help feel more motivated to change? If you scored 50 or more on two or three scales, you are ready to change.

You have decided that it is time to change and you are prepared to dedicate some time each day to getting better.

Now ask yourself another 3 questions:

Where am I now?

Where do I want to be?

How will I get there?

Make a plan and start doing it!

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Marriage, Couples Counselling, Therapy

Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples

24, November, 2016

Over the course of time, many couples need assistance, guidance and sometimes therapy to help their marriage and relationships overcome problems and thrive towards success. Having a successful marriage is one of life’s greatest pleasures and yet nearly 50% of marriages end in divorce. The statistics on divorce rate is alarming and says something about how challenging it is to be in a long term committed relationship. Emotionally Focused Therapy is one of the models of couple and family therapy that we offer at Mind Health Toronto . We want marriages to last a lifetime and we want to be part of the solution.

Dr. Sue Johnson is the lead developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy. In August 2016, Dr. Johnson received the Order of Canada Medal of Honour for her over 35 year contribution to the field of marriage and family therapy. EFT is recognized as a valid intervention by the American  Psychological Association.

The message of her book “Hold Me Tight” is simple she say, “Forget about learning how to argue better, analyzing your early childhood, making grand romantic gestures, or experimenting with new sexual positions. Instead, get to the emotional underpinnings of your relationship by recognizing that you are emotionally attached to and dependent on your partner in much the same way that a child is on a parent for nurturing, soothing and protection”.

Check out a short video by Dr. Sue Johnson Hold Me Tight Video

 

 

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office space for rent

Office Space for Rent

4, April, 2019

Mind Health Toronto is seeking an energetic and skilled psychotherapist to join our progressive mental health centre for adults, couples, families, children and youth. We are a collaborative and creative community of interdisciplinary professionals in mid-town Toronto. We emphasize eclectic approaches: humanistic, CBT, Mindfulness Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy,  Family of Origin Work and Relational therapies. We are a group of experienced Psychologists, MSW’s and Psychiatrists who can provide on site assessment and follow up. We offer a loving and supportive work environment, ongoing professional development, and friendly access to peer supervision; all of this in a beautifully renovated, professional space.

PROFESSIONAL OFFICE FOR RENT – PART-TIME. (2 day a week starting April 1, 2019). If you are interested in being a part of this professional community.

Contact: Rom Malik at rom.malik@rogers.com 416-385-7777  or the office manager Michelle Hoffer info@mindhealthtoronto.com  416-322- 5433

www.mindhealthtoronto.com

 

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Becoming Your Best Self

2, May, 2019
After a year of planning, writing, editing, and designing Donna’s new book “Becoming Your Best Self” is out!
For anyone who wants to learn a new model and a set of skills to break old habits, improve their relationships and find happiness, this book is for you!

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COVID-19 Pandemic: 10 Helpful Tips to keep your Nerves in check

18, March, 2020

Here’s 10 HELPFUL TIPS to help you keep those nerves in check as you follow the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic:

1. Keep it in perspective – the majority of people who have been (or will be) affected by the virus will have a mild impact and recover without medical care. 98% of people will recover. The only deaths we have had in Canada were in long-term care homes for the elderly who had underlying medical vulnerabilities. In China 80% have recovered already. A vaccine is being developed right now. Having said that, we all need to take safety precautions to protect those more vulnerable than ourselves.

2. Stay connected – if you are ill or practicing social distancing, then remain connected virtually to avoid the negative impact of isolation. Host a “virtual brunch” or celebrate a “Virtual Birthday” or Anniversary. Also try to honor the social commitments you may have previously made pre-pandemic. One family in my neighbourhood is practicing SOCIAL DISTANCING done RIGHT. They invited everyone on their street out to their driveways at 5 pm every night to check in. Tonight, they brought tea and wine (and a tablecloth) and yelled across the street. They call it ‘Signs of Life’ and will do this every night and they want it to spread around the community. We are in this together.

3. Disrupt Rumination – Instead of endlessly worrying, take action on the things within your control. Do what you can to be safe, practice good hand-washing, keep your environment clean and practice social distancing. If your worries are beyond your control, disrupt the rumination with mindful activities such as meditation and yoga. I’ve been doing Dr. Rick Hanson’s meditation for Feeling As Safe As You Reasonably Can each day and it’s very grounding. Try it by clicking HERE

4. Rely on FACTS – its easy to fall into opinion-based thoughts during times of stress. Try to avoid one-sided views by keeping your thoughts factual and balanced.

5. Reduce news and social media consumption – Notice how exposure to media coverage impacts your felt sense of safety/threat. While staying informed is important, notice how you are impacted by what you read/watch/ and hear on the news. At a certain threshold of saturation, information often turns into a loop that generates anxiety, which undermines your well-being. Try only checking for updates occasionally, instead of a constant stream of fear coming at you and clogging up your mind.

6. Avoid fatalistic thinking – we are adaptable and our society will be able to adjust.

7. Maintain self-care and healthy habits – we tend to forget these things in times of stress, and it can effect our mood negatively when we do, so make an extra effort to keep them up.

8. Use your coping strategies – now is the time to put them into action. Do what works for you. It can be grounding techniques, visualizations, deep breathing, meditation, exercise, laughter, aromatherapy, etc.

9. Give back – help others when able. There’s lots of vulnerable people in need right now who could use your help, no matter how big or small. And, helping others and giving back has a direct positive effect on our mood and well-being.

10. Talk it out – use your support system(s) and/or talk to your therapist if you are struggling with your mood during this pandemic. Therapists at Mind Health Toronto offers VIRTUAL COUNSELLING via phone and/or secure video platform such as ZOOM for increased safety for those who are symptomatic and/or practicing social distancing. It’s our civic responsibility to slow the pandemic down with social distancing and the practice of good hygiene. Using technology to stay connected -AND at a distance will allow for the provision of necessary patient care while reducing the risks of unnecessary exposure to both patients and the public. Social distancing is the most important thing we can each do right now to flatten the curve.

Remember, if you have traveled abroad (including US), are presenting with symptoms (ie: cough, fever, difficulty breathing) or have been in contact with someone who has presumed or confirmed COVID-19: please stay home, self-isolate yourself, and contact your local public health authority for further guidance.

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Mind Health COVID-19 Closure

25, October, 2020

After 4 months of our clinic doors being closed at the mercy of this global pandemic, it is with deep, deep sorrow that Mind Health Toronto announces that it will remain permanently closed as of August 1, 2020.

What I thought would be a short-term closure of our clinic due to COVID-19 has turned into our doors being closed for the duration of four months—and still counting.

Closing our doors does not mean that we are out of the psychotherapy business; it means that we will no longer be practicing at this address or as a collective.

For the last 5 years, we have had a talented and dedicated team of therapists providing mental health care to thousands of families across the GTA and I’m proud of the care we offered and what we were able to accomplish as a team and community.

If you are a new patient seeking mental health services, please feel free to email larry@mindhealthtoronto.com and leave a message stating your referral request. At this time there is no OHIP covered psychiatric services.

If you are former client of one of the clinicians at Mind Health Toronto and looking for mental health care, you are welcome to reach out to your therapist directly.

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Mind to Heart | Yoga & Meditation for Teens

31, October, 2015

Mind-to-Heart-for-Teens

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Mindful Way Workshop

2, November, 2015

FREE YOURSELF FROM DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

DATES: Friday, October 23rd, 2015 to Friday, December 11th
TIME: 1:30pm – 3:30pm.
RETREAT: Sunday, November 29th, 9:30am – 3:30pm

What is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is an innovative program that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn skills and techniques to identify negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress and to develop the tools to effectively deal with them.

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms.

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of MBCT The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

  • We hold our MBCT classes in North York – 3080 Yonge Street (at Lawrence) once a week for 8 weeks. Each class is 2 hours long. There is also a one-day retreat on a weekend at about week 6.
  • Free consultation: before the classes start, we meet with you to help you make sure that the program will be beneficial for you.
  • Training materials, CDs, MP3s and workbooks, are free for participants.
  • The cost for the program is $400 for the 8 week workshop (Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services).

 

INSTRUCTORS:

Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto, a centre for emotional wellbeing. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients get out of the vicious cycles of negative emotions, recognize destructive patterns, find deeper connections, and explore new options for positive change.

Susan Hershkop BSC MD FRCP(C) is a psychiatrist. She studied medicine, completed her psychiatric residency at the University of Toronto and has an academic appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Toronto.  Susan has a psychiatric practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she sees patients with mood and anxiety disorders.  She has a particular interest in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness.

To Register please call 416-546-5511 or e-mail larryborins@gmail.com

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Parenting Support Workshop: How To Raise A Teen Behind A Screen

3, November, 2015

In an effort to better understand the growing phenomenon of Internet Addiction, family therapist Larry Borins, MSW, RSW, will be holding a parenting workshop on the topic of setting limits for video game misuse.

Research has shown that household rules about how, when and how much children and teens can use media are effective in reducing media time. In households that have such rules, tweens and teens spend an average of three fewer hours engaged in media. Only a third of all households have such rules, however making this an area where parents could perhaps do more to reduce the ill effects of media use on children and teens.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommendations for parents:

  • Limit children’s total media time to no more than one to two hours of quality programming per day.

  • Remove television sets from children’s bedrooms.

  • Discourage television viewing for children younger than two years, and encourage more interactive activities that will promote brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together.

  • Monitor the shows children and adolescents are viewing. Most programs should be informational, educational and nonviolent.

It is probably safe to conclude that your own children or grandchildren are currently playing for more than the recommendations suggested above. For most parents these targets may seem entirely unrealistic. Despite this, trying at least to narrow the large gap is worthwhile.

Unplugged: Parenting In A Digital Age –  Tuesday January 19th, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the group room at Mind Health Toronto. There is a 20$ fee for this group and participants must send an e-mail to larryborins@gmail.com reserve their spot. Space is limited to 15 people.

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Mindful Way Workshop: Winter Session 2016

10, November, 2015
  • FREE YOURSELF FROM DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
  • DATES: FRIDAY January 22 – March 11 1:30-3:30pm. Retreat on Sunday, November 29th, 9:30 am -3:30pm

What is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is an innovative program that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn skills and techniques to identify negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress and to develop the tools to effectively deal with them.

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms.

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of MBCT The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

DATES: FRIDAY January 22 – March 11th 1:00-3:00pm. Retreat on Sunday, February 28th, 9:30 am -3:30pm

  • We hold our MBCT classes in North York – 3080 Yonge Street (at Lawrence) once a week for 8 weeks. Each class is 2 hours long. There is also a one-day retreat on a weekend at about week 6.
  • Free consultation: before the classes start, we meet with you to help you make sure that the program will be beneficial for you.
  • Training materials, CDs, MP3s and workbooks, are free for participants.
  • The cost for the program is $400 for the 8 week workshop (Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services).
INSTRUCTORS:

Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto, a centre for emotional wellbeing. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients get out of the vicious cycles of negative emotions, recognize destructive patterns, find deeper connections, and explore new options for positive change.

Susan Hershkop BSC MD FRCP(C) is a psychiatrist. She studied medicine, completed her psychiatric residency at the University of Toronto and has an academic appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Toronto.  Susan has a psychiatric practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she sees patients with mood and anxiety disorders.  She has a particular interest in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness.

To Register please call Rene 416-322-5433 or e-mail larryborins@gmail.com

 

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Integrating Parts of the Self – Past, Present, Future

17, November, 2015

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF?
WANT TO BREAK BAD PATTERNS?
WANT TO BE HAPPY?

Beginning April 2016, Donna will be running group workshops.
Donna’s wait list has grown and as a result, she has had to turn a lot of people away. Donna believes strongly in her work and therapeutic model, and would like to help people work at becoming better versions of themselves. It is for this reason that she would like to offer these workshops – to spread her model of therapy and to reach more people.

The goal of these workshops is for individuals/couples to understand Donna’s therapeutic model and apply it to the areas of their lives they wish to explore, work on, or make better. The model allows people to acknowledge parts of the self and understand how these parts are interrelated and integrated. Through teaching of her model, exercises, and self reflection, individuals will be able to identify the trouble spots in themselves, understand the origins of these trouble spots, and find ways of making them better. Be it for your own individual work, work within a couple context, or even work between adult child and parent, this model can facilitate an understanding that could be blocking your happiness.

If the notion of a workshop puts you off, please know that in this format you are free to participate as much or as little as you like. A portion of the workshop is devoted to teaching the model, which allows people to ingest the material with no need for active participation. As people become more familiar with the model, they are free to participate in any fashion that fits with their comfort level. Some may participate more, some may ask more questions, some may do written exercises strictly for themselves; some may wish to share their insights.

AT YOUR OWN PACE!

Donna is excited!

If you are interested in sharing her excitement, please contact her assistant, Melanie, at 416-784-3370 or melanier1988@gmail.com for more information. As Donna is a licensed Psychologist, a portion of these fees can be covered by your extended health care insurance coverage.

DETAILS:
PLACE: 3080 Yonge Street • Suite 5016 • Group Room
DATES: April 11, 18, 25 and May 2nd. TIME: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
COST: $500.00 (for 8 hours of workshop)

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Mindful Way Workshop: Spring 2016

17, February, 2016
  • FREE YOURSELF FROM DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
  • DATES: FRIDAY April 1st – May 20th  1:00-3:00pm. Retreat on Sunday, May 8th, 9:30 am -3:30pm

 

What is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is an innovative program that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn skills and techniques to identify negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress and to develop the tools to effectively deal with them.

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms.

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of MBCT The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

We hold our MBCT classes in North York – 3080 Yonge Street (at Lawrence) once a week for 8 weeks. Each class is 2 hours long. There is also a one-day retreat on a weekend at about week 6.

  • Free consultation: before the classes start, we meet with you to help you make sure that the program will be beneficial for you.
  • Training materials, CDs, MP3s and workbooks, are free for participants.
  • The cost for the program is $400 for the 8 week workshop (Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services).

 

INSTRUCTORS:

Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto, a centre for emotional wellbeing. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients get out of the vicious cycles of negative emotions, recognize destructive patterns, find deeper connections, and explore new options for positive change.

To Register please call Michelle 416-322-5433 or e-mail larryborins@gmail.com

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Unleashing Your Authentic Self

7, March, 2016
  • Do you find yourself spinning your wheels in pursuit of your goals?
  • Do you ever look at others and wonder why it seems so easy for them?
  • Do you long for less stress and more lasting happiness in your life?

 

If you answered “yes” to any of the above and it has been going on for a while, your problem likely won’t change if you continue as you are.

Why? It’s because like most people, you are probably only seeing the walls around you,

eg, frustrations with your partner, often feeling anxious or confusion about your life direction. Those walls seem real only because you have been staring at them for a lifetime and it is very scary to take down the walls because they seem to protect you too. Very little will change until you do. That’s why focusing solely on your partner’s issues, quick fixes for stress or asking others what to do with your life rarely works.

Did you know there is another little known way to achieve your goals that few people have ever been shown?

In my workshop series I will be using the latest in neuroscience to show you how you can begin breaking through your own personal wall in a safe way. When you learn how to tap into that powerful part of you – your “Authentic Self”, you will finally actively begin getting more of what you want out of life. After this workshop series you won’t be able to look at yourself or others the same way.

When? Apr. 20 – May. 25, 2016

What? 6 Weekly Sessions – Wed. evenings 7 – 9 pm  Where? 3080 Yonge Street Suite 5016
Investment: $497  

 The first 10 registrants will get a FREE copy of Dr. Gerstein’s acclaimed book,
Live Your Dreams: Doctor’s Orders

Come to the first session. If at that time you are not satisfied with what this workshop series can do for you, then we will refund all your money.

To register and for more info contact: Michelle @ 416-893-7983 or mhoffer@rogers.com

Instructor: Dr. Samuel Gerstein is an MD practicing in psychotherapy, a Career Coach and an Author. While spending two decades in Emergency Medicine and treating over 70,000 patients, he witnessed firsthand the toll that stress takes on the mind and body. He began studying the power of the mind. That is when he transitioned into his Dream Career – helping people use their mind to create the life and work they love.

 

 

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Mindfulness for new parents

Mindfulness for New Parents

16, April, 2016

Mindfulness for New Parents 

Being a new parent is a wonderful, though often stressful life transition – which may lead to difficulties in mood, anxiety and relationships.

Learning to become mindful can help you reduce emotional stress and also connect more fully with your infant or toddler.  Mindfulness has been shown to foster infant attachment bonds and stronger relationships.

In this program we will be practicing mindfulness together with your infant through various forms of brief meditations and gentle yoga. These can be practiced at home to increase bonding with your infant and decrease stress levels. Pregnant couples can also participate in adapted exercises.

This program is suitable for parents and expectant parents. Everyone is welcome.

Fees:  $250/adult / $300 for the couple. Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services.

To Register Please call:  (416) 322-5433

Date: Mondays –  11:15 am – 1 pm (recurring depending on participants)

Location: Mind Health Toronto3080 Yonge St., suite #5016, North York (at the northwest corner of Yonge and Lawrence)

Instructors:

Dr. Anna Chen, MD, FRCPC is a general Psychiatrist with a strong interest in the promotion of infant/parental mental health.

Larry Borins, MSW, RSW is a Marriage Counselor in private practice with a passion for mindfulness and CBT.   www.mindfultherapist.ca

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Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Mindful Way Workshop: Fall 2016

8, June, 2016

What is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is an innovative program that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn skills and techniques to identify negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress and to develop the tools to effectively deal with them.

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms.

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of MBCT The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

We hold our MBCT classes in North York – 3080 Yonge Street (at Lawrence) once a week for 8 weeks. Each class is 2 hours long. There is also a one-day retreat on a weekend at about week 6.

Free consultation: before the classes start, we meet with you to help you make sure that the program will be beneficial for you.

Training materials, CDs, MP3s and workbooks, are free for participants.

The cost for the program is $500 for the 8 week workshop (Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services).

INSTRUCTORS:

Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients get out of the vicious cycles of negative emotions, recognize destructive patterns, find deeper connections, and explore new options for positive change.

Susan Hershkop BSC MD FRCP(C) is a psychiatrist. She studied medicine, completed her psychiatric residency at the University of Toronto and has an academic appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Toronto.  Susan has a psychiatric practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she sees patients with mood and anxiety disorders.  She has a particular interest in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness.

To Register please call 416-322-5433 or e-mail larryborins@gmail.com and fax in a referral from your physician (416) 322-5432

 

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Mindfulness For New Parents

3, August, 2016

Being a new parent is a wonderful, though often stressful life transition – which may lead to difficulties in mood, anxiety and relationships.

Learning to become mindful can help you reduce emotional stress and also connect more fully with your infant or toddler.  Mindfulness has been shown to foster infant attachment bonds and stronger relationships.

In this program we will be practicing mindfulness together with your infant through various forms of brief meditations and gentle yoga. These can be practiced at home to increase bonding with your infant and decrease stress levels. Pregnant couples can also participate in adapted exercises.

This program is suitable for parents and expectant parents. Everyone is welcome.

Fees:  $250 Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services.

To Register Please call:  (416) 322-5433

Date: Thursday Oct 13, 20, 27 and Nov 3,  1:00 pm – 3 pm  (recurring depending on participants)

Location: Mind Health Toronto3080 Yonge St., suite #5016, North York (at the northwest corner of Yonge and Lawrence)

Instructors:

Dr. Anna Chen, MD, FRCPC is a general Psychiatrist with a strong interest in the promotion of infant/parental mental health.

Larry Borins, MSW, RSW is a Marriage Counselor in private practice with a passion for mindfulness and CBT.   www.mindfultherapist.ca

FLYER_Mindfulness_For_New_Parents

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Self Integration Model – Past, Present, Future

19, August, 2016

Donna is very excited to announce that she will once again be offering her workshops in September 2016. Her previous workshops were so positively received that she is even more invested in teaching people her therapeutic model, which can easily be incorporated into daily life. Because her wait list has grown, she wants to be able to extend her services so that more people can begin their work by using her model that she uses in therapy. This workshop will not interfere with any therapeutic work that you are currently undergoing. It will serve as an adjunct to understand your current work. If you are not in therapy, then this workshop is a wonderful way to introduce you to the therapeutic process, be it for individual or couple’s work.

The Workshop will be divided into 3 parts:

September 12: The Model,  September 19: Family of Origin,  September 26: Healing

*If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please see attachment for further details and an explanation of the workshops, or contact me at melanier1988@gmail.com for any questions that you may have.

Donna Jacobs Workshop Sept 2016

www.donnajacobspsychologist.com

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Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Mindfulness: Winter 2017

13, November, 2016

 

What is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is an innovative program that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn skills and techniques to identify negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress and to develop the tools to effectively deal with them.

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms.

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of MBCT The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

DATES: Wednesday February 8  – April 5th  12:45 -3:00 pm. Retreat on Sunday March 5, 9:30 am -3:30pm.

To Register please call 416-322-5433 or e-mail larryborins@gmail.com and fax in a referral from your physician (416) 322-5432.

We hold our MBCT classes in North York – 3080 Yonge Street (at Lawrence) once a week for 8 weeks. Each  class is 2 hours and 15 minutes. There is also a one-day retreat on a weekend at about week 6. Free consultation: before the classes start, we meet with you to help you make sure that the program will be  beneficial for you. Training materials, CDs, MP3s and workbooks, are free for participants.

Cost for the program is $400 if you register before January 6, $500 thereafter (Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services).

 

INSTRUCTORS:

Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto, a centre for emotional wellbeing. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients get out of the vicious cycles of negative emotions, recognize destructive patterns, find deeper connections, and explore new options for positive change.

Susan Hershkop BSC MD FRCP(C) is a psychiatrist. She studied medicine, completed her psychiatric residency at the University of Toronto and has an academic appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Toronto.  Susan has a psychiatric practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she sees patients with mood and anxiety disorders.  She has a particular interest in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness.

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The Instruction Manual To Your Mind©

4, January, 2017

(What you should have been given at birth)

  • Are you frustrated about where you are in life?
  • Have you tried to do something about it but find you just end up spinning your wheels?
  • Do you want to feel less stressed and more joy?

If you said “yes” to any or all of the questions above then you have probably tried dozens of methods to change your ways. However many methods are unsuccessful because they don’t get to the root of the problem. It’s like having a garden full of weeds. If you keep cutting the weeds on the surface, what will happen? As you probably guessed, they will grow back. But if you remove the roots and strengthen the soil, you will solve your weed problem. Similarly, to get true lasting results, you need to learn to get to the root of your problem and allow your True Self© to emerge. That is what I will help you with in my new mini-series,

The Instruction Manual To Your Mind©. Everyone has a mind but few are taught how to use this incredibly powerful tool. This mini-series will reveal its hidden secrets.

After this experiential interactive mini-series* you will:

  • Understand how your mind works – both what you see and what you don’t see
  • Be shown a mindfulness method to handle any stress that life throws at you.
  • Begin to show compassion to the parts in you that you find frustrating. e.g., procrastination, perfection, inner critic
  • Begin the practice of tapping into the power of your True Self©

*Note: This is a teaching series and not psychotherapy

When? 4 Monday evenings (7-9 pm) – Feb. 6, 13, 27 and Mar. 6, 2017 (Feb. 20 off due to family Day)

Where? 3080 Yonge Street, Suite 5016

Investment in Yourself: New Year’s Special: $249

Contact: Call Michelle now @ 416-893-7983 for more info or buy tickets at http://alturl.com/9ksmg

Dr. Samuel Gerstein is an MD practicing in psychotherapy, a career coach and an author of Live Your Dreams: Doctors Orders. While spending two decades in Emergency Medicine and treating over 70,000 patients, he witnessed firsthand the toll that stress takes on the body. Dr. Gerstein began studying the power of the Mind. That is when he transitioned into his Dream Career – helping people use their mind to create the life and work they love.

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Mindfulness for New Parents

13, January, 2017

Being a new parent is a wonderful, though often stressful life transition – which may lead to difficulties in mood, anxiety and relationships.

Learning to become mindful can help you reduce emotional stress and also connect more fully with your infant or toddler.  Mindfulness has been shown to foster infant attachment bonds and stronger relationships.

In this program we will be practicing mindfulness together with your infant through various forms of brief meditations and gentle yoga. These can be practiced at home to increase bonding with your infant and decrease stress levels. Pregnant couples can also participate in adapted exercises.

This program is suitable for parents and expectant parents. Everyone is welcome.

Fees:  $200 Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services.

To Register Please call:  (416) 322-5433

Date: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, from 1-2:45 pm (recurring depending on participants)

Location: Mind Health Toronto3080 Yonge St., suite #5016, North York (at the northwest corner of Yonge and Lawrence)

Instructors:

Dr. Anna Chen, MD, FRCPC is a general Psychiatrist with a strong interest in the promotion of infant/parental mental health.

Larry Borins, MSW, RSW is a Marriage Counselor in private practice with a passion for mindfulness and CBT.   www.mindfultherapist.ca

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Mindful Way Workshop

10, March, 2017

FREE YOURSELF FROM DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

DATES: Wednesday May 3rd  – June 21st, 12:45 -3:00 pm. Retreat on Friday June 16, 9:30 am -3:30pm

What is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT is an innovative program that combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn skills and techniques to identify negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress and to develop the tools to effectively deal with them.

MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse. Research has shown that MBCT can also benefit people suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems such as excessive worry, panic, irritability, anger, ADHD and stress related physical symptoms.

“What we’re trying to get people to do is to anchor themselves in their experience so that when a negative emotion comes up in the mind, it can wash over them; it doesn’t bring to mind all of the negative associations that for some people can happen very automatically.” Zindel Segal, co-founder of MBCT The Mindful Way Through Depression Video

To Register please call Michelle 416-322-5433 or e-mail larryborins@gmail.com AND fax a referral in from your physician (416) 322-5432

$400 cost if you register before April 12th, $500 thereafter (Those with extended health insurance may be covered for some or all of this cost under psychological services).

We hold our MBCT classes in North York – 3080 Yonge Street (at Lawrence) once a week for 8 weeks. Each  class is 2 hours and 15 minutes. There is also a one-day retreat at about week 6.

 Free 30 min consultation: before the class to assess your suitability and progress.

 All training materials included; CDs, MP3s and MBCT workbook The Mindful Way, are free for participants.

INSTRUCTORS:

Larry Borins MSW, RSW is a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Mind Health Toronto, a centre for emotional wellbeing. He holds a Masters degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. In addition, Larry has advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and uses these modalities to help his clients identify emotions and patterns, get unstuck from unwanted thoughts, and discover their secure base.

Susan Hershkop BSC MD FRCP© is a psychiatrist. She studied medicine, completed her psychiatric residency at the University of Toronto and has an academic appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Toronto.  Susan has a psychiatric practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she sees patients with mood and anxiety disorders.  She has a particular interest in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness.

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Self Integration Model – Past, Present, Future

5, April, 2017

Donna is very excited to announce that she will once again be offering her workshops in May/June 2017. Her previous workshops have been very positively received and therefore she is even more invested in teaching people her therapeutic model, which can easily be incorporated into daily life.

The goal of these workshops is for individuals/couples to gain an understanding of Donna’s therapeutic model and apply it to the areas of their lives they wish to explore, work on, or make better. The model allows people to acknowledge parts of the self and understand how these parts are interrelated and integrated. Through the teaching of her model, exercises, and self-reflection, individuals will be able to identify the trouble spots in themselves, understand the origins of these trouble spots and find ways of making them better. Be it for your own individual work or work within a couple context this model can facilitate an understanding to move you through the places you feel stuck.

This workshop will not interfere with any therapeutic work that you are currently undergoing. It will serve as an adjunct to understand your current work. If you are not in therapy, then this workshop is a wonderful way to introduce you to the therapeutic process, be it for individual or couple’s work.

*If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please see attachment for further details and an explanation of the workshops, or contact me at melanier1988@gmail.com for any questions that you may have.

DATES: Mondays • May 29th, June 5th and June 12th

TIME: 6:30 -8:30 P.M.

COST: $375.00/person for 6 hours of workshop

PLACE: 3080 Yonge Street Suite 5016 • Group Room

Thanking you in advance, Melanie Rosen, Assistant to:

Donna Jacobs M.A. C. Psych. Psychologist

3080 Yonge St., Suite 5016 Box 87

Toronto, ON M4N 3N1

Tel: 416 784-3370 Fax: 416 784-1533

www.donnajacobspsychologist.com

Donna Jacobs _May_June Workshop Poster 2017

 

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Mindful Connections

30, August, 2017

A peer support based group for young adults (18-55yrs) living with brain injury, stroke and concussion

 

Gain mutual support, safe expression, education, ways to cope and move forward in a group setting.

Connect with people who get it!

Begins Wed October 4th 10:00-11:30am

 

Every other Wednesday same time /place until Dec 20th, 2017

Should be able to attend all sessions to gain maximum group benefit

Led by Social Worker Melissa Cutler, providing education and guiding discussion on topics relevant to you including:

  • Coping with tough emotions
  • Facing loss and moving forward
  • Getting Productive and routined
  • Adapting to Relationship changes
  • Facing old friends, making new ones
  • Managing stress, managing anger
  • Sleeping well, feeling better
  • Returning to work? School?
  • My “ new normal”

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Emotionally Focused Therapy Supervision by Robin Williams Blake

15, December, 2017

While many therapists complete the Externship and Core Skills training, they have difficulty making it to EFT certification. If this is your dilemma, please join me for one of my Supervision drop-in groups.

I am moving away from regularly scheduled supervision groups because they are difficult to schedule, manage and keep running. Instead, I am creating supervision drop-in afternoons and full days where participants can choose the afternoons or days that they would like to attend. Come for one, two or all them all  – it’s your choice! Sign up is on a first come basis.

Sue Johnson and her colleagues have stated that the best way to learn EFT is by watching others do EFT and by watching your own tapes. My four-hour Friday afternoon drop-in will consist of four fifty-five minute video presentations where four participants will show their own work for group consultation led by myself. A participant who presents can count their presentation towards EFT certification. There will also be room in the group for three to four auditors (an auditor is a participant who attends the group but does not show a tape for discussion).

My Saturday drop-in supervision day will be structured the same as my Friday group and will start in the morning with a live demonstration session. A participant of the group will bring in a couple that they might be stuck with, and I will work with the couple while the group watches in an adjacent room via video feed.

If you are interested in one or more of these groups, sign up today by sending an e-transfer of $25 per group to robinblake@torontopsychotherapist.com to hold your spot(s). Include with your deposit a note indicating which group(s) you are signing up for.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.
I look forward to working with you.

Regards,
Robin Williams Blake

Location: 3080 Yonge Street – Suite 5016 – Mind Health Toronto.
Dates and Times:              

Friday, January 12th, 2018 4 hours
12:45pm – 5:15 pm
$170 – Presenter
$160 – Auditor
* Minimum of 3 presenters/5 participants in total needed.

Saturday, January 13th, 2018  6 hours
9:30 am – Introductions
10 am – Live Demonstration Session
12 pm – Lunch
12:30 – First Presentation
1:30 – Second Presentation
2:30 – Third Presentation
3:30 – Finish
$190 – Presenter
$175 – Auditor
* Minimum of 2 presenters/7 participants in total needed.

Friday, February 9th, 2018 4 hours
12:45pm – 5:15 pm
$170 – Presenter
$160 – Auditor
* Minimum of 3 presenters/5 participants in total needed.

Saturday, February 10th, 2018  6 hours
9:30 am – Introductions
10 am – Live Demonstration Session
12 pm – Lunch
12:30 – First Presentation
1:30 – Second Presentation
2:30 – Third Presentation
3:30 – Finish
$190 – Presenter
$175 – Auditor
* Minimum of 2 presenters/7 participants in total needed.

* I will be releasing March, April and May dates in January if you cannot attend the above groups. Send me an email if you are interested in future dates.


Robin met Dr. Sue Johnson, creator and lead developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, at a Leading Edge Seminar in 2000 and started his EFT journey. He worked with Janet Cleghorn in an EFT supervision group for four years followed by an Externship in Ottawa.  He became a Certified EFT Therapist in 2007 and as an ICEEFT Certified Supervisor in 2010.  In 2006, Robin co-founded the Greater Toronto EFT Community and began bringing ICEEFT trainer Gail Palmer to Toronto to teach the Core Skills training. In the last few years, Robin has taught EFT at York University for the 4th year social work class and he was invited by Mount Sinai Hospital to speak at their level two trauma clinic about EFT in 2016. Presently he is an adjunct faculty member at the Living Institute of Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy in Toronto where he teaches a two-day introduction to EFT.  In August 2017, Robin was invited by Sue Johnson to become a trainer-in-training and is currently working towards becoming a Certified ICEEFT Trainer. Robin is a Registered Psychotherapist and has been in private practice in Toronto for 17 years.

  

 

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Becoming Your Best Self

27, March, 2018
Are you looking to feel better?
Are you tired of repeating old patterns?
Are you wondering why you can’t get out of your rut?
Learn how to break old cycles and Become Your Best Self.
Donna is offering a Level 1 “Becoming Your Best Self” workshop for individuals and/or couples. The aim of the workshop is to learn the basic principles of Donna’s model, which can easily be incorporated into daily life. 
 
The workshop is open to:
• Donna’s current clients who wish to learn the model in a more condensed, focused manner
• Those waiting to be seen by Donna
• Anyone who is considering therapy and wanting to experience it in a non-threatening, teaching environment. 
 
Donna has been developing this model for years and she hopes that she can pass it on so that people can gain insight about themselves and make the changes they need in order to become the best version of themselves. 
 
When: 6:30 – 8:30 P.M., Mondays, April 30May 7May 14, 2018 
For more info, visit: www.donnajacobspsychologist.com
 
*If you are interested in attending this workshop, please see visit her website, or contact me at melanier1988@gmail.com for any questions that you may have.  
*If you are not interested, but feel that a friend or family member may be, please feel free to pass this email along. 
*If you wish to be removed from this list, please advise me and I will do so immediately.
 
Thanking you in advance,
 
Melanie Rosen, Assistant to: 
Donna Jacobs M.A. C. Psych. Psychologist 
Toronto, ON M4N 3N1 
www.donnajacobspsychologist.com
 

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Donna Jacobs

Level 1 “Becoming Your Best Self” workshop

10, April, 2019

“Are you ready to break bad patterns, learn more about yourself, and be happy?

Donna is very excited to announce that she is offering a Level 1 “Becoming Your Best Self” workshop using her Self-Integration Model (SIM).

The goal of these workshops is for participants to learn Donna’s Self-Integration Model and to apply SIM to areas of their lives they wish to explore, work on, or improve. The workshop will explore different parts of the self and how these parts are interrelated and can be integrated.

The workshop will include exercises, self-reflection and discussion to help identify trouble spots and ways of changing for greater happiness. Workshops are designed for individuals to learn and participate at their own pace with no expectation to participate in group work.

If you are ready to stop feeling stressed, anxious, and burnt out this workshop is for you.

As Donna is a licensed Psychologist, a portion, if not all, of these fees can be covered by your extended health care insurance coverage.”

Date:
May 7, 14, 21
Location:
3080 Yonge Street, Suite: TBA
Time
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Fee
$375/person

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Wired for LOVE

12, January, 2020

Wired for Love workshop is coming up. I’m excited to deep dive into a conversation about Marriage and connection with my pal Rabbi Grover. He says that the institution of marriage does a really good job of supporting people in matrimony but not enough to sustain relationships throughout the lifespan. I couldn’t agree more – 50% of marriages are ending in divorce.

Relationships are an investment and require a lot of maintenance – kind a like a car. They break down at times, need repairs and servicing. For this reason, we turn to guidebooks – everything from a car owner’s manual that shows how much to inflate your tires, to the recipe of your grandmother’s famous chicken soup.  We may hate the thought of consulting a manual or calling technical support, but can you really operate all theses things successfully simply through intuition?

Relationships are complex and yet we often attempt them with a minimum of guidance and support. Many of us didn’t grow up with a healthy model of relating. We either repeat the mistakes our parents made or consciously work to break the legacy passed down to us through the generations. Flying blind, as many couples do, and expecting relationships to fall into place is recipe for disaster. Hence the need for well informed guidance that supports your relationship.

Lucky for us, there has been an emerging body of scientific knowledge and theory in the field of neuroscience, attachment theory and psychology that has the potential to influence how partners relate to one another. Having a better understanding about how our brains function – how we’re wired – and our partner’s attachment style, can help us effectively defuse conflict when it arises and create a more stable and loving long term relationship. Investing into your own “relationship manuel” is well worth the effort.

The secret to cracking the code of connection and love is to move towards emotions in order to understand them. This process may involve resolving arguments or unfinished business that have left you feeling lonely and isolated or reduce stressful emotions like panic, anxiety, and depression. Adult bonding and all the emotions involved in creating secure relationship – is the key to love. I use these principles in my private practice with individuals and couples and I’m sharing some of these revolutionary tools at my upcoming workshop entitled “Wired for Love”.

Rabbi Grover and i want to make sure to tell everyone that ALL couples are welcome – every denomination, orientation, partners of all types.. including LGBTQ. Everyone counts. Everyone’s got their SHTICK!! We can all benefit from investing in our marriage. In the workshop we will learn how to develop a “user’s manual” for your relationship and each other. The language of emotions and connection is a lifeline and We now have the science to decode the “mystery” of love.

Hope you can join us for this special event on Feb 23, 2020. RSVP to gayle@bethtikvahtoronto.org

In Mind Health and Happiness
Larry Borins

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Keeping Your Mental Health In Balance While Working From Home

5, November, 2020

Maintaining mental health amid the stresses of working full time can be challenging enough on its own. Throw a pandemic into the mix and suddenly managing one’s mental health can become a monumental undertaking. Fear and uncertainty seem to be everywhere; these can lead to anxiety and/or depression which in turn, can affect every aspect of your daily life.

There are a number of strategies we can use to help keep our mental health in balance, especially when working from home during COVID-19.

Great West Life Realty Advisors is working hard to support their staff and residents through the challenges of COVID-19. I recently spoke with them about some tactics people can use to ease their concerns during this period. Check out the recent interview Keeping Your Mental Health in Balance While Working From Home

“We’re all in this together and supporting each other through it can make a huge difference.” – Larry Borins, MSW, RSW

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