What is Dungeons and Dragons? Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game that has been around since 1974 and enjoyed by many. Essentially, D&D is a storytelling game where one person (the dungeon master) creates a story, and players create characters to navigate the fantasy world together. The beauty of D&D is anything
Who’s Who at ICC? Understanding Our Different Types of Practitioners
When you are looking for mental health support, the letters after a practitioner’s name and terms such as student, intern, coach, or supervisor can feel confusing. At Island Clinical Counselling (ICC), our team includes practitioners with different levels of training, areas of expertise, professional registrations, and roles. This range allows us to offer several kinds
Music Therapy: When Words Aren’t Enough
Music Therapy Have you ever heard a song that instantly brought back a memory, changed your mood, or helped you feel understood? Music can reach us in ways that words sometimes cannot. It can help us connect with emotions, experiences, and parts of ourselves that may be difficult to explain. Music therapy builds upon this
The Healing Journey & the Campfire Analogy
By Qualia Reed Don’t Rush In my journey, I often return to the analogy of caring for a campfire. Having grown up in the 80s and 90s, I remember the Smokey the Bear ad campaign and its message about preventing forest fires. As I got older, it continually surprised me how often people didn’t put
People-Pleasing: Why “No” Can Feel Unsafe
People-pleasing is deceptive. It can look helpful, flexible, easygoing, even selfless. From the outside, people-pleasing can look like the right thing to do. But internally, it can do damage. It can feel like that knot in your stomach after you agreed to something you did not want.It is the resentment that comes from giving up
When the Roles Begin to Shift: The Grief and Stress of Caring for Aging Parents
There is a particular kind of grief that often goes unnamed in adulthood: watching our parents age. For many adults, there comes a moment when the relationship quietly begins to change. The people who once cared for us, guided us, protected us, and helped us navigate life are now slowly beginning to need support themselves.
The Other Side of Resilience
A Blog Post for Island Clinical Counselling I’ve always considered resilience to be one of my defining qualities. The ability to adapt and “handle whatever comes” has long felt like a well-earned badge of honour. The internal narrative that I can overcome whatever is thrown my way has been something I’ve leaned on in both
The Truth about CBT and Positive Thinking
“Just be positive.” “It’s all about mindset.” “Try looking on the bright side.” Sound familiar? There is no shortage of advice when it comes to mental health and the power of our thoughts. These particular phrases, while usually well-intentioned, can actually do real harm. They suggest that if we simply replace negative thoughts with positive
Meet Kaylin: A Compassionate, Person-Centered Guide on the Path to Healing
From an early age, Kaylen has been deeply drawn to people. She is fascinated by their histories, their lived experiences, and their aspirations for the future. Her belief that every individual holds inherent strengths and the capacity for healing naturally guided her toward the counselling profession. She is continuously inspired by the trust clients place
How to Stop Overthinking at Night: Using CBT-I to Calm Your Mind for Sleep
You’ve finally crawled into bed, the lights are out, and the house is quiet, but your mind isn’t. Thoughts start racing: What if I can’t fall asleep? What if I’m exhausted tomorrow? Why can’t I just switch off like everyone else? If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Overthinking at night is one of the