Struggling with a child who is acting out? Or frustrated with school? Overly anxious or shutting down? Begin to bring some ease into your life together by finding a safe outlet for your child’s inner world through creative play and the arts. Imagine your child engaging with paint, puppets, or drums; the healing begins. Acquire tools that will support your child developmentally, strengthen your relationship, and help create a sense of peace and centeredness in your world at home. Rearranging your child’s stage now will deeply impact their coming years.

February brings love to mind, and that’s a good thing! Love creates, nourishes, rewards, and defines us. It affects how we communicate, both outwardly and inwardly. Influences from the parental, nurturing love of childhood; sexual intimate love of adulthood; demanding love of family and friends; and especially self-love might be out of balance and causing difficulties. Avoiding or suppressing old love issues clearly affects the present – your ‘baggage’.
Fortunately, even a small amount of awareness and acceptance about these love relationships can change the energy of a relationship. Don’t wait to connect with a counsellor.

Blackheads, also referred to as “open comedones”, are small spots on the skin that surface when oil and dead skin clog the pores.
You may be tempted to pick, pop, and poke to get rid of blackheads quickly. There are better ways, so resist the urge.
If you are prone to blackheads and pore congestion, opt for oil-free makeup, lotions, and sunscreen. Home peels and exfoliation products can remove blackheads using active ingredients like salicylic acid and glycolic acid.
Regular monthly professional treatments will keep your skin clear and healthy. A good treatment provides exfoliation, as well as softening and drawing out the blackheads. Chris Laidlaw, DMK Skincare, DMKSkinCare.ca

Formal expressive therapies should be facilitated by a professional, but that doesn’t mean your children can’t have fun with the expressive arts at home! Encourage them to explore their creative side with their siblings or friends. Let them paint; play with clay, playdough, or puppets; sing a song; or improvise with a tambourine, rattle, or drum. Incorporating the expressive arts into your child’s life can have such great benefits, particularly if mental or behavioural challenges are present. But they aren’t just for coping; they also have great effects on a child’s normal development. Sophie Von Herrmann, Expressive Arts Therapist, B.Ed., M.A., VictoriaExpressiveTherapies.ca

Families can be amazing – sometimes! They can be our strength, or they can leave us feeling crummy – undermined, discouraged, saddened, powerless, trapped, guilty, or abandoned. We don’t always get the fair treatment we want. Family members can be overbearing, or act like sneaks or victims. Sometimes, they criticize your choices, no matter what you do! How do you hold your ground without lashing out or checking out? How do you build the life you want? Counselling can be a safe and neutral place to discuss strategies to deal with family and reclaim your life. Mary Munro, MaryMunro.ca

“No, not this year,” you say. “Resolutions don’t work for me anyway.” But have you ever spent any time discovering WHY? Change is a very big deal. To change something about ourselves and then maintain the change, we need intention, determination, a detailed plan, support, and patience. We need to know ourselves and prepare for our weak moments. We need a rescue plan if we fall off our change horse. Counsellors are equipped for supporting change with you. Include at least one session with a counsellor when you are planning the details of your change. It can make all the difference! Barbara Gilmore, clinical counsellor, BGilmoreCounselling.com