by Richard Amaral | Nov 20, 2022 | Counselling and Psychotherapy, Mental Health, Mind-Body Health, Psychology, Stress, Thinking, Trauma
It’s easy to be hard on yourself and doubt your abilities. When discussing the role of thoughts and self-talk with my counselling clients, I’m always attentive to the kinds of words a person uses to describe themselves and their feelings. Using phrases...
by Richard Amaral | Jul 23, 2022 | Balanced living, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Depression, Emotions, Mental Health, Mind-Body Health, Psychology, Thinking, Trauma
In my last post, I wrote about how we sometimes feel stuck at one or several moments in life and in many different areas (e.g., career, hobbies, spiritual journey, relationships). But while some people can work through this feeling of ‘stuckness,’...
by Richard Amaral | Feb 22, 2022 | Counselling and Psychotherapy, Emotions, Lifestyle, Relationships
Last weekend, my five-year-old twins were busy writing out Valentine’s Day cards for their classmates. As I watched them write, I smiled as I read the messages on the cards. “You’re special to me.” “Thanks for being my...
by Richard Amaral | Feb 15, 2022 | Counselling and Psychotherapy, Emotions, Mental Health, Psychology
The reality is that no one, or at least no one I’ve ever met, succeeds at reaching their goals the very first time around. Relapse is a Normal Part of Change Whether you’re a world-class athlete, a psychologist, the CEO of a major company, or a rock...
by Richard Amaral | Feb 5, 2022 | Change, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Lifestyle, Mental Health
So, you’ve been thinking about change (Stages 1 and 2). You’ve even created a plan to prepare yourself for what you need to do (Stage 3). But after all the contemplation and planning, what happens next? Action and Maintenance: The ‘Doing’ of Change...
by Richard Amaral | Jan 29, 2022 | Counselling and Psychotherapy, Emotions, Mental Health, Mind-Body Health, Psychology, Stress, Thinking
Every month I devote a blog post that deals with parenting. You can read these posts on TWINS Magazine. —— Since the start of the pandemic about two years ago, everyone’s emotional state has been elevated a bit more than usual. Elevated emotional states are...
