Hello to you from the comfort of my home,

I know it has been a while since I have seen you, but this is to touch base with you and to send you positive vibes. This pandemic situation has caught everyone by surprise; however, kindly remember that whatever has a beginning must always have an end.

So, please, in all of this unpleasant situation, create some time to be calm, seize the opportunity to love yourself, learn how to bake, listen to music, organize your pantry, clean out your garage, binge on those Netflix shows and don’t feel guilty about doing so.

Most importantly, I wish you and your loved ones excellent health, especially at a time like this.

Once again, you are thought of by me.
Please, stay safe and healthy.

Regards
Ibukun Ogunsina
www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
705 241 8456

Time to embrace your Tsundoku…

Tsundoku is a Japanese’s word for buying books and not reading them;
letting books pile up unread. So, this is a call for you to embrace
your pile of books now as you are confined to your homes.

#newbeginningsbarrie #selfcare #stayingathome #staypositive
(Definition obtained via Google)

Good day to you all,

As a therapist, I am fully aware of all the stress, anxiety, and fears of COVID-19. I am also mindful that we have been instructed by the Canadian government and our public health authorities to keep a social distance and only congregate if and when necessary. I am also actively aware that you will need your therapy, and thus I have decided to offer online and telephone counselling through Zoom professional to all my clients starting from Monday – March 16. I have the required training in online and telephone counselling and the Zoom professional that I make use of is secured and PHIPA compliant and remains confidential. I also have, as at present many of my clients that do make use of the medium from the comfort of their homes.

Please, kindly note that this decision was based on public health advisory to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus either in trying to get to the office or even at the office. However, you will still have access to me via technology. I am also fully aware of the discomfort this may cause, and thus I am prepared to give you all a 10% discount on what you are presently paying as your fees.

This is to keep you, your family, me, and my family safe as well. Hopefully, when the COVID-19 situation changes and on advice from the appropriate authorities, our normal lives will resume, and face to face counselling sessions will start again.

Kindly send a reply to me if you are okay with this, and I will forward a link to you before your session, and payment can be sent to me via e-transfer using my email address before the session. Please, do not forget to deduct 10% from your fees as my contribution to making you feel better in all of this stressful period.

Always in your service.
Ibukun Ogunsina
www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: newbeginningsbarrie@gmail.com
Tel: 705 241 8456

Thank you for your business!

I am a Mom, a prayer warrior, and also a therapist, but despite all these impressive accolades, I worry a lot. I worry when my kids are invited to parties that involve swimming, even though they can swim confidently, sometimes, I also dissuade them from going only because I will not be there. Most times, I worry about little things even after praying about such things. Why do I do this? I am so sure I am not the only mother that battles with this anxiety. The funny thing is I also pray a lot. Still, I ask myself, do I use my praying sessions as a coping strategy just for the in moment support when the anxiety rears its ugly head, or do I truly trust in the power of prayer?, do I fully trust that God has everything under His control?

This past weekend, we had an awesome couple visit us, and our conversation with them brought to light the general fears mothers battle with despite our perception of being spiritual. But my “aha moment” did not flicker until I told her that even as a therapist, my anxiety is deeply rooted in fear, and my fear is also rooted in my past trauma of losing a couple of relatives while growing up.

Some of us are still going around with traumas from our past years, we have refused to relinquish the pains, hurts, and fears of our earlier years, and we unknowingly project that hurt onto our parenting styles. We are scared of what could, may or may not happen, and in a way, we deprive our children of so many excellent opportunities of learning to do a lot of things that we never had the opportunities to do while growing up.

So, for me, I have made up my mind to continue praying but not only as a coping strategy but then also to let bygones be bygones and reinforce my belief in God. I have decided to relinquish all my past trauma and also toss any lingering hurt from previous losses onto the sea of forgetfulness and ask for the grace to live life to the fullest, knowing that I have a Father in Heaven who has my back, what about you? Will you join me in still committing our children, plans and all issues to God in prayer and letting Him handle it all and also be at peace to allow our children to enjoy their lives having the wisdom and the wherewithal of how to behave responsibly as we have brought them up to do without limiting them.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling Services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

Personally, I prefer summer to winter, for me, summer is my go-to weather, however I also secretly adore winter, because it keeps me indoors and helps me to keep a track on my spending. Whereas I do have friends that cannot stand summer. Some feel it puts pressure on them to get out of the house and to spend more and as for winter, I also know a couple of people that simply adore the cold weather. Some actually say it forces youngsters to dress responsibly:)

Truth be told there are a few people that dread this coming winter simply because it becomes so dark and cold, some people actually dread the time to change the clock backward ritual simply because it signifies the approach of winter and such people may even refuse to get up and get going in winter, possibly you know some others that sleep all the time during winter or they might be having trouble sleeping at night because of their sad moods.

The Mayo Clinic, shares that “people that dread or are even depressed at certain times / seasons of the year are possibly experiencing what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which according to them is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year.”

Perhaps, it is time for you to keep an eye open for some of your friends that may feel sad, hopeless, irritable or even lose interest in things they used to enjoy during this period, it will be great if you can help them get the assistance they need. They may need to speak with a Therapist or even book an appointment with their Family Physicians who can assist them in getting to the root of the problem. There may be other causes to whats going on and you never know what a few minutes of talking to someone may actually do for you or your friends.

If you or a loved one are suffering from depression or anxiety and would also like to explore treatment options, please reach out. I would be happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling Services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

It was supposed to be our date night. As a therapist, I advocate for date nights during couples sessions with clients, and I try to walk my talk. Date nights are usually weekly evenings spent with one’s spouse solely focussed on rekindling the love in their relationship. Couples sometimes go out to eat, watch movies together or spend some hours in the company of each other, and this habit helps to restore love, repair relationships, and improve communication and intimacy amongst couples in general.

But then mine seemed to be spiraling negatively downwards this particular night even before we stepped out of the house. In retrospect, I should not have taken the phone call. I should have called the person back. But then I did, and trying to be the peacekeeper sometimes leaves a residue of stress on me. I could feel I was emotionally drained, and traces of micro-aggressions were directed at me in the process of it all.

So, what did I do to have my peace back? I did what Jenee Johnson said in her Mindful Magazine interview; she shared that when micro-aggressions come, mindfulness offers one protection. We don’t have to be caught up and reactive. We can have self-compassion, and that self-compassion builds our courage.

So engaging in mindfulness helped to ground me that night, I quickly participated in a brief body scan exercise. I went through all my body parts one by one starting from my head to my shoulders and down to my toes. This activity brought full relaxation to me and helped me to become mindful and fully present in my body. It also brought back the joyful mood that I so much needed, and finally helped me to stop carrying the burden that was not mine to carry and allowed me to move fully into my joy and enjoy my date night with my spouse.

If you or a loved one want to know how to calm yourself or re-center yourself when you are stressed and are interested in exploring treatment options, please be in touch. I would be more than happy to discuss how I may help.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling Services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456
Photo by Lon Christensen on Unsplash

A couple of years ago, I lost one of my younger brothers, at that moment I was so sure I would never be able to laugh again, my heart was broken, I knew a part of my life was ripped off by the sudden loss of my brother, and I thought that was it. Fast forward to a couple of years later, I am happy again, I have smiled since then, I have adjusted to his absence not because I don’t miss him but simply because according to Psychologist Sasha Heinz, I have adapted to the reality of not having him in my life anymore. Sasha defined the well-known psychological phenomenon as ‘hedonic adaptation’ sometimes called the ‘hedonic treadmill’, she shared that humans tend to have a ‘set’ level of happiness, or unhappiness, which they return to regardless of major life events, good or bad.

I also remember when we were building our new house, I just could not wait for us to move in, the house felt like a hotel, I was always mesmerized each time I visited the site and when we eventually moved in I simply enjoyed every single feeling of living in it but fast forward to five years after living in it, the house is still beautiful, but the magic is gone and now thinking of hedonic adaptation. I sincerely believe that it does happen. It is not a matter of not being grateful or taking things for granted; it is the human nature of us, confirming that the thrill of events does not last. Dr Heidi Halvorson – another Psychologist also confirmed that no matter how good something makes us feel (or, for the record, how bad), most of the time we drift back to where we started, emotionally-speaking. So, whether it is that sad news or the very joyful news that took our breath away..we will surely go back to our normal eventually.

However, I am happy that after recently visiting a country and seeing the hard living conditions of the place, as soon as I stepped my feet back into our house. I fell totally in love again with it. I appreciated the fact that I have a place to call mine.

So, ask yourself, are there things in your life, that you need to resuscitate your love for? You may need to take a gratitude journey somewhere and let that brighten your level of appreciation again, or possibly you may need to check the influence of others on you, and probably you are beginning to find yourself in the rat race of competition, e.g. through social media, or maybe, just maybe you are in the attitude of rushing your happiness euphoria…you can actually spread it out, when you buy that blouse… don’t rush to wear it this week…wait until next week perhaps:)

I am glad that my deep pain for the loss of my brother has lessened; however, I know that on his birthday or at special family occasions, I do miss him, but I also know that he is up there looking down and cheering me on to keep smiling and living for him.

Wherever you are on the journey of life, and you need someone to walk through life with you, then call on us at New Beginnings Barrie Psychotherapy & Counselling.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling Services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

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There is one thing I love and also hate about my husband of over two decades, and that is his ability to make me smile even when I am dead set angry at him. He finds a way of injecting humour into every situation, even right there amid a very serious argument, while I am still seething in anger and planning my next move to get back at him. Then he says or does something, and that brings a smile to my face and crumbles the wall of resentment that I was trying so hard to erect against him. People wonder if we ever fight and I ask myself, how do I get mad at this guy that finds a way of melting my heart, even in the midst of conflicts?

While getting myself ready for a session that borders on conflict resolution skills, I was reminded of humour being one of the skills that one can make use of to resolve conflicts within a relationship creatively and this brought to mind my very own relationship and the real benefits of humour.

So, my next question is, when was the last time you laughingly ended a fight with your partner without letting it escalate further? Humour opens our eyes to a lot of good things in life; it makes us feel light and also confirms that life is what we make of it. Conflicts will arise, and your hubby will feel like a jerk sometimes. But be truthful..you will hate yourself for some things you did or said, but then after reviewing the situation, you should try to make light of the situation and apologize jokingly. Try using humour to strengthen your relationships. As a therapist, sometimes I inject humour into my sessions depending on the circumstances, most times I realize this in a way help to build rapport and trust between us and some of my clients feel relaxed even from their very first session with me. So, if you think you need to talk to someone, do feel free to give us a call at New Beginnings Barrie, we will be glad to help you smile again even amidst your pain and walk the journey with you.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling Services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

Photo by Hybrid @artbyhybrid

I could not take my eyes off them, they were practically drooling all over each other, the gentleman was lovingly holding onto the woman’s hands, and right there in the middle of the street, these lovebirds were hugging and kissing at every slightest moment. It felt like a script straight from a love novel. You know the kind of love Richard Gere had for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. They both seemed forever happy.

I wonder if they do fight about who will take the kids to the next soccer practice or who will load the next dishwasher, do they even argue at all? They seemed so perfectly in love.

So many questions went through my mind just by looking at them but having been married for over two decades and being a Couples Therapist, I know that conflict is indeed a part of relationships in general, once in a while conflict will rear its ugly head even in this seemingly perfect relationship.

Murray Bowen shares that unfinished emotional business sometimes stays with us, making us vulnerable to repeat conflicts we never worked out with our families. So, in short, fights are inevitable in a relationship, sometimes, some baggage of conflicts that we checked into our marriage with us, or new patterns of behaviour that our partners are not comfortable with, peradventure, right there in the midst of our lovey-dovey lives, some conflicts will erupt like volcanoes but then do we fight fair?

How do you resolve conflicts in your relationships constructively and not destructively? How do you forgive and start over again? How can you learn to listen attentively to respond and not to react? And finally, how do you both learn to love and trust again?

If you are struggling in your relationship or conflicts seem to be the norm nowadays in your relationship, and you will like to be assisted in learning how to identify the different attachment struggles in your relationship, perhaps you want to know how to speak to each other in love amidst the anger or how to facilitate better ways of relating lovingly to each other. Then call on us at New Beginnings Barrie, and we will be glad to walk the journey with you and your spouse.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456
Image by: Unsplash