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It’s now November 2020 and it’s been a very challenging year for most people on this planet. There has been talking for months about the COVID-19 “second wave” and now it’s hit in Canada. No surprise, given our cold temperatures, dry air and time we all spend indoors. Just recently, our government in Alberta has shut down sports and gyms and has limited time in bars and restaurants for the next two weeks. More restrictions are looming. It’s a particularly difficult time for m

Recently, my sessions with clients are full of questions and stress about the return to school decision. Should our kids go or should they stay home? In today’s blog, I’ve outlined some methods for making a decision regarding whether to return to in-person school or choose to homeschool in the fall. I also provide guidance regarding managing the stress of this big decision. I hope it’s helpful to you for making an informed and aligned choice. Explore options and gather inform

Right now things are fairly quiet in the psychological community. It’s a very stressful time for people, but oddly we’re not very busy as psychologists. Although many of us are still working with our existing clients using video conferencing, new client requests are at an all-time low. There are lots of reasons why people aren’t seeking out therapy: We can’t meet in person and that’s a factor (although I find that online therapy is really similar to in-person therapy). Famili

With the advent of COVID-19, it’s a wild time in the world and it’s absolutely testing our ability to cope. One thing that I’m struggling with is my ability to focus and be productive. I have so many thoughts about what I could be accomplishing, but I find myself zoning out on Instagram or binging on a new Netflix show. Then I see the people that are spending time organizing their pantries and teaching their kids to speak French and I feel even worse. I know that I just need

Our family doctors in Alberta are in trouble and they need our help. This is not a political post, but it’s a request for you to take action to support your family doctor. A local clinic in Sherwood Park had to lay off 13 employees yesterday March 20th, 2020, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is specifically due to billing stipulations from the provincial government, which stop family doctors from being able to be paid adequately for their time. Clinics will close.

I had mostly written this blog post in February but just hadn’t had the chance to finish it up. Then, COVID-19 happened. And wow, did the world ever need the information here. So here it is…my 10 favourite tools for coping with stress that I use with my clients… I’m a clinical psychologist and many of the clients that I work with in therapy have been in treatment with a different psychologist in the past. I always ask them what they found helpful about therapy in the past (an

Online counselling is a service that we have offered at Ward & Associates for many years. It allows you to connect with your psychologist through the Internet in order to have therapy services from wherever you are. It’s so helpful to have at times (like now) when you might not be able to leave home. In the past, we’ve used online counselling when people are sick, are recovering from surgeries or when they live too far away to come to sessions in the office on a regular basis

To our valued clients, This post is to update you about COVID-19/coronavirus and the plan from Ward & Associates Psychological Services. We feel that the best course of action is to play our part in reducing the spread of COVID-19. It will help to keep us all healthy and minimize the impact on our health care system. As such, AS OF MONDAY MARCH 16th, WE ARE TEMPORARILY MOVING TO ONLINE APPOINTMENTS FOR ALL THERAPY. There is no indication of anyone having coronavirus at the of