Blog

Oct 30, 2020
4 min

How to help your child with a needle phobia

One of the most common fears is needles and it’s particularly hard to see our kids struggle to deal with this one. Here are some strategies for helping your child deal with this phobia. First, we’ll give your child some strategies for managing their stress and anxiety response. Practice one of these every day to give them the skills to draw upon when the situation gets more stressful. Strategies for Managing Anxiety Teach them diaphragmatic breathing. This type of breathing a

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drjennieward

Sep 10, 2020
7 min

How to get a better night’s sleep

There’s no doubt about it. Poor sleep makes everything in life harder. By working on improving your quality of sleep, you’ll notice that everything in life becomes a bit easier to deal with. Your stress tolerance will increase as you feel more rested. In my life, sleep is exceptionally important. Most people close to me know that I’m heading to bed sometime between 9:30 and 10:30, pretty much no matter what. Friday, Saturday, at a party, out with friends…I really don’t care a

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How to prepare yourself and your kids for school in the fall

drjennieward

Aug 7, 2020
8 min

How to prepare yourself and your kids for school in the fall

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

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A mental health crisis is coming. This is how to prepare.

drjennieward

Apr 17, 2020
4 min

A mental health crisis is coming. This is how to prepare.

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

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Micro self-care: Fast and Easy Coping Strategies in the Time of COVID-19

drjennieward

Apr 4, 2020
4 min

Micro self-care: Fast and Easy Coping Strategies in the Time of COVID-19

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

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drjennieward

Mar 20, 2020
12 min

10 Strategies to Cope with Stress

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

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How to talk to your partner about your anxiety or PTSD

drjennieward

Apr 18, 2019
5 min

How to talk to your partner about your anxiety or PTSD

There’s no doubt that having a supportive partner can be incredibly helpful when it comes to healing from anxiety and PTSD. It can be hard to open up the lines of communication about what you might need from your loved one when you’re struggling with your symptoms. Often our partners have absolutely no idea what to do or how to help. For better or for worse, it’s up to us to talk to them about what we need. What I recommend is to set aside some uninterrupted time for you to s

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What to do if you’re having panic attacks

drjennieward

Mar 18, 2019
5 min

What to do if you’re having panic attacks

Panic attacks. The dreaded experience. Yes, they’re incredibly uncomfortable. Today’s post is all about how to deal with them if they happen to you. A little background: Panic attacks are our body’s fight/flight/freeze response that was originally meant for when our lives had more imminent dangers (of being eaten by tigers variety). This response is meant to help us deal with a truly life-threatening situation. During a panic attack, a component of the brain called the amygda

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A how-to guide for raising resilient kids

drjennieward

Mar 3, 2019
6 min

A how-to guide for raising resilient kids

If you’re a parent, you might have wondered, how the heck do I not mess up my kids? Should I force them to go to this event even though they’re anxious about it? How do I teach them to stand up for themselves? Are they kind enough? Do they have friends? Are they working hard in school? How do I guide them and teach them what I need to know? So many decisions and many of them don’t have a clear right answer. Today’s blog is all about how to raise kids that are healthy, happy a

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drjennieward

Jan 20, 2018
7 min

8 Tips for Dealing with a Recent Trauma

A shocking reality is that nearly 90% of people experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Even as a trauma therapist, I have a difficult time wrapping my head around that. 90%. In my work, I often see people who are still in shock from recent trauma and are curious about the best ways to cope with the overwhelming feelings they’re experiencing. The purpose of this blog is to help you be able to know what to do if a trauma happens to you. This blog is particularly helpf

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How I removed most negativity from my life

drjennieward

Jan 14, 2017
3 min

How I removed most negativity from my life

Confession time: I used to be…well…kind of negative. I would focus too much on what was going wrong in my life. I complained. I wasn’t living the life that I knew I could. A number of years ago, I decided to make some changes. As a psychologist, I recognized that I needed to be the model of where I was guiding my clients. I started to consciously choose how I was living my life. It started gradually and before I knew it, things had shifted in a huge way. I was happier than I’

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What psychologists want everyone to know about anxiety.

drjennieward

Jan 4, 2017
2 min

What psychologists want everyone to know about anxiety.

We all feel anxious sometimes and sadly some lives are ruled by anxiety. As a psychologist, I deal with anxiety on a daily basis. Anxiety can show up in different ways in your life. It can look like worry, panic attacks or feeling awkward in social situations. One thing you may find interesting is that no matter what type of anxiety you have, treatments for anxiety all have similar components. Knowing these can help to manage your anxiety and perhaps you can spread the word a

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drjennieward

Dec 29, 2016
2 min

How to get through dark times.

One lesson that I’ve learned myself, seen with clients and taught time and time again is that dark times almost always come to an end. The thing is, though, when you’re in the thick of it, it feels like it’s never going to stop. A great healthy reminder is to let yourself know that in a year from now, this issue will very likely not feel like a big deal anymore. It might be present, but less stressful. It might even be a blip on the radar. I remember when I was pregnant with

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A great way to reconnect with your love for life.

drjennieward

Dec 11, 2016
2 min

A great way to reconnect with your love for life.

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost your zest for life? Sometimes things can feel monotonous: work, home, eat, sleep…repeat. One problem people can have is…what do I even LIKE anymore? Either life is too busy or maybe you’ve been feeling depressed or anxious and have just lost touch with the things that bring you joy. My favourite way reconnects with joy is to think….what did I used to love to do when I was 10? It’s a magical age where you’re old enough to know what you love, b

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10 statements to help you win at the game of life.

drjennieward

Jan 6, 2016
3 min

10 statements to help you win at the game of life.

One of the most powerful methods for changing your life is to change how you think. Below are some powerful statements that you can use at various points in your day to propel yourself into a state of unprecedented well-being. 1. Things are always working out for me. This is a wonderful way to look at life and it’s one of my favourite self-statements. If you think about it, most of the time it’s true! Use this one when you’re worried about something. 2. Next year this won’t m

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