EMDR Therapy at KIHC

Written by Clauden on April 9, 2025.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence-based therapy designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences. EMDR works by targeting the feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that arise from trauma, helping the brain reorganize and release them in a healthy way. Originally developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR has since become a widely recognized treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other conditions related to past distressing events.

Family Constellations: When disease turns up in service to love

Written by Sarah Knight, PhD, RM on February 27, 2022.

Upcoming family constellations workshops, with Sarah Knight, open to beginners. Next One: March 20^th, 6-8:30 pm. For more information visit https://www.humhealing.com/workshops–training.html or contact Sarah directly, [email protected].

When disease turns up in service to love

The work of Family Constellations is all about making visible the invisible forces that drive the behaviours, beliefs, symptoms, and patterns that seem to thwart us in our efforts to live a good life.

One of the foundational views of this work is that when seen as part of the whole all of that which binds us to suffering and unwellness suddenly makes sense. So much of what we try to push away or to “fix” has really just turned up in service to highlighting the places where love stopped flowing in our family system, that is where trauma is held, where events remain unresolved, or where someone was excluded. When what lays beneath all of our seeming dysfunction is able to be really seen then the whole system can heave a sigh of relief and the energetic release can be palpably felt.

The Optimism Test

Written by Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND on January 16, 2022.

Can you prevent depression and anxiety? The research says that yes, sometimes you can! By practicing the skill of optimism.

How we think about bad events, matters. Many healthy people and critical thinkers unknowingly tend toward pessimistic thinking and this is a known risk factor for depression. Further, cultivating the skill of optimism is protective against depression. Are you naturally a more optimistic or pessimistic thinker?

This optimism test, provided by Dr. Marty Seligman, a Positive Psychology researcher and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, is a good place to start! (Visit their website for more optimism tests and authentic happiness questionnaires.)

“A pessimist sees the difficultly in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill

What are You Willing to Suffer For?

Written by Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND on October 31, 2021.

The answer to this question can help you stick to the most difficult healing work: Exercise, dietary regimes, reframing your thoughts and perspectives about life, healing a chronic illness, spiritual growth. In other words, what is so meaningful to you that through pain or discomfort, you’d still want to do the work? This is what you’ll use to find the strength to continue choosing the healing work each day.*

This is also part of the archetypal hero’s journey: The classic human experience of traversing challenges toward satisfying and deep transformation.

5 Keys for Creating New Habits and Lasting Positive Change

Written by Lisa Sabatini on October 21, 2021.

Change can be tricky to navigate. Creating and keeping new habits can be even trickier. It’s important for us to remember that anything new will take some time and effort to become part of our new “normal”.

What is “normal”? The truth is, “normal” is different for each of us. What’s normal for my body, my thoughts, my emotions, and energy, is likely very different than yours. Just because something is normal for us, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. So, we are talking about creating wonderful new habits, right? Then why are we talking about unhealthy habits? Here’s the thing: If we just mask over poor habits with new ones, the old ones can sabotage our efforts for change. We need to dismantle them first.

Mindfulness: Training your Mind, Connecting to your Spirit

Written by Lisa Sabatini on August 31, 2021.

There was a time in my life when I was so busy and stressed, I couldn’t stop for a single minute. I mean that quite literally. I flew through the day, from one thing to the next on “autopilot” (going through the motions), and everything became a blur. By the end of the day, when it was time to sleep, I’d lay in bed awake for hours. My mind still thinking, wheels turning, about what I had done that day and what I needed to do the next day.

When I was introduced to mindfulness, I was confused. It never occurred to me that the healthiest place for my mind to be (and amazingly the most productive!) was in the present. Not thinking ahead, nor about what had already been done, but in the present moment.

Introduction to Mindfulness Course

Written by KIHC on August 17, 2021.

What is mindfulness? What is it not? How does it alleviate stress and why might you want to give it a try?

Please join Lisa Sabatini for this 3-part online (Zoom) introductory mini mindfulness course:

Wednesday evenings 7:00 to 8:00pm

September 15th to 29th, 2021

My Approach to Therapy

Written by Dr. Jody Kircher on December 31, 2020.

Psychotherapy, counselling, or “talk-therapy” is a very individual process that varies greatly based on the personality and theoretical framework of the therapist, and the personality and needs of the client. I primarily work with people who struggle with high stress and anxiety and this is how I approach my work.

Online Counselling Support

Written by Lindsay Dupuis, MA, CCC on May 2, 2020.

Greetings from the East Coast!

As I write this letter to my old friends and colleagues at KIHC in early May, this marks my 1.5-year anniversary here in Nova Scotia.

A lot has happened during this time. While continuing to provide remote counselling sessions for some of my old KIHC clients, I’ve extended my online practice for those living in remote areas of Atlantic Canada. With services reaching rural Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick, I’m proud to offer more affordable services for those who might not otherwise have access to mental health care.

In addition, I had the opportunity to return to Tanzania last year, launching “phase II” of a fundraising project that I began in 2008.

The Ritual of A Cup of Tea

Written by Dr. Angela Hunt, ND, MSCP on December 1, 2018.

The Healing Power of Tea

I love tea. One of my favorite daily things to do is to make myself a cup of tea and take a moment to slowly sip it. However, when I first started practicing as a Naturopathic Doctor I gave little respect to the humble herbal tea. It was when I did a residency at a first nations health clinic in downtown Toronto that I truly learned the healing power of a cup of tea. In naturopathic medicine we often use tinctures, which are alcohol extractions of plants.

Tag: Counseling