Upstream Counselling
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Whether it’s a single session check-in, or the beginning of a therapeutic journey, our goal is to
Here are some very important life lessons from dwarf horses Bibit and Tinkerbell!
Being a therapist is a highly rewarding, but also highly demanding job. In caring professions, it’s so important to maintain your personal resources, and be able to supplement self-care when you feel yourself becoming depleted.
and see how I fill my cup daily:
1) Drinking water in the morning supports digestion and improves mental alertness throughout the day.
2) Morning daylight helps kickstart cortisol production, energizing you for the day; it also enhances mood and improves sleep quality.
3) Nature walks reduce stress, decrease negative thoughts, boost mood and provide a bunch of physiological and mental health benefits.
4) Eating fruit and yogurt provides protein for energy and improves digestion. As the “second brain”, a healthy gut is crucial to maintaining a positive mood and emotional resilience.
How do you maintain your personal resources in the work you do?
05/08/2026
Square breathing is an easy technique that helps calm and soothe you. No equipment needed for this exercise!
Instructions:
Breathe in for 4 seconds
Hold the breath for 4 seconds
Breathe out for 4 seconds
Hold on empty for 4 seconds
See? Easy peasy! Notice how your body feels before and after square breathing. Do your shoulders come down? Does your mind feel clearer? Do you feel a little bit more space between you and your emotions/thoughts?
That’s the power of breathing deeply!
Every year, we get to see how Nature emerges from winter sleep, to a spring awakening!
This seasonal process invites us to ponder what we would like to leave behind, and how we would like to bloom into the warmer months.
What are three things you’d like to spring into action this year?
04/24/2026
Identifying your emotions can help calm their intensity when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re feeling something big, ask yourself: what exactly am I feeling? Name the emotions, to tame the emotions. 🤩🧠
04/10/2026
Think of SIFT like sifting for gold in a river:
The gold is valuable information about yourself, and the river is the overwhelming emotion.
Take a deep breath and start SIFTing!
Speaking positive affirmations has been found to:
1. Rewire negative thought patterns
2. Reduce stress and anxiety
3. Boost self-esteem and confidence
4. Support resilience
What we tell ourselves matters! Here are some of our therapists’ favourite affirmations - we hope they inspire you to nurture your own positive self-talk!
03/20/2026
Fact: Our brains and nervous systems don’t rewire from intensity - but with consistency.
Sometimes, it can feel like the efforts we make to heal, grow or change are just drops in the bucket. But every small step forward is a step closer to your goal. Our actions matter!
What’s one small change you know you can make now, something that you know for sure you can consistently do over time?
E.g.: taking three deep breaths every day 💨💨💨
03/13/2026
Our automatic thoughts can shape how we feel and act, even if the thoughts aren’t fully accurate or realistic. 🧠💭
Challenging automatic thoughts helps you notice when negative assumptions or distortions are influencing how you feel.
By questioning and reframing them, you can develop more balanced thinking that reduces stress, anxiety, and low mood!
03/13/2026
Our automatic thoughts can shape how we feel and act, even if the thoughts aren’t fully accurate or realistic. 🧠💭
Challenging automatic thoughts helps you notice when negative assumptions or distortions are influencing how you feel.
By questioning and reframing them, you can develop more balanced thinking that reduces stress, anxiety, and low mood! 👊
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Address
#G/420 Weber Street North
Waterloo, ON
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 9pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |