Aspen Psychology Group

Aspen Psychology Group Psychology practice in Calgary. Working with individuals, children, couples, and families.

5 ways to restore your brain this week — backed by science. 🌿💧Attention Restoration Theory tells us that natural environ...
06/12/2026

5 ways to restore your brain this week — backed by science. 🌿💧

Attention Restoration Theory tells us that natural environments replenish our capacity to focus, regulate, and feel like ourselves again. Here's how to actually use that knowledge:

01. Walk near water — without your phone
The Bow River pathway. Glenmore Reservoir. Even a fountain in a park. Leave your device behind. Let your gaze go soft. 20 minutes is enough to shift your nervous system.

02. Take your lunch break outside
Not at your desk. Not scrolling. Outside, ideally with some green or sky in view. This is one of the simplest ways to interrupt sympathetic overdrive mid-day.

03. Let your mind wander — on purpose
Your brain's Default Mode Network needs unstructured time to process, integrate, and restore. A slow walk with no agenda is not wasted time. It's cognitive maintenance.

04. 🏔Aim for 120 minutes of nature per week
Research shows this threshold is linked to meaningfully better mental health. Break it into chunks — it doesn't need to be one long hike. A few evening walks along the Elbow counts.

05. Practice "soft eyes"
Instead of scanning for information or checking your phone, let your gaze rest wide and unfocused. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and signals safety to your brain.

You don't need to overhaul your life. You need 120 minutes, some moving water, and permission to simply be somewhere beautiful.

Calgary makes that pretty easy. 🏕️

Save this post for your next overwhelmed week. ♥️

—
📍 Aspen Psychology Group | Calgary, AB
Nourish. Grow. Thrive.
Evidence-based therapy for real life.
Book a consultation → link in bio.

Why your brain needs the river.Your brain isn't tired. It's depleted.There's a reason a walk along the Bow River feels l...
06/11/2026

Why your brain needs the river.

Your brain isn't tired. It's depleted.

There's a reason a walk along the Bow River feels like hitting a reset button — and the science behind it is fascinating.

Attention Restoration Theory (ART), developed by researchers Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, explains that our brains have two kinds of attention:

→ Directed attention: the effortful focus we use for work, decisions, and problem-solving
→ Involuntary attention: the effortless engagement triggered by nature — birdsong, moving water, open sky

When directed attention is depleted (hello, burnout), natural environments — especially water — restore it by gently engaging the brain without demanding anything from it.

Here's what's happening beneath the surface:

🧠 Your nervous system shifts from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest and restore) — cortisol drops, breathing deepens, the body exhales.

🌿 Your Default Mode Network activates — the brain regions responsible for self-reflection, creativity, and emotional processing finally get space to do their work.

💧 Water specifically induces what neuroscientist Wallace Nichols calls the "blue mind" — a mildly meditative state that quiets the overstimulated modern brain.

Research shows just 120 minutes per week in nature is linked to significantly better health and wellbeing. That's a riverside lunch. A weekend hike. A slow morning by the Elbow.

Your environment is medicine. 🏔️

Read the full blog at the link in our bio.

—
📍 Aspen Psychology Group | Calgary, AB
Nourish. Grow. Thrive.
Evidence-based therapy for real life.

This month marks a significant milestone for Aspen Psychology Group - our third anniversary of serving our incredible cl...
05/16/2026

This month marks a significant milestone for Aspen Psychology Group - our third anniversary of serving our incredible clients and giving back to our wonderful community! We are humbled by the trust you have placed in us, and it is an absolute honor to work alongside each of you. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on your lives and help you achieve your mental health goals.

It is also a joy to work with our talented and compassionate team of therapists, who are dedicated to providing exceptional care and support to our clients. We are proud of the progress we've made so far, and we look forward to many more years of growth, learning, and making a difference in the lives of those we serve!

,The secret to getting more from therapy? What you do between sessions matters just as much as the session itself. 🌱Deca...
05/14/2026

,The secret to getting more from therapy? What you do between sessions matters just as much as the session itself. 🌱

Decades of research show that clients who prepare, set goals, and actively practice what they're learning experience faster progress and longer-lasting results.

For couples especially: the Gottman Institute's research shows that practising connection skills at home — like "turning towards" your partner — is what creates lasting change. 🤍

Save this post for your next session prep, and share it with someone who might need a nudge to start their own journey.

📍 Based in Calgary — offering individual, couples, and family therapy.

Read more on our blog or book a free consultation via the link in bio.

Therapy isn't just for crisis moments — it's one of the most evidence-backed investments you can make in your wellbeing....
05/13/2026

Therapy isn't just for crisis moments — it's one of the most evidence-backed investments you can make in your wellbeing. 🌿

Research consistently shows that psychotherapy reduces anxiety, eases depression, builds self-confidence, and strengthens relationships — with effects that last. Clients who set clear goals in their first three sessions are 30% more likely to achieve them.

Therapy isn't just for crisis moments — it's one of the most evidence-backed investments you can make in your wellbeing. 🌿

Research consistently shows that psychotherapy reduces anxiety, eases depression, builds self-confidence, and strengthens relationships — with effects that last. Clients who set clear goals in their first three sessions are 30% more likely to achieve them.

At Aspen Psychology Group in Calgary, our therapists draw on current, evidence-based approaches to help you create real, lasting change. 💙

Book a free consultation via the link in bio.

Our newest team member, Lindsey, is now accepting clients in Calgary — and she has Saturday hours!She specializes in mee...
05/05/2026

Our newest team member, Lindsey, is now accepting clients in Calgary — and she has Saturday hours!

She specializes in meeting you exactly where you are.
Teens (15+) · Adults · Families
Anxiety · Trauma · Relationships · Perfectionism

Tap the link in bio to book a consultation.



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IFS therapy isn't about analyzing your past — it's about finally giving your most hurting parts the attention they deser...
04/23/2026

IFS therapy isn't about analyzing your past — it's about finally giving your most hurting parts the attention they deserve.

Book a consultation at the link in bio.

Ever feel pulled in two directions at once? That's not a flaw — that's your inner system at work. Internal Family System...
04/21/2026

Ever feel pulled in two directions at once?

That's not a flaw — that's your inner system at work. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, teaches us that we all have different parts: Exiles who carry old pain, Managers who try to keep us safe, and Firefighters who step in when things feel overwhelming. And underneath it all? A calm, wise Self that never goes away.

The most powerful idea in IFS: there are no bad parts. Every part of you developed for a reason — and every part deserves to be understood.

At Aspen Psychology Group in Calgary, many of our therapists use IFS to help you heal from the inside out. Whether you're navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, or just a persistent feeling of being stuck, IFS offers a compassionate path forward.

📍 Calgary, AB | Book a consultation (link in bio)

Ever feel pulled in different directions? In IFS therapy, those are your parts — and none of them are the enemy. Every p...
04/18/2026

Ever feel pulled in different directions?

In IFS therapy, those are your parts — and none of them are the enemy. Every part developed for a reason, and healing begins when we get curious instead of critical.

Learn more about IFS therapy at Aspen Psychology Group — link in bio.

5 things to try this week if you're a Highly Sensitive Person 🌿High sensitivity isn't something to fix — but it does nee...
04/07/2026

5 things to try this week if you're a Highly Sensitive Person 🌿

High sensitivity isn't something to fix — but it does need tending. Here are small, sustainable shifts that can make a big difference:

1️⃣ Take one intentional quiet break today. Not scrolling. Not productive. Just still. Your nervous system needs it.

2️⃣ Notice one moment where you absorbed someone else's emotion. Just notice — no judgment. Awareness is the first step to boundaries.

3️⃣ Say something kind to yourself about your sensitivity. It allows you to connect deeply, create meaningfully, and care for others with rare attunement. That matters.

4️⃣ Name what you're feeling — out loud or in writing. Research shows that labelling emotions actually reduces their intensity. Try: "I'm feeling overstimulated and I need a moment."

5️⃣ Protect one block of recovery time after something draining. A social event, a hard meeting, a busy errand run. Give yourself the transition time your brain actually needs.

These aren't hacks. They're skills — and they get easier.

If you'd like support building them, our Calgary team at Aspen Psychology Group is here. We offer counselling that's warm, trauma-informed, and designed for people who feel deeply.

🔗 aspenpsychologygroup.ca

Address

Suite 120, 1209 59 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB
T2H2L7

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm

Telephone

+15878502809

Website

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