Life Journey Counselling

07/27/2026

I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful gathering of Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCC) in Calgary yesterday, hosted in a truly breathtaking home.

A heartfelt thank you to our CCPA Director Alberta/Northwest Territories, Patricia Morgan MA CCC, for organizing this meaningful event, and to our CCC colleague Laura Sharp for her warm hospitality and gracious hosting.

It was both an honour and a privilege to facilitate a brief experience of mindful breathing and mindful walking, highlighting the importance of self-care and wellness for mental health professionals as we continue supporting our clients.

I was also delighted to finally meet one of my clinical supervisees in person and to connect with another future supervisee who will be starting with me this September. Building these relationships beyond the virtual setting was especially meaningful, and I look forward to supporting the next generation of counselling professionals through clinical supervision and professional development.

Grateful for the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow alongside such a passionate community of counsellors dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being.

07/06/2026

The Risks of Relying on AI for Emotional and Relationship Support

As a mental health therapist, I have become increasingly concerned to learn that some clients, students, friends, and members of the public are turning to AI for emotional support and relationship advice when they feel unhappy, distressed, or face personal challenges.

While AI can be a useful tool for gathering information, it worries me that people may rely on it as a substitute for genuine human support. Recent research suggests that AI systems often provide answers that users want to hear rather than challenging unhealthy thinking patterns or offering balanced perspectives. In difficult situations, this tendency can reinforce a person's existing beliefs instead of helping them reflect on their own role, consider alternative viewpoints, or take responsibility for their actions.

I have noticed this tendency in my own experience. For example, when I asked AI for advice about purchasing furniture, I realized that it often appeared focused on pleasing me and validating my preferences rather than providing truly objective, critical, or professional recommendations. If this can happen in something as simple as shopping, I am concerned about the consequences when people seek guidance on relationship conflicts, family issues, emotional distress, or major life decisions.

Counselling and psychotherapy involve much more than giving advice. Trained counsellors, social workers, and mental health therapists are able to assess risk, explore complex emotions, challenge cognitive distortions, recognize unhealthy patterns, maintain ethical standards, and provide individualized support based on a person's unique circumstances. These are areas where AI currently has significant limitations.

For this reason, I strongly encourage individuals who are struggling emotionally, experiencing relationship difficulties, or facing significant life challenges to seek support from qualified mental health professionals rather than relying on AI as their primary source of counselling. Professional counselling provides a safe, ethical, and accountable human relationship that can help people gain insight, develop healthier coping strategies, and navigate challenges without inadvertently complicating the situation.

AI may be a helpful supplement for education, information, or organizing thoughts, but it should not replace the expertise, empathy, and professional judgment of a real counsellor, social worker, or mental health therapist when it comes to mental health and interpersonal relationships.

Social Worker
Certified Counsellor
Clinical Supervisor

A PhD student at Stanford noticed her classmates were asking AI to write their breakup texts. So she ran a study. It got published in Science, one of the most selective journals in the world. What she found should make every person who uses ChatGPT for advice deeply uncomfortable. Her name is Myra C...

04/15/2026

Heartfelt thanks to Professor Cao for the invitation to speak in her two lectures. It was a true privilege to engage with the HKU MSocSc Counseling students and share clinical strategies for supporting clients navigating personality disorders and psychosis. I am deeply honored to contribute to the professional development of such dedicated future practitioners.

04/11/2026

Congratulations to Trista Lam on this outstanding achievement. Trista has been selected by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to join this year’s class of item writers for the Master’s‑level Social Work Licensing Examination, following her earlier selection as a Standard Setting Panelist for the Master’s exam earlier this year.

This dual recognition reflects Trista’s strong clinical expertise, sound professional judgment, and deep understanding of competent and ethical social work practice. Being entrusted to contribute to both exam standard‑setting and item writing is a significant professional honor and underscores the respect she has earned within the social work regulatory community. Trista’s selection is a testament to her dedication to excellence, continual learning, and meaningful contributions to the profession.

02/18/2026

🌿 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐦, 𝐑𝐒𝐖, 𝐂𝐂𝐂, 𝐂𝐂𝐒
Now available across 𝐀𝐁, 𝐁𝐂, 𝐌𝐁, 𝐍𝐋, 𝐍𝐓, 𝐍𝐔, 𝐎𝐍, 𝐒𝐊, 𝐘𝐓 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠
Trista Lam will be devoting more of her time this year to providing high‑quality clinical supervision for:
✨ Students (𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑚 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑦, 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑌𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦.)
✨ Social Workers
✨ Counsellors
✨ Therapists

𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮?
Ask yourself:
🔹 Are you a social work student or counsellor‑in‑training seeking an experienced, compassionate supervisor to maximize your learning and sharpen your clinical skills?
🔹 Are you a practicing social worker, counsellor, or therapist who feels stuck in sessions and wonders, “What can I do better for my clients?”
🔹 Do you struggle with case conceptualization, treatment planning, or choosing the right interventions?
🔹 Are you noticing signs of compassion fatigue, burnout, or vicarious trauma?
🔹 Are you looking for professional growth, personal development, and a safe, supportive space to reflect on your practice?
If you answered YES to any of these, supervision with Trista will be deeply beneficial.

Supervision offers:
💡 Structured guidance
💚 Emotional support
📚 Clinical insight
🧭 Ethical and effective practice strategies

🌱 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚’𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡
Trista provides:
Trauma‑informed supervision
Culturally sensitive and person‑centred guidance
Strengths-based reflection and growth
20+ years of counselling experience supporting mental health professionals across settings

Her supervision helps clinicians grow 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 while staying grounded, confident, and aligned with their values.

Curious whether Trista is the right fit for your supervision (or counselling) needs?
✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝟏𝟓‑𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 to
✔ Ask questions
✔ Discuss goals
✔ Experience her supervision style
✔ Explore whether it’s a comfortable and supportive match
📧 Email: [email protected]
📅 Book online: https://lifejourney.janeapp.com/ #/staff_member/3
🌐 Learn more: https://www.lifejourneycounselling.com/trista-lam
Trista looks forward to connecting with you.

02/07/2026

Trista is honoured to have been selected as one of the Master’s Examination panelists by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), chosen from a pool of over 1,700 applicants. A total of 66 panelists (for five different exams) gathered last week in San Antonio, Texas, to collaboratively establish examination standards for social workers across North America, with the shared goals of upholding professional excellence and protecting the public.

The two‑day meeting and workshop were well organized and highly engaging. Trista valued the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with peer social workers representing diverse intersecting identities, as well as a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds.

of Social Work Boards

01/24/2026

One of Trista's key 2026 career goals is to offer more mindfulness workshops, mental health trainings, and experiential mindfulness teaching for organizations, schools, and community groups.

I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Dora Tam from The University of Calgary for inviting me to speak with social work students about applying mindfulness in group work through experiential learning. I truly enjoyed engaging with the students, and answering their thoughtful questions.

Last year, I facilitated several mindfulness and mental health workshops for employees across various organizations, including ATCO, and received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the effectiveness, relevance, and impact of the training.

If your organization is looking to improve employee mental health, build stress‑resilience, and introduce practical mindfulness practices into daily living, I would be happy to design customized workshops, seminars, or training sessions tailored to your needs. These workshops are suitable for workplaces, educational institutions, community agencies, and professional groups.

📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 587‑200‑1900

I look forward to supporting your team’s wellness journey through evidence-based, engaging, and accessible mindfulness practices.

12/31/2025

Beginning Anew with Myself: A Mindfulness Practice for Self-Healing and Growth

Beginning Anew with Myself is a therapeutic mindfulness practice I commit to every year—either on the last day of the year or the first day of the new year—to recognize and celebrate my achievements, cultivate self-compassion, and foster emotional healing and inner peace. I also facilitate this practice with clients I have worked closely with throughout the year, helping them start the new year with clarity, gratitude, and renewed intention.

Beginning Anew is a powerful mindfulness practice originally taught by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, founder of Plum Village, to nurture healthy relationships and heal difficult ones. Plum Village is an internationally recognized mindfulness center where renowned scholar Jon Kabat-Zinn first learned mindfulness and later developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

Although this practice is designed to reconcile relationships with loved ones, I have adapted it as a way to reconnect and reconcile with my inner self—especially at the close of one year and the beginning of the next. This approach helps cultivate self-compassion, emotional healing, and clarity for the year ahead.

The Four Steps of Beginning Anew with Oneself

1. Watering the Flowers (Appreciation): Express gratitude and acknowledge your positive qualities, actions, improvements, and achievements—even during challenging times of the year.

2. Expressing Regrets: Apologize sincerely for mistakes or actions that caused you pain. Take responsibility without self-criticism.

3. Expressing Suffering: Acknowledge your own hurt and difficulties without blame. Offer yourself understanding and compassion.

4. Asking for Support: Clearly identify what you need from yourself or others to support healing and growth—such as mindful listening, emotional validation, or establishing healthier boundaries as you enter the new year.

I discovered that practicing Beginning Anew with Myself is profoundly therapeutic and deeply transformative for emotional healing, self-compassion, and mental well-being. The first time I tried it was 12 years ago, and it transformed how I relate to myself. I appreciated my resilience and compassion in overcoming many challenges and supporting others with unwavering diligence and kindness. However, I realized that in doing so, I often neglected my own mental and physical health. I pushed myself relentlessly, believing I needed to prove my worth through hard work. During this practice, I expressed apologies to myself for ignoring my body’s need for rest and continuing to push forward. I acknowledged that this pattern stemmed from childhood experiences of not being heard, seen, or respected by my father because I was a girl growing up in a culture that valued boys more highly. Through this reflection, I reminded myself that I have already achieved enough—I do not need to overwork or punish myself to feel worthy. From that moment onward, I made a commitment to care for myself with compassion—a journey I am still learning and embracing today.

This insight is deeply relevant for many women I work with across cultures who share similar struggles. Practicing self-compassion and mindfulness can help break these cycles and promote emotional healing, inner peace, and self-worth.

If you’d like to explore your own story, understand your suffering, and learn how your upbringing shapes who you are today, I invite you to book a session with me.

📅 Book an Appointment:
https://lifejourney.janeapp.com/ #/staff_member/3

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 Call/Text: 587-200-1900

Wishing you a joyful, healthy, and peaceful New Year! May 2026 bring you mental and physical well-being.

- Trista Lam

11/29/2025

This is an online support service for Hong Kong people living in Canada who are feeling distressed by the recent fire incident.

各位在加拿大的香港朋友們，大家好！

雖然我們身在加拿大，但相信這幾天大家的心仍然牽掛著香港。近日大埔宏福苑的火災，讓不少人產生了各種情緒和感受。
有見及此，一群在加拿大的香港大學社會科學(輔導)碩士校友，特意在本週日晚上舉辦一個情緒支援網上工作坊，希望與大家一起：

•了解面對突發災難時會有哪些常見情緒反應
•學習自我照顧實用技巧
•學習怎樣向家人朋友表達感受及關心

工作坊詳情：
📅 日期：2025年11月30日（星期日）
⏰ 時間：

卑詩省 BC：晚上 6:00-7:30
亞省 AB：晚上 7:00 - 8:30
曼省 MB：晚上 8:00 -9:30
安省 ON：晚上 9:00 -10:30
其他省份的朋友，請自行調校時間
https://www.timeanddate.com/

加港人線上情緒支援工作坊

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88599966109?pwd=MI5WPTrLdKLOXFLEABztNKcaEYdeSn.1

Meeting ID: 885 9996 6109
Passcode: 716630

在工作坊結束後，我們的校友也會在12月15日之前為有需要的加港人提供一次性免費輔導服務（Single Session），讓大家獲得更多支持。
期待與大家在網上見面，一起互相支持！
香港大學社會科學（輔導）碩士校友們敬約