Cochrane Counselling Centre

Cochrane Counselling Centre We are a community of practice comprised of social workers and psychologists providing individual, group, couple and family counselling.

Through an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, we recognize that we all have different parts of ourselves; each with the...
08/04/2026

Through an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, we recognize that we all have different parts of ourselves; each with their own emotions, needs, and stories. Our younger parts often carry memories of when we needed more support, understanding, or protection.

Healing isn’t about getting rid of these parts. It’s about building a compassionate relationship with them, helping them feel safe, valued, and freeing them from the pain and shame they carry.

When they become unburdened, they can bring their confident, playful and curious energy authentically into every environment, even the boardroom. 💛

Contact Us if you are interested in learning more about IFS therapy.

Friendships aren’t just nice to have, they’re essential. 💛As adults, friendships often end up at the bottom of the prior...
08/04/2026

Friendships aren’t just nice to have, they’re essential. 💛

As adults, friendships often end up at the bottom of the priority list.

Work gets busy.
Kids need us.
Life happens.

Yet meaningful friendships are one of the strongest protective factors for our mental health. Research consistently shows that strong social connections are associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety, greater resilience, and even better physical health.

A good friend offers more than someone to laugh with. They remind us we’re not alone. They celebrate our wins, sit with us through our losses, and help us make sense of life’s hard moments. Feeling seen, understood, and accepted is deeply healing.

The quality of our friendships matters, too.

Healthy friendships are built on mutual respect, trust, honesty, and reciprocity. They leave us feeling supported, not drained. Safe, not judged. Connected, not lonely.

If you’ve been meaning to reach out to someone, let this be your reminder.

Send the text.
Make the call.
Schedule the coffee date.

Relationships don’t thrive because we have more time, they thrive because we make time.

Who is someone you’re grateful to call a friend? 💛

We’re Accepting New Clients ✨Sometimes the hardest part is reaching out.Whether you’re a parent navigating the ups and d...
08/03/2026

We’re Accepting New Clients ✨

Sometimes the hardest part is reaching out.

Whether you’re a parent navigating the ups and downs of family life, a couple looking to reconnect or an individual going through a difficult season, you don’t have to do it alone.

Our therapists are here to offer a safe, compassionate space where you can be heard, supported and understood.

🤍 In-person in Cochrane
💻 Virtual appointments across Alberta

When you’re ready, we’re here.
E-mail us at [email protected]

There’s a lot of fake news about couples therapy.Some people think it’s about picking sides. Others think it’s only for ...
07/19/2026

There’s a lot of fake news about couples therapy.

Some people think it’s about picking sides. Others think it’s only for couples on the brink of separation. And then there’s the classic: “The therapist will finally tell my partner they’re wrong.” 😅

The reality? Couples therapy is often very different from what people expect.

We rounded up some of the most common myths we hear in our office and shared what actually helps couples build stronger, more secure relationships.

👉 Swipe through to check the facts.

Becoming is not always loud or visible. Sometimes it looks like resting when you used to push. Speaking when you used to...
06/15/2026

Becoming is not always loud or visible. Sometimes it looks like resting when you used to push. Speaking when you used to stay quiet. Choosing yourself when you used to abandon your needs.

Becoming is the quiet unfolding of who you’ve always been; beneath the coping, the fear, the survival. It’s turning inward, toward ourselves and our experience, with compassion and curiosity, over and over again.

If it feels slow… if it feels messy… it feels uncertain…

It’s brave…

We see you. Keep going. ✨

I’m late to the game on the Apple + TV show, SHRINKiNG, but I have thoughts. This show was recommended to me eons ago, b...
06/03/2026

I’m late to the game on the Apple + TV show, SHRINKiNG, but I have thoughts. This show was recommended to me eons ago, but, I didn't feel like going home from my job as a therapist to watch a show about therapists.

Now that I started watching, I am truly enjoying it. My stomach often hurts from laughing and I have fallen in love with the complex characters and their relationships with each other.

I think the show has an interesting take on how therapists show up for their clients when they are going through their own personal struggles.

The show focuses on the protagonist, Jimmy, a therapist, as he deals with his clients and personal life after the tragic death of his wife.

It is both fascinating and cringy to watch him as a therapist.

Here's the thing: some of what Jimmy does works.
✅ He is authentic.
✅ He genuinely cares.
✅ He creates strong therapeutic relationships.
✅ He helps clients move toward difficult conversations and meaningful action.
✅ He challenges avoidance and encourages accountability.

Research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in therapy. People heal in relationships, and Jimmy's clients clearly feel connected to him.

But here's where things go off the rails.
🚩 Therapists cannot become friends with clients.
🚩Therapists cannot insert themselves into clients' personal lives.
🚩 Therapists cannot make decisions for clients.
🚩 Therapists cannot blur professional boundaries.
🚩 Therapists cannot prioritize their own needs, opinions, or emotional reactions over the client's therapeutic goals.

Many of Jimmy's actions would be considered serious ethical violations in real-world practice and could result in complaints to a regulatory body, disciplinary action, suspension, and loss of licensure.

Why?

Because boundaries aren't there to make therapy cold or impersonal. They're there to protect clients.

The challenge for real therapists is learning how to bring warmth, honesty, and deep caring into the room while maintaining the boundaries that make therapy safe.

Do you have thoughts?

✨ Exciting Partnership Announcement! ✨The Cochrane Counselling Centre is proud to partner with the Lionheart Foundation ...
06/01/2026

✨ Exciting Partnership Announcement! ✨

The Cochrane Counselling Centre is proud to partner with the Lionheart Foundation to increase access to specialized mental health support for youth and young adults.

Through this collaboration, we currently have three therapists available for subsidized counselling services for eligible clients aged 12–25 who are experiencing:

💙 Anxiety
💙 Depression
💙 Suicidal ideation
💙 Self-harm
💙 Eating disorders

With the mandate to provide evidence-based care focusing on attachment, trauma-informed, and relationship-based approaches, together we can help young people build resilience, strengthen connections, and move toward healing.

If you or someone you know could benefit from subsidized therapy, please contact the Lionheart Foundation or the Cochrane Counselling Centre to learn more about eligibility and available services.

📍 Cochrane Counselling Centre
🌐 www.cochranecounsellingcentre.ca
📞 (587) 441-3902
📧 [email protected]

📍 Lionheart Foundation
🌐 www.lionheartfoundation.ca
📞 (403) 978-5866
📧 [email protected]

Together, we’re working to ensure that quality mental health care is available to youth when they need it most. 💙

Apologies are powerful.When we apologize constantly for existing, having needs, or taking up space, the apology loses me...
05/27/2026

Apologies are powerful.

When we apologize constantly for existing, having needs, or taking up space, the apology loses meaning. But when we avoid accountability after hurting someone, relationships suffer too.

Healthy relationships require both self-worth and responsibility. We do not need to shrink ourselves to make others comfortable — but we do need to repair when our actions cause harm.

A meaningful apology says:“I care about how my actions impacted you.”

Next Post in the series is how to offer an effective appology.

In our home, we recently replaced the traditional “swear jar” with something different: a “sorry jar.”Not because apolog...
05/24/2026

In our home, we recently replaced the traditional “swear jar” with something different: a “sorry jar.”

Not because apologizing is wrong — meaningful apologies are important. But we started noticing how often “I’m sorry” was being used unnecessarily: apologizing for asking questions, expressing needs, taking up space, or simply having a different perspective.

The idea behind the sorry jar is simple: to build awareness around habitual over-apologizing and encourage more intentional communication. While accountability matters, constant unnecessary apologies can unintentionally diminish confidence, boundaries, and self-worth.

A thoughtful apology is powerful. When we apologize reflexively for our existence, emotions, or needs, we take some of that power away.

This post is the beginning of a short series on apologizing, communication, and self-respect:

Next post: What we should apologize for — and what we don’t need to apologize for.
Following post: How to make an apology meaningful and effective.

The goal is to communicate with greater intention, accountability, and confidence. To strengthen our relationships with ourselves and others.

Re-visiting The Dance of Anger and honestly… it’s still such a powerful read.This book looks at anger — especially women...
05/13/2026

Re-visiting The Dance of Anger and honestly… it’s still such a powerful read.

This book looks at anger — especially women’s anger in our culture — not as something shameful or destructive, but as a source of wisdom. A signal. A message from the self that something is not being respected, heard, or honored in our relationships.

So many of us are taught to be “nice,” keep the peace, smooth things over, and deny ourselves in order to maintain harmony… until eventually the resentment spills out sideways through venting, over-functioning, criticizing, withdrawing, or blowing up altogether.

Harriet Lerner challenges those familiar patterns and asks us to respond differently. Not by denying anger, but by listening to it. By using it to create healthier boundaries, clearer communication, and meaningful shifts in relationship dynamics.

It’s not about becoming harsher. It’s about becoming more honest, more differentiated, and more connected to ourselves.

An oldie, but such a goodie 🤍

Address

Suite 3213 101 Sunset Drive
Cochrane, AB
T4C0W7

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+15874413902

Website

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