Spacious Mind Counselling

Spacious Mind Counselling Providing individual, couples and family counselling in Guelph and online throughout Ontario Providing individual, couples and family counseling.

06/25/2026

✨ Spoiler alert: as a psychotherapist, I don’t have all the answers.

What I do have is the ability to co-create a space with you where you can tell your story, find meaning, and move towards your goals. 🗺️✨

So, let’s create a curious and caring space where we can create change together. 🤝🌱

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

06/24/2026

Dear Reader,

Samantha here again. Thanks so much for following along as I share about emotional regulation. I hope that these ideas have brought you some inspiration and insight into your journey with emotions.

Today, I’m going to share a little bit more about my approach to therapy. Finding a therapist who helps you feel heard, seen, and comfortable is so important for the therapy process. So, here’s a little sneak peek into how I work in the therapy room.

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

Who says therapy has to happen on a couch? 🛋️❌ Not me! Through this series I have been highlighting ways to connect with...
06/23/2026

Who says therapy has to happen on a couch? 🛋️❌
Not me! Through this series I have been highlighting ways to connect with nature to support emotionally regulation. From soft fascination to biophillia, nature is a wonderful source of co-regulation.
That is one reason why I offer walk and talk therapy in Guelph, Ontario. 👟🌳
If you have found sitting still, being in an office, or only talking not a fit for your therapy journey, feel free to reach out and explore the possibility of walk and talk therapy. We can talk while we connect to nature, breath in the fresh air, and move our bodies.
If this sounds like a fit to you, feel free to reach out to book a free 20-minute psychotherapy consultation.
Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

5 ways to cope with big and heavy emotions. 👇💡Here are five things I remind myself and clients when coping with big emot...
06/18/2026

5 ways to cope with big and heavy emotions. 👇
💡Here are five things I remind myself and clients when coping with big emotions. I hope it offers you some hope and support in your next emotional storm.
1️⃣ When emotions get big they can feel all-consuming. Step back into an observer position so you can be with rather than get lost in your emotions.
2️⃣ In the peak of a big emotion it can feel never-ending. Remind yourself that every emotion, even the hardest ones, will eventually pass.
3️⃣ Emotions are messengers and they can give us great information. Stay in that observer role to hear the message without taking the emotion on as your identity.
4️⃣ When we have multiple emotions, especially conflicting ones it can be confusing. Give yourself permission to have multiple emotions and allow both space to be heard.
5️⃣ Coping with big emotions is a normal part of life, but it is also tough. Give yourself grace and be patient with yourself as you navigate this.

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️

Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
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Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

06/16/2026

🌿🍵Here is your gentle reminder to let your mind rest.

In this busy, go-go-go world, it can be easy to get lost in the hustle of the everyday. There are things to do, places to go, people to see, and content to consume!

According to Attention Restory Theory (ART), high stimulation and attention-grabbing tasks like these require hard fascination (Pham & Sanocki, 2024). Although it can be engaging and even fun, when our days are filled with this kind of attention, we can become mentally fatigued.

So, taking time for soft fascination where we can effortlessly focus on interesting stimulation that is not overwhelming is important. This gives us a chance to be with our thoughts, recuperate our mental energy, and let our minds wander 🌿🤍

One of my favourite ways to engage in soft fascination is by watching the birds fly. Seeing them effortlessly soar through the sky gives me a gentle anchor of focus while also allowing my mind to wander and reflect.

So, I hope you enjoy watching this beautiful bird, and it gives you a moment of soft fascination for your mind to rest.

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

Pham, T. P., & Sanocki, T. (2024). Human Attention Restoration, Flow, and Creativity: A Conceptual Integration. Journal of Imaging, 10(4), 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging10040083

We aren’t born with emotional regulation. It’s a skill we develop.Emotional regulation is a complex set of skills that w...
06/11/2026

We aren’t born with emotional regulation. It’s a skill we develop.

Emotional regulation is a complex set of skills that we can develop over time. Unfortunately, we often aren’t specifically taught what it is or how to do it. So, it can be hard to piece together the building blocks to hone this skill. So, let’s break it down.

What is Emotional Regulation?

Emotional regulation is a set of skills that helps us notice, attend to, and work with our emotions. Sometimes this involves using coping skills to return to our emotional baseline (i.e. within our window of tolerance). Other times, it involves riding through distressing emotions until they naturally pass. It can also involve listening to the messages of our emotions and being curious if there is something they need.

How do I develop Emotional Regulation?

Developing emotional regulation often involves…
Noticing and naming emotions
Building a set of exercises you can use in different situations
Practicing those skills and discerning which ones work best in which situations

How can I learn more about Emotional Regulation?

If you are curious to learn more about emotional regulation, feel free to scroll through this post to discover my favourite emotional regulation resources that I use personally and with clients.

1️⃣ One of my favourite exercises is Founding Through Senses
2️⃣ The Healing Forest is a great website for nature-based emotional regulation exercises
3️⃣ Since emotions impact us both physically and mentally, I love this quote by Martha Graham
4️⃣ If you love apps, the Healthy Minds Program is a great app for growing emotional regulation
Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

“I’m overwhelmed- how can I calm down?”If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you’re in good company. Everyone fee...
06/09/2026

“I’m overwhelmed- how can I calm down?”

If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you’re in good company. Everyone feels overwhelmed at times. When feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting to push away our emotions. Unfortunately, this often leads to a boomerang effect where our emotions come back at us more strongly.

Instead, it can be helpful to increase our capacity, often called the Window of Tolerance, to be with our emotions. This can look like noticing and naming emotions, using breath or body-based practices to support our nervous system, and connecting to resources around us.

This is the process of emotional regulation, and it involves noticing, exploring, and working with your emotions. It is different from emotional suppression, which involves stuffing down, pushing away, or avoiding our emotions.

I’ll be sharing more about emotional regulation in this series, including what it is and how to do it. In sharing, I’ll be pulling from my experience as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and my training in somatic, CBT, narrative, and many other approaches to therapy.

To start, here is a 5-minute exercise you can use to help you navigate overwhelming emotions.

Three Steps to Cope When Emotions Feel Too Big

1️⃣ Notice and name your emotions. For example, I feel a tightness in my chest, faster breathing, and racing thoughts. I am experiencing anxiety.
2️⃣ Breath mindfully to support your nervous system. For example, take a gentle inhale to the count of four and then exhale to the count of 7. Repeat 3-6 times.
3️⃣ Connect to resources, such as nature, to expand your window of tolerance. For example, find some nature around you and gently gaze at it, noticing its colours and movement.

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

06/04/2026

Stop Scrolling. Start Basking in Nature 🌲

Have you ever wondered, “Can spending time in nature help me regulate my emotions?” 🌿

The answer is, “Yes!”

Spending time looking at and engaging in nature is associated with positive mental health outcomes. In fact, a 2022 meta-analysis published in the Frontiers in Psychology Journal () reviewed 49 other studies and found that exposure to nature had a medium-to-large effect on increasing positive emotions and decreasing negative ones. This suggests that nature helps us regulate our emotions. 🪵✨

If you are keen to read more, you can read the whole study by Gaekwad and colleagues (2022) at https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.750245.

For today, we invite you to enjoy this video of nature, or better yet, get out into nature!

Here are 3 simple steps to regulate anxiety with nature’s support. ✨🌿

1️⃣ Find a nature space you can look at, walk in, or sit by.
2️⃣ Gently gaze at nature, slowly moving your eyes and head together from one side to the other.
3️⃣ Take a deep breath and remind yourself you are safe.

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.

Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.


06/03/2026

Dear Readers,

I’m Samantha, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with Spacious Mind Counselling 🌟

In this short intro, I’ll be sharing a bit about myself- after all, therapists are humans too! Feel free to tune in, get to know me a bit, and if you like, follow along to learn more about Emotional Regulation.

Wishing you support and connection as you navigate the sun and storms of life! ☀️🌧️
Samantha, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

06/02/2026

"What if I have never done therapy before?"
"What if I don't know what to talk about?"
"What if it is awkward?"
If you’ve been wanting to start therapy but have felt unsure about the process, meet Samantha! 👋
🌟 Samantha is Now 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 🌟
Samantha is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) who loves working with first-time therapy-goers and helping navigate the nerves of starting the process. 😌
She helps people who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, parenting, relationship issues and more with a calming and down-to-earth presence.
Plus, she offers walk-and-talk therapy in the park near our office. You can get out, stretch your legs, and be embraced by nature during your therapy session. 🌳

In this series, she will be sharing tips, tools, and insights into building emotional regulation. Feel free to follow along to learn more about Samantha and ways to boost your emotional regulation.

Disclaimer: All content is for educational purposes only. We are therapists, but we are not your therapist. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Please remember that DMs, comments, and reactions are not confidential or secure channels for communication. Also, comments are not monitored for clinical care.

Address

214 Speedvale Avenue, West
Guelph, ON
N1H2C4

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 8:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 8:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 8:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 8:30pm
Friday 8am - 8:30pm
Saturday 8:30am - 8:30pm

Telephone

+16478797041

Website

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