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Schaefer Counselling Services

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Saint Albert, AB
Schaefer Counselling Services

Compassionate Counselling & Therapy in St. Albert

Creating Space for Healing with Individual & Trauma Counselling, EMDR & ART — In-Person in St.

Albert & Virtual Therapy Across Western & Northern Canada Life can be overwhelming, and sometimes you just need someone to talk to. At Schaefer Counselling Services, you will find a compassionate and understanding space to navigate life's challenges. Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, or relationship issues, personalized support is available to help you find your way forward.

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Disclaimer & Crisis Info
This account shares general information for mental wellness and education. It is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice, and does not create a therapist-client relationship. Please be advised that this page is not monitored for emergencies. Are you in Need of Immediate Support? Emergency - 911
Su***de Crisis Hotline (24/7) - Phone or Text: 988
Edmonton Distress Line (24/7) - Phone: 780.482.HELP (4357)

06/17/2026

When life feels heavy or chaotic, our first instinct is often to rush into fix-it mode. We make plans, build checklists, and try to out-think our stress.

But there’s a quieter, often overlooked step that we tend to skip: acknowledgment.

Before anything can shift, why not allow ourselves to simply notice where we actually are? Saying “This is really hard right now” or “I’m feeling incredibly tired” isn’t giving up—it’s simply telling the truth. It’s turning on the light so you can see the room you’re already standing in.

Real, lasting growth usually doesn't begin with urgency or a frantic pivot. It begins with a pause. A breath. And an honest moment of recognition.

If you've been skipping that step lately, I invite you to consider this a gentle mid-week reminder to pause and just acknowledge where you're at today. You don't have to have it all solved by tonight.

Take a deep breath. Where are you landing today? 👇

✨ Read the full piece on our Mental Health Toolkit blog: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog

06/12/2026

On my walk with Mabel this week, I noticed this lantern.
Not because it was extraordinary, but because it was steady.

It got me thinking about how often we move through our days in “fixing mode”—looking for something to solve, adjust, or understand. When life feels uncertain or mentally full, it’s easy to believe everything needs an answer.

But not everything needs to be fixed.

Sometimes what we need instead is something that helps us orient ourselves.

A point of reference. 🧭

A familiar routine.
A trusted person.
A value that matters to us.
A small practice that brings us back to ourselves.

These don’t remove uncertainty—but they help us move through it with a little more steadiness.

Not everything needs to be solved right away.

Sometimes, we just need something that reminds us where we are.

As the weekend begins, perhaps the question isn’t, “What do I need to figure out?” but, “What helps me find my footing?”

A point of reference is enough.

If you'd like to read more, the full piece is on the Mental Health Toolkit here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog

06/10/2026

June 10 is Anxiety Day 💚

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns and is often misunderstood. It isn't simply "worrying too much" or needing to "calm down."

While anxiety is a normal human response to stress, it can become overwhelming when it begins to interfere with daily life, relationships, work, or overall well-being. It can keep us awake at night, make everyday decisions feel paralyzing, leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves, or create a constant sense of unease. Anxiety can be exhausting.

Yet anxiety rarely shows up without a reason.

At its core, anxiety is often trying to protect us. It scans for danger, prepares us for uncertainty, and works hard to prevent us from being hurt, disappointed, rejected, or caught off guard. Anxiety develops for a reason, often shaped by our experiences, relationships, and the challenges we have faced throughout our lives.

The difficulty is that anxiety can sometimes continue sounding the alarm long after the threat has passed. What began as protection can become overwhelming, leaving us stuck in patterns of worry, hypervigilance, self-doubt, or overwhelm. It’s like an alarm system that forgot how to turn itself off.

On Anxiety Day, I invite us to respond to anxiety with curiosity rather than criticism. Instead of asking, "What's wrong with me?" perhaps we can ask, "What is my anxiety trying to protect me from?" and "What might I need right now?"

Understanding anxiety doesn't mean giving it complete control. It means learning to listen to its message while also helping ourselves feel safe enough, supported, and grounded.

If anxiety has been taking up more space in your life lately, know that support is available. You do not have to navigate it alone.
💚

The full piece, Anxiety Awareness, is available on my blog here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog

06/08/2026

June is Men’s Mental Health Month. 💙

And while awareness months can sometimes feel like they come and go, the reality is that many men are carrying things quietly all year long—stress that doesn’t get spoken, grief that gets tucked away, anxiety that gets reframed as “just being busy,” or exhaustion that gets normalized as “that’s just life.”

Men’s mental health isn’t about weakness. It’s about being human in a culture that often rewards silence over expression.

For many men, support doesn’t always look like sitting in a therapy office talking things through right away. Sometimes it begins with honest openings:

• admitting something feels off
• noticing irritability or withdrawal
• recognizing burnout instead of pushing through it
• allowing someone else to check in and stay present

Each of these is a meaningful shift. Not minor—just often the first places things become visible.

This month is an invitation—to widen what we consider strength. Not just endurance, but honesty. Not just holding it together, but having places where you don’t have to.

And if you’re someone who cares about a man in your life, presence matters more than pressure. A steady “I’m here if you want to talk” can go further than we often realize.

Men’s mental health isn’t a separate issue. It’s part of our shared emotional landscape. 🌿

If you need a space to sort through what you’re carrying, reaching out is a meaningful step—whether that’s with a family member, a trusted friend, or a professional counsellor. You don't have to navigate the weight of it alone. 🤍

Read the full blog on my Mental Health Toolkit here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog

06/05/2026

Small Acts, Shared Ecosystems 🌿

Today is Environment Day—a reminder that we are part of something larger, interconnected, and constantly responding to care or neglect.

We often think of “the environment” as something outside of us: forests, oceans, air, land.

But we also carry environments within us.
The spaces we live in.
The pace we keep.
The thoughts we return to.
The relationships that either restore or deplete us.

Mental health doesn’t exist in isolation any more than ecosystems do. It is shaped by context—by what surrounds us, what we are exposed to, and what we are allowed to recover from.

Sometimes care looks like planting trees or reducing waste.
And sometimes care looks like:
🌿 stepping away from overstimulation
🕊️ creating quieter internal and external spaces
🌊 noticing what drains versus replenishes you
🌙 choosing rest without needing to justify it

Healing, like environmental restoration, is rarely instant. It happens in small, consistent acts of repair. It depends on conditions that support growth.

We don’t need perfection to make a difference—just attention, and a willingness to tend to what we’re part of.

Because every environment we belong to—external or internal—responds to how it’s treated.

And even small shifts in care can change the whole system over time. 🌿

If this reflection resonates and you’re wanting support in tending to your internal environment, you’re welcome to reach out.

The full piece, Small Acts, Shared Ecosystems, is available on the blog here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog

05/29/2026

Yesterday, while walking with Mabel, I found myself surrounded by a field of dandelions growing freely in every direction. I got right down to ground level to take a photo, seeing them from the grass up—rooted, persistent, and reaching toward the light anyway.

Dandelions are often dismissed as weeds, yet they return year after year with remarkable resilience. There’s something deeply human in that.

Many people move through seasons of stress, grief, overwhelm, uncertainty, or exhaustion while still continuing to care for others, show up, and keep going. Healing is rarely linear, and growth is not always obvious from the outside.

Sometimes resilience looks quiet.
Sometimes it looks messy.
Sometimes it simply looks like making it through the day.

And sometimes, healing begins in very small moments:
Fresh air
Slowing down
Connection
Being seen
Or allowing yourself to reach for support when things feel heavy

A gentle reminder that you do not need to bloom perfectly to be worthy of care. 🌼
If you’re navigating a heavier season, you’re welcome to reach out or connect here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca. To read the full blog, visit my Mental Health Toolkit here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog.

05/22/2026

Honoured to attend the second annual silent auction fundraiser for Shea-Lynn's Butterfly Effect last night. 🦋

It was a deeply meaningful, beautifully organized evening filled with connection, community, and generosity. Seeing people come together in support of a cause close to so many hearts was a powerful reminder of how much light and hope can be built when a community shares a common purpose.

Brenda, the care and dedication you and your team pour into this event and the work you do through Shae-Lynn’s Butterfly Effect is deeply evident and impactful. Thank you for creating such a special evening for us all at Central Social Hall.

To learn more about Shae-Lynn’s Butterfly Effect, please visit:

🔗 https://www.slbutterflyeffect.org

05/20/2026

“We weren’t meant to be ‘pinged’ 24/7.”

This long weekend, we went completely off-grid. No cell service. No constant notifications. No digital noise. Just nature—pines swaying in the wind, the soft patter of rain, quiet moments of connection, shared laughter, and slow mornings.

And the kind of presence that is easy to lose in the pace of everyday life.

It was a reminder of how much our nervous systems benefit from slowing down and stepping away from constant stimulation, from always being “on.” Nature has a way of grounding us—helping us breathe deeper, think more clearly, and reconnect with ourselves and the people around us.

Walking those forest paths, with Mabel just ahead on the trail, added its own simple rhythm to the experience—steady, unhurried, and grounded in the moment.

When we unplug from technology, even briefly, we create room for:
🌱 Deeper connection with those around us
🌱 Improved nervous system regulation
🌱 Mental clarity and emotional spaciousness
🌱 Better sleep and reduced overwhelm
🌱 Moments of creativity, reflection, and grounding
🌱 Reconnecting with ourselves

So many of us move through life in a constant state of stimulation without realizing how much it impacts our bodies and minds. Nature has a way of gently bringing us back to ourselves.

You do not need a perfect retreat or a full week away. Sometimes even a few hours without screens, outside in the fresh air, can make a difference.

This weekend was such a beautiful reminder that presence is restorative. ✨

When was the last time you let yourself be “out of reach” for a little while? I’d love to hear how you find space to disconnect.

Read the full blog in my Mental Health Toolkit here: schaefercounsellingservices.ca/blog

Photo credit: Annika | Schaefer Counselling Services

05/15/2026

Much like the crocus pushing through the spring soil, growth is a quiet, unfolding process. Wishing you a Victoria Day long weekend filled with rest, reconnection, and the beauty of new beginnings.

Photo credit: Annika | Schaefer Counselling Services

05/10/2026

Holding Space This Mother's Day

Today, we recognize that this date is rarely simple. For some, it is a celebration; for many others, it is a day of quiet endurance, complicated memories, or deep longing.

To the mothers being honoured—thank you for your dedication , the care, and love you offer every day. To those who hope to be mothers, and those whose path to parenthood has been difficult or different than planned—we see and honour your story.

To those grieving the loss of a child or the loss of a mother—we hold you in our thoughts. To anyone navigating a strained or painful relationship with their mother—you matter, and your experience is valid.

We also recognize those who provide mothering in other ways—the aunts, step-parents, grandmothers, mentors, and chosen family who show up for others. Your impact is significant. To anyone feeling isolated or overwhelmed by the expectations of today—we see you.

Whatever today looks like for you, we hope you find a moment of genuine peace or rest. You are not alone. 🌷

Photo credit: Annika | Schaefer Counselling Services

Address

8-64 Riel Drive
Saint Albert, AB
T8N4A4

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm

Website

https://schaefercounsellingservices.ca/

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