Kim - Mental Health Tips

Kim - Mental Health Tips I use my lived experience as a therapist and human to help you make small, gradual changes for when life feels like too much. I earned my B.S.

There is no perfect recipe to healing, and each of us needs a unique combination of ingredients. However, compassion, empathy, non-judgment, and loving-kindness are necessary to the process, and I commit to bring those qualities into our interactions. My role is to be present to your explorations, and help you identify steps you can comfortably and safely explore. Regardless of the reason for your

desire to start therapy, consent throughout is of primordial importance, and my approach is client-centered: that means I pull from an eclectic set of tools to provide a space, pace, and environment that works for you. In addition to more traditional talk therapy, I often draw from cognitive behavioral models, mindfulness, guided imagery, creative expression and art therapy, and some body-oriented techniques. A Little Background:

As a multilingual, transnational, and multicultural person who embodies social justice ideals, an appreciation for diversity is a key motivator to my understanding the unique strengths of individuals, couples, and families. I therefore seek to use my clinical skills, cultural humility, passion, and love for humanity to help effect positive social change in whichever way I can, and deeply believe that working from within leads to positive outward change. from the University of Toronto, where I pursued a double major in Biology and Forensic Science, with a minor in Psychology. I have several years of experience in the food and wine industry, in organizational development of a government agency, as an independent marketing consultant and translator, and as a private tutor and nanny, working with children and adolescents. After considering several avenues to pursue my counseling career, I proudly chose the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (currently Sofia University), which focuses on mind, body, and soul integration, to earn an M.A. in Counseling Psychology. What To Expect:

As a therapist, I have had the privilege of working as a bereavement counselor at Pathways, where I assisted adult individuals through the painful, yet indiscriminately transformative journey of intense grief. I also worked at an elementary school within the Santa Clara Unified School District, where I support children ages 5 to 11. I have a particular affinity to working with grief and identity issues (specifically, cultural and multicultural identity, gender and/or sexual identity, religious/spiritual identity). In addition, I have worked with a variety of clients facing depression, anxiety, chemical and substance dependence and abuse, relationships and codependency, domestic violence, major life transitions, and various forms of acute and developmental trauma. I am happy to provide a 20-minute consultation over the phone at no cost to answer any questions you may have, and to help you book your initial appointment.

06/11/2026

One of the more ironic parts of being a therapist is when a client is passionately describing someone in their life and making fun of a particular habit, personality trait, or quirky behaviour… and you suddenly realize they’re describing you with alarming accuracy. 😅

In those moments, your face remains calm, neutral, and professionally attentive while your internal monologue is doing cartwheels. You nod thoughtfully, ask curious questions, and continue providing excellent care. Then later, in the privacy of your own car, kitchen, or shower, you’re left reflecting on why that comment hit a little too close to home.

It’s a strange professional skill: helping someone process their feelings about a trait you may secretly share, while resisting the urge to say, “Well, as a fellow overthinker who also needs seventeen tabs open to function…” 😂

The therapeutic poker face is real. The self-reflection comes later.

06/10/2026

Here’s how I do it:

How I recharge my soul isn’t complicated, but it is intentional. It means spending time with people who truly resonate with me—people who leave me feeling understood, energized, and uplifted rather than drained. It also means making space for solitude: listening to music, cleaning my space, taking walks in the sunshine, and slowing down enough to reconnect with myself. Nourishing my body with healthy meals is part of it too. For me, recharging isn’t about escaping life—it’s about returning to the simple things that help me feel grounded, present, and fully myself. ☀️🎶🌿

06/08/2026

We often assume that if we’re anxious, we should be able to point to a reason: a stressful meeting, a difficult conversation, a major life change. But anxiety doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes the physical sensations arrive first, and the explanation never fully reveals itself.

You might wake up feeling a heaviness in your chest. Your stomach feels unsettled. Your heart seems to beat a little faster. Breathing feels more difficult, even though nothing around you appears threatening. Then your mind starts doing what minds do best: searching for answers.

“What’s wrong with me?”
“Why am I feeling this way?”
“Am I getting sick?”

The problem is that anxiety isn’t always generated by a conscious thought. Much of what influences our nervous system happens beneath our awareness. Poor sleep, accumulated stress, emotional overload, grief, uncertainty, overstimulation, burnout, hormonal changes, too much caffeine, or simply carrying too much for too long can all contribute to anxiety showing up seemingly out of nowhere.

Our nervous systems are constantly scanning for safety and danger. Sometimes they detect strain before our conscious minds catch up. It’s a bit like a check-engine light turning on before you’ve noticed anything wrong with the way the car is driving. The signal is real, but the source isn’t always obvious.

What makes unexplained anxiety especially difficult is that the lack of an answer can become its own source of distress. When we can’t identify a cause, we often become hyper-focused on the symptoms themselves. We monitor our breathing. We check our pulse. We analyze every sensation. And the more attention we give the alarm, the louder it can seem.

Not every anxious feeling has a story attached to it. Sometimes the body speaks before the mind understands the language. And sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is stop demanding an explanation and start responding with curiosity, patience, and care.

06/07/2026

Sometimes anxiety shows up with no obvious explanation.

You can be having a normal day when suddenly your chest feels tight, your stomach drops, your heart races, or it feels harder to take a full breath. Your mind immediately starts searching for a reason, but sometimes there isn’t a clear trigger to find.

That can be incredibly destabilizing and scary. When physical symptoms appear out of nowhere, it’s easy to wonder if something is seriously wrong or if you’re losing control.

Anxiety isn’t always a response to something happening right now. Sometimes it’s the accumulation of stress, exhaustion, uncertainty, or experiences your nervous system hasn’t fully processed. The body can sound the alarm before the mind understands why.

While that doesn’t make the experience any less uncomfortable, it can help to remember that not every anxious feeling needs an immediate explanation. Sometimes the most helpful response is acknowledging what you’re experiencing, offering yourself compassion, and trusting that the wave will eventually pass.

06/07/2026

Many therapists eventually explore additional sources of income—not because they care less about therapy, but because they care enough about it to protect their ability to do it well. Holding space for people’s pain, trauma, grief, and growth is deeply meaningful work, but it can also be emotionally demanding. When a therapist depends entirely on a full caseload to meet their financial needs, there can be pressure to see more clients than is sustainable. Diversifying income through teaching, writing, speaking, consulting, content creation, or other projects can reduce that pressure, allowing therapists to maintain a healthier client load, avoid burnout, and show up more present, engaged, and effective for the people they serve. Sometimes the best way to protect the quality of care is to ensure your entire livelihood doesn’t depend on maximizing the number of people you see each week.

06/06/2026

Getting back with an ex can quietly change the whole social landscape around you. Friends and family often have a version of the relationship stored in their memory—usually tied to the breakup, the hurt, or what they saw from the outside—so when you reconcile, they don’t automatically update their feelings at the same pace you have.

That mismatch can create tension. Some people may feel protective of you, others might be skeptical, and a few may even pull back because they don’t know how to “re-enter” a relationship they once adjusted to being over. At the same time, you’re trying to stay grounded in your own experience of why you chose to try again, which can feel like you’re constantly translating or justifying your decision.

It’s a tricky balance: holding your relationship as something evolving and personal, while also making space for other people’s caution, confusion, or concern. In a way, it becomes less about convincing everyone and more about deciding who gets access to what parts of your story—and letting time do some of the softening work that words can’t always do.

06/05/2026

Being the one who initiates a breakup can be hard because you often carry the weight of certainty and grief at the same time. Even when you know it’s the right decision, you’re still breaking a bond, a shared story, and someone else’s expectations all at once. There’s also the discomfort of being the one who causes pain, which can bring guilt, second-guessing, and emotional exhaustion. In a lot of ways, you’re grieving the relationship while also having to lead its ending—without the same sense of being “left,” but still very much losing something meaningful.

06/04/2026

Sleep is one of the most powerful—and most overlooked—mental health tools we have. When we’re sleep-deprived, everything feels harder: our emotions are bigger, our patience is shorter, our stress response is stronger, and our ability to cope is lower. No amount of positive thinking, productivity hacks, or self-help content can fully compensate for a brain that’s running on too little rest.

If there’s one habit that can have a profound impact on mood, anxiety, focus, resilience, and overall well-being, it’s getting enough quality sleep. Before adding more to your to-do list, consider whether your mind might simply be asking for more rest. Sometimes the most effective mental health intervention isn’t doing more—it’s sleeping more. 😴✨

06/03/2026

There’s something powerful about telling your story and having it witnessed by another person. Not because someone can fix it, but because being fully seen can be healing in itself. When our experiences stay locked inside, they can shape us in ways we don’t always recognize. Putting words to what we’ve lived through helps us make sense of it, reclaim ownership of it, and integrate it into our lives. Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t advice—it’s having someone sit with your truth, listen without judgment, and remind you that your experiences matter.

06/03/2026

Your relationship with money is about so much more than numbers in a bank account. It’s shaped by your upbringing, life experiences, fears, values, and beliefs about success, security, and self-worth. Some people spend to soothe stress, some save out of fear, and some work themselves into the ground chasing a sense of “enough” that never quite arrives. That’s why exploring your relationship with money—whether in therapy or through self-reflection—can be incredibly valuable. And because life changes, your relationship with money will evolve too. What felt important at 25 may not feel important at 45. Regularly checking in with your financial beliefs and habits can help ensure your money is supporting the life you want, rather than quietly running it. 💛

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645 Boulevard Décarie
Saint-Laurent, QC
H4L3L3

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

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+14387971503

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