 Sometimes having a healthy boundary means that it is alright to move forward in your life, even though someone you care about is not yet living a healthy life. You may feel guilty about leaving someone behind, and yet there is an important gift that you are giving the other person.
An Important Ingredient for a Long-Lasting Relationship: Building Rituals of Emotional Connection6/1/2022  What is one thing that long lasting healthy relationships have in common? They make the time to build rituals of emotional connection within their relationship. A ritual is a regular behaviour that preserves and honours things that are important to people. What can be more important than hounouring yourself and the relationship that you have with another person? Building rituals of emotional connection help couples turn towards one another, builds trust, increases closeness and intimacy, and improves friendships. Rituals of emotional connection can come in many forms from daily rituals to traditions, etc.
There are many ways to create rituals for emotional connection within your relationship:  There are a number of different modalities or types of couples and family therapy. Here is a quick look at some common types.
Laura Pellegrino, battled mental health and addictions all her life, and she ultimately succumbed to her demons on October 28, 2021. This was a very sad day for her son, family, and those that knew her. There were many efforts made by Laura’s family, namely by her father and mother, for the support in which she desperately needed. After Laura passed, her father and sister cleaned out her home where they found the following letter written by Laura, entitled "Letter to The Editor"  Addiction: When you become a slave to a substance and are unable to stop without help. The substance takes the brain hostage and the addict loses power.
By: Kelly Halonen, MSW, RSW  Everyone has different things they love about the holidays. This could be the decorations, spending time with loved ones, the snow, the food, getting gifts, or giving gifts. Have you ever noticed how some people just love gift giving? They want to find the perfect present and get joy just from you receiving this gift. But why? Isn’t this just buying into the materialistic culture of the holidays? Not always. A lot of the time it isn’t about what the gift is, but how happy it makes the person getting the gift. Let’s explore some reasons some people love gift giving.
 We all have had that conversation with a friend, partner, or family member, that gets escalated before we know it. Often this can lead to an exchange of words spewed out of anger that people can regret. So, what can you do to stop it before it reaches this point? I’m going to share with you a few tips for keeping anger from taking over the conversation.
 Let's face it, raising kids can be a challenge in the best of times. Throw in a global pandemic which brings with it economic impacts, anxiety over the spread of illness, and the isolation that has accompanied the lockdown restrictions and closures, and you have challenges for which the impact on youth and their caregivers is far reaching and not yet fully understood.
 In any relationship it is important to consider how open and transparent you may want to be within that relationship. Sometimes there are expectations that I will be open with you if you are open with me, or if I am open with you, then you ought to be open with me, as if this is some kind of mutual exchange of goods.
 Every birth is unique. And every person’s feelings or story about their child’s birth is unique. If you are struggling with your memories of your childbirth, know that you are not alone. Many people need time and space to heal emotionally and physically from this life-changing experience, no matter how the birth unfolded.
By: Cassandra Nordal, PR & Marketing Coordinator  “Michael’s home,” my aunt yelled from the kitchen as my brother pulled into the driveway. And in that very moment, she took her last breath in my arms and drifted away peacefully.
 The holidays this year are going to look a lot different than they have before. In Thunder Bay, we are currently in our second wave. This has a lot of people worried and wondering what Christmas is going to look like.
By: Kelly Halonen, MSW, RSW  As the holidays approach, so do holiday traditions. Some people may have a few that they practice, and others only one. They can range from going to church on Christmas Eve, watching your favourite holiday movie, making cookies, wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and so much more. Whatever your tradition is, it is beneficial to have holiday traditions for several reasons.
By: Kristen Sohlman, MACP,RP  Try not to fall into the trap of right and wrong, when, in fact, multiple truths can exist in any given situation. When you disagree with someone, that does not make you right and the other person wrong.
By: Kelly Graham, MSW, RSW  Often, you’ll hear how bad video games are for society. Many people are quick to blame them for increased violence and other social problems.
Not many people look at the positive side of video games except those that enjoy them the most, but I think it’s important that we take a moment to acknowledge their worth. By: Cassandra Nordal  Returning to work after a lay off or leave in general, is difficult. You add a pandemic onto that and well, how do we begin to function properly?
By: Laura Groulx, MSW, RSW  Typically, as a parent, you want the best for your child. You want your child to both survive and thrive. The Western society we live in is individualistic, meaning that success is often viewed from an every-man-for-themselves type of perspective.
Because of this, life can feel competitive at times. For instance, perhaps at one time or another you felt that pressure to make it on that sports team, get into that school, land that perfect job, find that perfect relationship… and have that perfectly-behaved-and-over-achieving-child. THIS IS A TRAP. By: Laura Groulx, MSW, RSW  Recently, I have really been reflecting on the meaning behind the cliché about our lives being broken down into “chapters”. I have been seeing it this way more now than ever before, in both my life, and in the lives of the people around me. Our lives can change so dramatically in one day, by either making a single choice, or having something happen around us that is totally out of our control. Life is fluid and dynamic, and the uncertainty of it all can feel kind of scary.
By: Lara Hollway, MSW,RSW  Has your partner ever come to you with a problem and you offer advice, only to have them seem to get upset and/or frustrated with you? Do you find yourself getting frustrated because your partner keeps complaining about a problem but doesn’t seem to want to listen to your solutions? Or does your partner ever say things like “you never listen to me”, when you feel like you are listening and trying to help?
If so, you are not alone. This is a common theme in relationships, and a perfect example of how the best intentions do not always equate to the best results. Read on for a breakdown of this situation, and some suggestions for changing this dynamic. By: Kristen Sohlman, MACP, RP  Looking for some fun things to do online this long weekend? Here are a few ideas to try out!
By: Laura Groulx, MSW, RSW  I don’t have answers, only thoughts. I’m not a lawyer, but I do speak with a lot of people about relationships and family dynamics. Recently, with everything happening in the world, I’ve been wondering how co-parents are handling shared custody and access regarding children that are currently in isolation; after all, some children have more than one family.
By: Kelly Graham, MSW, RSW  Most pet owners know that pets aren’t just pets; they are part of the family. But why is that exactly?
As our attachment grows, we often begin to view our animal companion as having an important place within our lives and family dynamic. While our pet can be cute, there is more than just the cuteness factor that makes them play such a large role in our lives. While it may be impossible to try and change them, there are things you can do to help yourself when dealing with them.   |
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OverviewNWO’s source for all things relationships, mental health, wellness, lifestyle, and pandemic support. Kelly Magazine is a mental health outreach initiative created by Kelly Mental Health and supported by Kelly Mental Health Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the community in the area of mental health.
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