Depression and anxiety are different, but it’s quite common to experience the feelings of anxiety and depression at the same time.

On this episode of Living Fully, Katherine Hurtig talks with registered psychologist, Wardah Elahi, about the differences between these two mental health concerns and why they often show up together. Learn tips and strategies to manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

During October 2–8, Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta encourage you to check in with your mental health through a short, anonymous, and free online quiz at areyoufeelingok.com. Check in with how you’re feeling and get help if you need it. The quiz takes about three minutes and is available in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Chinese, and Ukrainian.

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

Boundaries play a crucial role in maintaining our well-being and creating healthy connections whether it’s with our partner, family, and work, or even with ourselves. Setting boundaries is more than just saying 'no' to things that don't serve us. It’s about saying 'yes' to our own needs.

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered psychologist, Curtis Bader, and registered social worker, Anna Hemens, about setting healthy boundaries and the impact they can have on our lives and relationships.

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

Even the hardest working parents with the best intentions make mistakes sometimes. As humans, making mistakes is inevitable, but it’s important to give ourselves compassion when we mess up. Having self-compassion can improve your mental health and the relationships you have with your children.  

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered social worker, Denis Sushkin, about the concept of self-compassion and parenting. They discuss the benefits of having compassion and kindness for yourself and how it can affect your children. They also explain the different techniques you can use to practice self-compassion and how to model the behaviour for your kids. 

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

Anxiety is a common feeling that most of us experience at some point in our lives. However, for people who struggle with anxiety, it can feel like it takes over their life and stops them from doing the things they enjoy. We experience anxiety when we overestimate potential risks and underestimate our ability to handle them. With the help of different coping strategies, instead of being something negative, anxiety can be an opportunity to learn new things about yourself. 

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered social worker, Sarah Rosenfeld, about managing anxiety. They talk about what anxiety is, how it can impact the different areas of your life, and how to manage and reframe your mindset around worry. 

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

Back-to-school is an exciting time for a lot of students, but it can also be the cause of added stress. As the new school year begins, it’s essential to address the challenges and anxieties that can occur for both children and parents. 

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered social worker, Nicole Ward, about how stress and anxiety can show up for parents and kids during the back-to-school season. They talk about different techniques and strategies you can use to help make the transition easier for your family, as well as general tips to help manage anxiety. 

Download a copy of the tips for later.

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

How do we know counselling works? 

Your physical vital signs can be easily measured, but when it comes to mental health, how do we know that clients are benefiting from the counselling process?

In this episode, we talk with Cathy Keough, registered social worker and Director of Counselling Initiatives at Calgary Counselling Centre about the effectiveness of counselling, and how we can measurably see the difference counselling makes in people's lives. Learn how we ensure counselling treatment works, what tools you can use to help manage your mental health, and what to expect before and during your initial appointments at Calgary Counselling Centre.

Learn more about how we know counselling works: 

Rousmaniere, T. (2017, April). What Your Therapist Doesn't Know. The Atlantic.

Anderssen, E. (2018, April 7). Rethinking therapy: How 45 questions can revolutionize mental health care in Canada. The Globe and Mail.

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

Communication is key to healthy relationships with everyone in our lives. But conflict and disagreements are an inevitable part of interacting with others.  

On this episode of Living Fully, we talk to Stefan de Villiers, registered social worker, about how to have difficult conversations. Whether it’s a conversation with a co-worker we don’t get along with, or an argument with our partner, these kinds of conversations can be really uncomfortable. Stefan talks about the reasons why we find these conversations difficult and some ways to effectively navigate these tougher discussions. 

Watch the original Facebook Live discussion in this episode.

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

Please note: Krista Beck is incorrectly described at one point as a "registered social worker" when she is in fact a registered psychologist.

When life throws you a curve ball, how do you deal with it? How do you manage stress in your life? There are many different and effective ways to cope — but do you know what methods are best for you?

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered psychologist Krista Beck about various coping skills and which ones you can use in your life. They cover the types of emotional and physical coping mechanisms, which are healthy and unhealthy, and how to teach children what skills may be best for them.

Watch the original Facebook Live discussion of this episode.

Learn more about healthy vs. unhealthy coping tools. 

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

In early May, the Government of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency as hundreds of wildfires burned throughout the province, forcing tens of thousands from their homes. 

A climate event of this nature is obviously very stressful for those impacted as their lives, homes, and businesses are at risk. 

In this bonus episode, Katherine Hurtig talks to Sarah Rosenfeld, registered social worker and associate director of counselling with Calgary Counselling Centre, about how the wildfires can potentially impact mental health and what people can do to cope during this stressful time

If you’ve been impacted by the Alberta wildfires and need support, check out this resource guide from Alberta Health Services.

Mental health help is available for all Albertans with no waitlist or financial barriers. Visit counsellingalberta.com

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered social worker Diana Izard about ways to express assertiveness, boundaries, and the healthiest ways to communicate. They cover the traits of both passive and aggressive communication, ways to practice and work towards your personal needs, and how to deal with someone who may be testing your comfort zone. 

This podcast episode has been adapted from a Facebook Live interview on March 24, 2021. Watch the original Facebook Live discussion.

For bonus information on improving communication in relationships, check out our blog.

"Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. 

Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.

For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.