Living Fully

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.

On this episode of Living Fully, host Katherine Hurtig talks with registered psychologist Krista Beck about social media and its relation to your mental health. They cover the positive and negative impacts social media can have on mental health, the difference between social media ideation and reality, parenting and social media, and how to spot the red flags surrounding posts that may be more harmful than helpful.

This podcast episode has been adapted from a Facebook Live interview on November 18, 2020.

For bonus information on how social media impacts teens and their self-esteem, 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.

The relationship you have with your partner can bring so much joy and meaning to your life. But these relationships aren’t without their challenges. Despite the love you have for each other, a healthy relationship requires intentional focus and commitment.

On this episode, we talk with registered social worker Anna Hemens about the key ingredients to a healthy relationship. Learn important communication methods, how you and your partner can bring the fun back, the different love languages, and other tips to help your relationship flourish.

This podcast episode has been adapted from a Facebook Live interview on August 11, 2021.

Learn more about how to build a strong relationship with our one-page guide.

"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.