New Beginnings!

Today is a day of new beginnings.  As a person who has never been particularly tech savvy, I am thrilled to welcome you to my new website and blog!  Lindsay Ross Counselling is a new and exciting next step in my career as a clinical social worker, therapist and counsellor.  I am hoping this blog will allow you to get to know more about me, my private practice and the many issues that individuals, families and couples are faced with every day.
 
With new beginnings comes change.  Through my years working with clients in hospitals and in private practice I have learned that change is never easy.  Those who resist change can often get stuck in a routine pattern of behaviours, thoughts and feelings.  Sometimes this “stuckness” can get in the way of accomplishing goals, bettering relationships and improving both physical and mental wellness.
 
For many people change can be filled with hope, positivity and enthusiasm.  It can also bring up feelings of loss, insecurity and worry.  Often all of these feelings can be experienced simultaneously.  Change is a normal and expected part of life.  Starting high school, moving away to university, beginning a new job, getting married, having a baby and retirement are all common life transitions.  Others can bring on more challenging feelings and emotions such as death of a loved one or friend, divorce, loss of a job or being diagnosed with an illness or disability.  How one copes with these changes can have a major impact on a person’s psychological and physical well-being.
 
Do you find change and new transitions to be hard?  You are not alone.  Here are some practical tools to consider:

1. Remember that these feelings are normal.  Although you may be incredibly excited to have a new baby you may also be anxious and worried about how the baby will change your life.  You may be feeling a loss of who you were as an individual, professional and as a couple as you take on the new responsibility of raising a child.  Remember, you are not the only one who has felt this way.  Just speak to other moms and dads who have gone through the same thing.  I am sure that they will tell you that they have also experienced similar hopes, fears and feelings of loss.
2. Reflect on your feelings.  If you are able to, take some time to reflect on these impending changes.  Let yourself experience these emotions and try to understand why you are feeling this way.  Journaling is an excellent way of getting these feelings out on paper. 
3. Give yourself permission to take time to adjust.  If you have just lost your job you are going to understandably be scared, anxious and sad.  These feelings don’t just go away after a day.  Give yourself permission to feel all the emotions that this loss brings up.  Adjustment to change, especially if it is sudden, takes time.
4. Find support and someone to talk to.  Speaking to other people who have gone through similar changes in their lives can be an excellent way of finding support and helpful information on how to best approach the new transition.  Therapy, both individual and group, can be an incredibly effective way of working through all of the normal feelings that change can bring up.  It is a topic that is often brought up in my work with clients.

 
So, as I now move into this new chapter of my career, I welcome my new beginnings with open arms and I look forward to sharing them with all of you!
 
Have a thoughtful day!

Lindsay