Blog of Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D., and Associates Ltd.

The decision to start couples therapy is a difficult one. It requires that you accept your current situation and make a combined effort to move forward. 

Simply attending couples therapy isn't enough, however. Several things impact the efficacy of your couple's therapy. We will look through some of those factors, giving you essential couples therapy tips that could make a difference for you and your partner. 

We hope our brief couples therapy guide gives you food for thought that contributes to a positive change. Let's get started. 

Do you sometimes struggle to understand your partner? In a relationship, emotional intelligence is vital for a healthy, happy long-term relationship. It is also an area that many men and women struggle with.

So, what is emotional intelligence? This is the ability to recognize, understand and control emotions. It is understanding your own emotions as well as the ability to understand and empathize with the emotions of others.

Keep reading to discover why emotional intelligence is so important in a relationship.

Edmonton has seen a significant rise in drug poisoning deaths when it comes to addiction. In fact, in 2020, 456 Edmontonians lost their lives to overdose. This number is almost double that of 2019.

The cycle of addiction can affect anyone at any time. So, while it's thought that one only needs to use a drug once to become addicted to drugs, that's not altogether true. The truth is that it's more intricate than that.

Every addict goes through an addiction cycle. Knowing the cycle and how to help can potentially change the life of a loved one battling addiction. Keep reading to understand more about the addiction cycle.

One in five Canadians will have a mental illness at one point in their life. Some will have chronic issues, while others will experience acute trauma, receive treatment, and get better.

Mental illnesses are some of the deadliest medical conditions that exist, and treatment for them can be literally life-saving. One of those treatment methods is called EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing.

If you're looking for something that isn't just talk therapy, want to add to your therapy sessions, or are asking, "what is EMDR therapy?" you're in the right place.

We're getting into the details below.

Did you know that in a study of 87 countries, Canada was found to have the 29th highest divorce rate?

Conflict is one of many reasons for ended marriages. But did you know that the sources of these conflicts may start long before the relationships themselves?

Your family of origin determines how you exist in relationships throughout your life. Marriage counselling can help you and your spouse uncover clues about your families of origin, and how they are impacting your relationships.

If you're thinking, "What is a family of origin?" or "How do I find marriage counselling in Edmonton?" don't worry. Keep reading to learn how your family of origin may be impacting you and your marriage and what you can do about it.

Childhood is meant to be a time of innocence, growth, and exploration. However, all too often, that idyllic path can be ruined by a traumatic experience. In fact, three-fifths of children are likely to experience a traumatic event.

Childhood trauma is a serious issue that can continue to affect individuals long into adulthood. Keep reading to learn about the impact that childhood trauma can have on adults and their relationships. You'll also discover the effect of EMDR treatment on recovery.

Nearly 70% of Canadians have experienced a traumatic event in their life. 

Trauma is defined as a deeply disturbing event or experience, such as a death, illness, or anything life-threatening that changes a person's life. While many people experience trauma, not everyone reaches out for help. 

If you think you might be struggling with this life-altering event, here's five things to know about trauma for Edmonton residents. 

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Research shows that the pandemic has specifically had a huge impact on women's mental health.

Many of us are dealing with job losses, business closures, or the loss of loved ones. Long-term health issues caused by COVID can also add to stress or anxiety.

Therapy can help you to work through these issues. What do you do if you don't feel safe attending sessions? Try online therapy! Let's take a look at the five benefits of online therapy.

Anxiety is far worse than simply being worried about something. It's a mental health disorder that can have far-reaching effects in a person's life.

41 percent of Canadians identify as a person who struggles with anxiety. It's also not just a mental health problem. You need to be aware of the physical effects of anxiety too. Read on to find out what they are.

Child counselling offers invaluable insight into your child’s social, emotional, and mental health. If your child has been feeling low for a long time now, you can bring him or her to our team of experienced, registered psychologists. For some people, feelings of sadness go away in some days, but it is alarming if any of your loved ones are experiencing problems in getting on with their lives. Don’t let the idea of bringing your child to our psychologists scare you. Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates have been in practice since 1991. We provide therapy to help children cope with a range of issues such as behavioural problems, anxiety issues, depression, emotional regulation, and getting along within the family.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is an effective anxiety therapy for removing the effects of trauma. It is an eight-stage process that targets the past, present, and future of the patients along with the negative experiences in their lives. If you are looking to attend an EMDR therapy session, Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates can help you out.

Trauma is an emotional and psychological response to an extremely distressing event. Most people will experience trauma at some point in their lives. In certain situations, the effects of trauma can be long-lasting and have the potential to interfere with your day-to-day functioning even years after the event. At Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates Ltd., we provide counselling for trauma in Edmonton to help people recover from a wide variety of traumatic events.

Depression is a common mood disorder that affects one out of every eight Canadians. It can greatly change how you feel about the world and how you go through your day-to-day life. If you are dealing with depression in Edmonton, you are certainly not alone and you are certainly not without help.

Counselling is not just for adults. Children, too, can develop emotional and behavioural problems that require professional psychological treatment. Unfortunately, many children who could benefit from the help of a mental health professional do not receive it. The earlier that children who need help receive child counselling in Edmonton, the better their outcomes are likely to be. The registered psychologists at Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates Ltd. recommend that you seek counselling for your child in the following situations.

Marriage counselling can be an important component of keeping a marriage happy and healthy. It doesn't matter whether you and your spouse are newlyweds or you've been married for decades - couples can need a little extra help sorting things out at any stage in their relationship.

Mental health is an absolutely vital component of overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, we've still got quite a ways to go when it comes to mental health awareness. At Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D.

and Associates Ltd., our registered psychologists help people in Edmonton with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health disorders. We've seen firsthand how important mental health awareness is.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects people from all walks of life, and can greatly inhibit the enjoyment and fulfillness they find in their lives. The Registered Psychologists at Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates Ltd. treat trauma and anxiety in Edmonton, including PTSD, and our clients have benefited greatly from seeking to understand and find help for their condition. If you worry that you might have PTSD, then it's important to take note of your symptoms and seek out professional treatment.

There was a lot of discussion around mental health in 2016, culminating with the loss of a champion advocate for mental health awareness when Carrie Fisher died on December 27. Raising awareness is no easy task; it takes years of momentum from grassroots groups to catch the eye of media, business, service organizations, and government. It’s hard work, but the power to reach and teach the public is well worth it for both advocates and those living with a mental health concern.

Anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction to a variety of life's circumstances. Anxiety disorders, however, are characterized by heightened and prolonged states of anxiety, sometimes with no external cause and with no warning. At Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates Ltd., a team of registered psychologists in Edmonton, we recognize the effects that anxiety can have on a sufferer's day-to-day life.

Depression can affect anybody in Edmonton; young or old, rich or poor, man or woman. In fact, about one in eight Canadians will be affected by major or clinical depression (diagnosed by a professional) in their lifetime. However, many people never seek treatment for their depression fearing that they will be seen as weak or they are embarrassed to admit there is a problem.