Kristen Johnston | Juniper Counselling

When September Feels Like Too Much: A Parent’s Guide to Back-to-School Overwhelm

September is supposed to feel like a fresh start. There are new backpacks and new shoes, new teachers and new classrooms, and the promise of getting back into a familiar rhythm after the slower pace of summer. For some families, there is genuine excitement about the year ahead. For many parents, though, September doesn’t necessarily

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Is Your Teen Struggling—or Just Being a Teen? A Parent’s Guide to Teen Mental Health

Emotional Regulation & Resilience, Parenthood

If you have a teenager, you may have found yourself wondering: Is this normal teenage behaviour—or is something actually wrong? One day your child is talking your ear off in the kitchen. The next, they disappear into their bedroom, answer every question with “fine,” and seem irritated by your mere existence. They may sleep more,

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Real Compassion Isn’t Always Comfortable

Communication, Uncategorized, Understanding Mental Health

“The deepest kind of compassion doesn’t simply say, ‘You’re right.’ It says, ‘I believe your experience is real, and I also believe you’re capable of more than this moment.’” One of the greatest gifts another person can give us is to feel understood. To have someone say: That makes sense. Given what you’ve been through,

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Therapy in Port Moody: Everything You Need to Know Before Booking

Understanding Mental Health

Starting therapy can feel like a big step. Whether you’ve been thinking about counselling for months or only started looking today, it’s normal to have questions. You might be wondering: How do I know if I need counselling? What actually happens in a therapy session? Will my insurance cover it? How do I choose the

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Between the Stacks: Finding your way back from burnout

Uncategorized

To download the workbook click here: Burnout Recover and Prevention

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Burnout Isn’t Just Being Tired: What the Research Says About Emotional Exhaustion, Frontline Work, and Recovery

Uncategorized

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your computer unable to think, snapping at people you care about, feeling emotionally numb, or wondering why a weekend of rest doesn’t seem to help anymore, you may be experiencing burnout. Burnout has become one of the most common reasons people seek counselling, yet many people still misunderstand

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Why Humour Matters for Mental Health: The Surprising Power of Laughter

Anxiety, Depression & Mood, Understanding Mental Health

Have you ever noticed that even on your hardest days, a good laugh can make things feel a little lighter? Humour won’t solve every problem. It won’t erase grief, anxiety, trauma, or stress. But it can provide something incredibly valuable: a moment of relief, connection, perspective, and hope. At Juniper Counselling, we believe that healing

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Why Failing Matters More Than Never Trying

Emotional Regulation & Resilience, Understanding Mental Health

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe At Juniper Counselling, we meet many people who aren’t struggling because they’ve failed too much. They’re struggling because they’re terrified of failing at all. They stay in jobs that drain them. They avoid difficult conversations. They put off applying for school, starting a business, joining a group, asking

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Why We Pull Away or Cling in Relationships: Understanding Attachment Styles

Emotional Regulation & Resilience

Have you ever wondered why some relationships feel calm and steady, while others leave you anxious, shut down, or afraid of losing connection? Maybe you find yourself overthinking texts, needing reassurance, or worrying people will leave. Or maybe closeness feels overwhelming, and when relationships become emotionally intense, your instinct is to pull away. These patterns

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The Handle or the Blanket? A Different Way to Think About Mental Health Labels, ADHD, Anxiety & Diagnosis

Understanding Mental Health

At Juniper Counselling, we spend a lot of time talking with people about diagnoses, labels, and self-understanding. ADHD. Anxiety. Autism. Depression. Trauma. Burnout. Highly sensitive. Neurodivergent. For some people, these words are life-changing in the best possible way. For others, they become something heavy to carry. Either way, they are just labels to describe individual difference

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