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When Winter Asks You to Do Less: Understanding Winter Mental Health
Winter is not asking us to perform. It’s asking us to adjust.
Stefan Jurgens
18 hours ago5 min read
The Problem With New Year’s Resolutions (And a Kinder Way Forward)
Change doesn’t begin with pressure. It begins with emotional safety.
Stefan Jurgens
Dec 31, 20254 min read
Post-Therapy Fatigue: Why You Feel Drained
Therapy can feel draining because emotional growth takes energy—but that exhaustion is part of the healing process.
Stefan Jurgens
Dec 23, 20254 min read
When Therapy Feels Hard: Why Discomfort Can Be a Sign of Growth
Even sitting quietly in a session is a brave act of self-care and growth.
Stefan Jurgens
Dec 16, 20254 min read
The Secret to Getting the Most Out of Therapy? Consistency
Therapy becomes a steady anchor, a place to return each week and check in with yourself.
Stefan Jurgens
Dec 10, 20255 min read
Your Inner Voice Shapes Your Future: Mindful Self-Talk Tips
The language we use shapes how we interpret the world. Adding "yet" to thoughts like "I haven't reached my goals yet" shifts from self-criticism to possibility. Replace "I can't handle this" with "This feels hard, but I can take one step at a time." Speak to yourself with the same respect you'd offer a friend. Small changes in self-talk build resilience and emotional balance.
Stefan Jurgens
Oct 20, 20254 min read
Moving Forward with Healing, Humour, and Self-Compassion
Moving forward is about choosing compassion, shifting focus, and allowing humour to lighten life’s weight. Healing begins with connection and grows through trust in the life waiting ahead. | Inner Counsel Psychotherapy
Stefan Jurgens
Sep 29, 20253 min read
Tired of the Same Old Story? How to Rewrite Your Negative Self-Narrative
Explore how to notice and challenge negative self-narratives. Learn practical steps to gently rewrite your inner story, build self-compassion, and cultivate confidence, mindfulness, and personal freedom in daily life. | Inner Counsel Psychotherapy
Stefan Jurgens
Sep 22, 20254 min read
5 More Reflections to Calm Your Mind & Enrich Your Life — Part 2/2
Discover 5 gentle mental health practices to reduce anxiety and nurture happiness. Learn how action, habits, and presence create calm in daily life. | Inner Counsel Psychotherapy Toronto
Stefan Jurgens
Sep 15, 20252 min read
Reflections To Calm Your Mind & Enrich Your Life — Part 1/2
Here are five gentle reminders to help you step out of that loop and move through life with more ease.
Stefan Jurgens
Sep 11, 20253 min read
Five More Gentle Truths for When Life Feels Heavy — Part 2/2
These five reflections pick up where the first five left off. They focus on how to work with feelings, honour daily variability, move beyond avoidance, claim your belonging, and speak to yourself with the care you would give a friend.
Stefan Jurgens
Sep 8, 20253 min read
Five Gentle Truths for When Life Feels Heavy — Part 1/2
Five gentle truths about rest, worth, and boundaries. Learn to distinguish exhaustion from laziness, see rest as an investment, claim inherent worth, set healthy boundaries, and protect your energy. | Inner Counsel Therapy
Stefan Jurgens
Sep 2, 20253 min read
Recharge Your Soul: How to Unplug with a “Gone Fishin’” Sign
Feeling burnt out? Practical ways to unplug and recharge. Simple steps to take a break from work and return calmer, clearer, and more present. | Inner Counsel Therapy
Stefan Jurgens
Aug 11, 20253 min read
Small Acts, Big Impact: Daily Tools for Sustainable Rest
This final post in the Permission to Pause series offers practical, science-backed micro-practices to make rest and self-compassion a sustainable, guilt-free part of daily life.
Stefan Jurgens
Aug 4, 20253 min read
Meeting Your Tiredness with Kindness: The RAIN of Self-Compassion
Discover RAIN, Tara Brach’s self-compassion practice to meet exhaustion and self-criticism with kindness. Recognise, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture your way to inner refuge. | Inner Counsel Therapy
Stefan Jurgens
Jul 28, 20253 min read
Understanding Your Inner Critic with Compassion
Part 2/4 of "The Permission to Pause" Series - Discover how your inner critic forms, why it intensifies under pressure, and how to shift your relationship with it. Learn to replace judgment with curiosity and self-compassion.
Stefan Jurgens
Jul 21, 20253 min read
It’s OK To Feel Tired: Your Exhaustion is Valid
Part 1/4 of "The Permission to Pause" Series - Your exhaustion isn't laziness. It's your body/mind signaling need. Validate physical fatigue, emotional drain & longing. Silence the inner critic. Rest is valid.
Stefan Jurgens
Jul 14, 20253 min read
Feeling The Heat: When Summer Feels Hard (It’s Not Just You)
Summer's pressure to be endlessly joyful often clashes with reality (heat, stress, obligations), creating strain. Understand why it happens & how to honour your needs for a truly restorative season. We talk about 'summertime' like it's all lemonade and lazy afternoons. But honestly, I'm just feeling burned out. The heat seems to amplify every little stress. Which makes me wonder: why does the season meant to recharge us often leave us feeling drained, overwhelmed, or just .
Stefan Jurgens
Jun 27, 20253 min read
The Quiet Rebellion of Being Here: A Guide to Unstructured Aliveness
What if your next ‘to-do’ is to let the sky decide? Unsuscripted hours outdoors, whether tracking ants, savouring street noise, or sitting still, can dismantle the cult of busyness. We’ve all been there: rushing to finish a to-do list, scrolling mindlessly, or planning tomorrow’s worries while today’s sunlight fades. But what if the most radical thing you could do today is … nothing? Not “self-care” as another chore, but aliveness as an act of quiet rebellion. Let me tell y
Stefan Jurgens
May 22, 20253 min read
We Wear Some Scars, Others Wear Us
Scars, particularly emotional ones, are narratives of survival and growth. By honouring them, we reclaim our power, transforming hidden pain into bridges of connection, growth, and wisdom. When I was a young boy, I fell on broken glass that was hidden in long grass. That scar is still with me, decades later. It felt like a crisis then. Now, it's just part of me. It seems smaller now, not because it was insignificant, but because I’ve grown around it. That scar, like others on
Stefan Jurgens
May 15, 20252 min read
Looking for insight, guidance, or practical strategies to navigate life’s challenges?
This blog offers tools from therapy to help you manage burnout, heal from past wounds, and explore personal growth. You’ll find posts designed to foster emotional wellness, resilience, and a deeper connection with yourself and others.
Welcome to your journey toward self-discovery and meaningful change.
A Reminder: The content on this site is for general informational purposes only and is not medical or therapeutic advice. It does not create a therapeutic relationship. For diagnosis or treatment, consult a licensed mental health professional.
Inner Counsel Psychotherapy Blog
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