Paul Johnston-Psychology Professional Corporation Blog

Did you know that 54% of Canadians have reported that their mental health has suffered due to the pandemic? Even though we're entering a post-COVID world, many people don't feel capable of facing life like they used to. This can be an isolating experience if you see everyone else return to normal while you struggle to adapt. It's important to know that you're not alone. Read on to understand how the pandemic may have impacted your mental health and how counselling therapy at Thunder Bay Psychology can help.

Stress. It can lead to a host of physical and emotional difficulties that are ultimately much more dangerous for your health, and therefore should not be taken lightly. There is no question that the pandemic has accelerated mental health decline. Globally, surveys have found that 10.8% of those questioned have had suicidal thoughts. This is more than double the percentage of people who had such thoughts before the pandemic started. Psychotherapy with a licensed professional in Thunder Bay, can help you to feel much more capable and effective over the stresses in your life. These are some stress statistics that you should be aware of. 

Oh, how times have changed! Back in 2018, less than 10% of Canadian employers offered remote work to employees. Once the pandemic hit, though, over 40% of us found ourselves working from home. For some, the idea of remote work got welcomed with open arms. For others, it was a nightmare attempting to find any semblance of a balanced work and home life. An interesting link was also discovered. Working from home and depression can walk hand in hand. Are you concerned that the pandemic has affected your mental state? Are you feeling like the isolation of remote work is starting to impact your daily life? Read on to learn more about the connection between working from home and depression. We'll provide insights and actionable advice that you can follow to feel better.

Most couples are aware that marriage is not easy. In fact, there is a one in three probability that a Canadian couple gets divorced. There are many factors that may ruin a marriage. These include financial issues, adultery, negligence, and many other root causes. The good news is that a marriage counselor can help you. Studies show that therapy helps about 70% of the couples that come in. Read on to answer the question, does marriage counseling work? Explore the benefits of marriage counseling and how couples therapy can save your relationship.

Almost 4% of people in the U.S. have PTSD. Dealing it post-traumatic stress disorder is a challenging battle that unfortunately leaves many people fighting for their lives. Nobody can fight it alone, and people with PTSD often need help to live their lives. Luckily, the PTSD treatment Thunder Bay clinic is available for them. All they need is someone to push them towards getting help. And to learn how to identify when someone may be struggling with PTSD, just keep reading below!

Did you know that around 7% of people experience traumatic stress at some point in their lives? From natural disasters to violent events and beyond, there are plenty of things that can cause someone to develop PTSD and other mental health issues. While most people are able to make a full recovery with time, finding peace and security after the initial trauma can feel impossible. It's important to remind yourself that you're not broken if you're suffering from traumatic stress symptoms. Keep reading to learn 5 tips that can help you with your healing journey.

Until recently, there was a stigma attached to people who sought therapy. Thankfully, this attitude has softened as our society now recognizes the importance of mental health as a part of our overall wellbeing.

Many areas in life can lead you to seek therapy. You may be struggling in your marriage, struggling with addiction, struggling with anxiety or depression or suffering the effects of a trauma. Counseling can help you with these struggles.

Mental health difficulties affects tens of millions of people each year. 

That's why mental health therapists are so critical in today's culture. A mental health therapist can help patients to better manage their emotions and trauma experiences.

It is estimated that one out of every seven people in the world suffers from a mental or substance abuse disorder. That comes to over a billion people worldwide and leads to the belief that "suffering is just part of life."

The belief that to seek the help of a mental health therapist is a sign of weakness and unwillingness to accept the reality of our lives is an all too common stigma of society.

EMDR is one of many types of therapy that aims to help people with trauma-related conditions find peace and move forward when they find themselves stuck. 

Different kinds of therapy benefit different people. There's no one "fix-all" solution. EMDR therapy might be the best choice for you if you've found yourself resistant to talk therapy, DBT, or CBT. 

Q: How Many Counselling Sessions Will I Need and How Often?

Counselling can help you identify and overcome emotional difficulties. In some cases, even just the ability to share your story and your pain in a confidential and safe environment can be healing. At Thunder Bay Psychology, our supportive team is here to listen and help you identify your own unique needs. In partnership with you, we will develop a treatment plan that strives to meet your goals as efficiently as possible.  

Your romantic relationship is one of the most important relationships in your life. However, even strong relationships encounter difficulties. Couples counselling can help partners build the skills they need to navigate through life challenges in a healthy way.  If you are considering couples counselling in Thunder Bay, choose Thunder Bay Psychology.

The number of people experiencing psychological distress is continuing to grow in Canada and around the world. Distress can manifest in many forms but for many people, these problems start affecting their happiness, close relationships, work, and/or functioning. Unfortunately, many individuals who suffer from one or more of these problems often feel alone and unsure how to solve these problems alone.

Problems like the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship or the fear of losing your job are quite stressful. You feel sad, scared and tired. You might not even feel like getting out of bed every morning. These feelings are natural and generally people are able to get over them in a short time. If it lasts for more than a few months however, affecting your day to day life, then you may be suffering from clinical depression. The clinic of Dr. Paul Johnston can assess how you are feeling and what you are going through, and help answer any questions that you might have about your experience, offering suggestions and providing counselling or therapy sessions if needed.

One of the areas Dr. Paul Johnston has a special interest in is treating people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you have it, this disorder can have a detrimental impact on your life, and can put you at risk for developing other mental health issues or medical conditions.

Many people may think of couples counselling as a last resort, but the truth is, it can make almost any relationship stronger, even a happy one. Marriage counselling need not be reserved for people on the brink of separation, but very much can be used as a tool to strengthen and build relationships. In fact, many Thunder Bay couples can benefit from counselling, regardless of the stage of their relationship.

Feelings of sadness, anger and agitation are a completely normal part of the human experience. But if these feelings persist for more than two weeks and are interfering with your ability to carry out your daily activities, than you may have depression. Not everyone experiences depression in the exact same way.

Thanks to our collective obsession with crime shows on television, the job of forensic psychologist is now a part of a lot of Canadians’ vocabulary, even here in Thunder Bay. Although, in reality, practicing forensic psychology doesn’t look a lot like it does on TV, it’s a fascinating job that helps a lot of people in a lot of different ways, from the courtroom to the counselling centre. All forensic psychologists hold advanced degrees in psychology or one of its sub-divisions of study. Although there are a lot of different forms it can take, forensic psychology is essentially where general psychology and the law meet.

Admitting to ourselves that we need help dealing with our mental or emotional state is no easy thing. It’s important to understand that despite lingering stigmas, there is absolutely no shame in the desire to get your mental health under control. Now that you’ve taken the first step, what should you expect throughout the course of your first session? The office of Dr. Paul Johnston, your counselling centre in Thunder Bay, will walk you through how to begin working toward a more manageable future.

Psychological difficulties and issues are common amongst people, whether in our neighbours, friends or even ourselves. These difficulties can eventually result in impairment, impacting our relationships, work and even our ability to get up in the morning. Whatever the nature of your concerns, Dr. Paul Johnston wants to help you find relief offering psychological counseling and psychotherapy in a safe and encouraging environment. Counselling services include marriage counselling, conditions and disorders, post traumatic stress disorders, and forensic psychology.

Depression and anxiety are the most frequently seen problems in psychological services. Interestingly, they tend occur together so if you experience both sets of symptoms, please know this is a common struggle.

At our counselling centre in Thunder Bay, we commonly see clients who are experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties as a result of a traumatic experience. Trauma can take many forms and can be caused by wide range of life experiences. For example, trauma can be the result of an isolated incident such as a car accident, or an ongoing experience such domestic violence.

Many Canadians struggle with emotional and psychological difficulties but do not seek help due to the stigma many feel is associated with mental illness. In some cases, people fear negative judgment from other people such as friends or colleagues. At other times, they may feel scared or ashamed themselves because of the negative stereotypes in our society about mental illness. The fact is, you are not alone!

In our society, there are many competing demands for time and attention. Despite our best intentions, this can lead to struggles within our marriage or relationship. Unfortunately, the relationship difficulties can affect our work, our children, and our emotional well-being.