It can seem like the bad news never stops. We have more access to news and faster, from further reaches of the world, than any society before us. Many individuals feel horror at the plight of immigrants and refugees in our world today;
This is a dark week for Canada, as tragic images and videos flood through our phones. Canadians were left stunned and grieving after one of the biggest mass shootings in Canadian history occurred in Tumbler Ridge on February 10, 2026. No words can adequately speak to a tragedy like this that has changed the lives of so many families, the community of Tumbler Ridge, and Canada, forever. What does it mean to hold grief for the unthinkable?
Reflecting on how finances intersect with mental health naturally surfaces questions about the affordability of therapy itself. Money issues can be a significant factor that contributes to anxiety, depression and low self esteem. But how many people who could benefit from therapy to gain support for these issues don’t pursue it because the cost of private therapy is prohibitive to pay out of pocket, or because their household lacks sufficient benefits? Challenges to accessing therapeutic support is also not separate from wider societal factors, including the rise of cost of living –with groceries, housing, material goods and pretty much everything else soaring in price, all of which cut into disposable income that could be used for self care, life-giving recreation, or mental health supports such as therapy sessions.
Canada’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 1-7, 2026, a week dedicated to bringing important information to light about the reality of eating disorders and the impact they have on people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and body types. The theme of this week is “Health Doesn’t Have a Look” which aims at challenging harmful ways that thinness has been equated with health in modern culture. This messaging that a thin body is the ideal has contributed to significant mental, physical and emotional health issues for those who have been taught to strive after that standard. Diet culture and even what seems like a benign focus on healthy eating can lead to an unhealthy preoccupation with making the right food choices, limiting certain foods or exercising to compensate for consuming something. Eating disorders are estimated to affect over 2.9 million Canadians, and many more who don’t fall into the clinical threshold of an eating disorder diagnosis struggle with thoughts and behaviours related to food, their body and exercise that impact their functioning on some level.
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