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Mental Health Through the Seasons

By Fran Westwood

seasons

mental health Winter

Posted: December 9, 2025

Mental Health through the Winter Season It has been an unusually cold and snowy December in Southern Ontario, as snow has fallen thickly and stayed on the ground. Many branches are bare, but clouds of white cover towering conifers and ice has formed on our rivers. There is beauty in the season arriving this way, but the onset of winter can understandably bring mixed emotions and challenges to managing mental health.

“When Summer Slips Away”: Holding Personal & Global Grief with IFS

By David McCallum

seasons mental health Self Awareness

Enjoying Life self compassion Grief

Posted: August 18, 2025

There is something undeniably tender about late summer; the golden light, the weight of warm air, the growing awareness that something is ending, even as the world still hums along. As August turns the corner, many of us begin to notice the quiet ache of grieving parts within our systems – some of these may be harder for us to name. They might be cued by the sadness of summer fading, or the anticipation of what's ahead. Or, it could be something even deeper: a mix of personal and global sorrow that feels too much for our systems to hold all at once.

The gift of validation

By David McCallum

seasons

Enjoying Life Grief internal family systems mental health Relationships trauma holidays self compassion

Posted: December 1, 2024

The Gift of Validation What are you noticing within your system as we approach the holiday season? Perhaps there is some anticipation of extended time and space to more intentionally relax and connect with loved ones. There may also be some trepidation about what those relational dynamics may look and feel like. Grief in its many forms can manifest as well. Whatever you notice, before, during and after the season, know that all of it is welcome. You do not have to feel a certain way around the holidays, even though there may be expectations (familial and societal) to do so. You have a choice.

IFS and Springtime: Possibility for Growth

By David McCallum

mental health growth seasons

internal family systems mental health

Posted: April 16, 2024

During this season of springtime, I invite you to consider the ways in which you have grown and continue to grow; maybe in ways that defy some of the expectations that your more pessimistic and critical parts hold.

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