Which Mountain Do You Want to Climb?

Which Mountain Do You Want to Climb?

by | Oct 3, 2025 | Anxiety, Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Community, Courage, Friday Inspiration, Recovery, Virtual Community

Which Mountain Do You Want to Climb?

Those of you who know me know that I have a passion for adventure…and climbing mountains. I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro three times, and this year, I’m preparing to climb it for the fourth. But this time, it won’t just be my journey; I want to take four Landing Strong community members with me.

The mountain has taught me many lessons, but perhaps the most important one is this: the summit isn’t the point. The real transformation happens long before you reach the peak. It happens in the training.

Climbing a mountain is not simply about fitness. It’s about shifting how we see ourselves; learning to let go of the limiting beliefs that whisper we’re not strong enough, not resilient enough, not ready.

The first time I prepared for Kilimanjaro, I didn’t actually climb it. My role was to lead the community service portion of the trip. Yet the months of preparation changed me. My husband and daughter summited that year. I remember watching my 12 year old daughter’s strength and determination. After they completed the climb, she told me I was capable, even when I didn’t fully believe it myself. And she was right. Sometimes we need someone else to hold the vision of who we might become until we are ready to see it ourselves.

So I offer you this question: which mountain do you want to climb this year?
Maybe it’s Kilimanjaro. Maybe it’s something closer to home. The climb might be a literal peak or a personal one. What matters is that you choose to begin, and that you’re willing to train; not just your body, but your heart, mind, and spirit.

This March, we will travel to Tanzania. Together we’ll spend a week on safari, a week doing community service, and a week on Mount Kilimanjaro. Our community service project this year is close to my heart: building a girls’ dormitory so that young women can safely pursue their high school education. The training begins soon, and it will require commitment, consistency, and courage.

This journey is led by my husband Joe Seagram, in partnership with King’s Edgehill School and Summits Africa.  It is alcohol-free, smoke-free and cannabis-free (cannabis is not legal in Tanzania). Because we will be traveling with King’s-Edgehill School, we’ll be in the company of incredible high school students.

Here’s how you can join us:

  • If you’re interested in being one of the four Landing Strong community members making the climb, please reach out to us directly at info@landingstrong.com
  • If you’d like to be part of the virtual training program and train alongside us from home, keep an eye on your inbox—we’ll be sending details very soon.

The summit may be a breathtaking moment—but it is not the goal. The goal is to discover what we are capable of along the way.

So I ask you again: which mountain do you want to climb?

Warmly,

 

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

The trouble with simple solutions

The trouble with simple solutions

by | Sep 26, 2025 | Balance, Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Courage, Growth, Recovery

The trouble with simple solutions

Working in the federal penitentiary, I was often faced with situations so complex they felt impossible to solve.

Sitting across from men whose lives had been shaped by violence, trauma, and loss, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the enormity of their struggles. The stories were messy, and the pathways forward were anything but clear.

Ironically, it was in this environment that I learned one of my greatest lessons: the more difficult a problem, the more fundamental the solution. Not fundamental in the sense of easy, but rather, in terms of the things required. At the core, what people needed was not more rules or restrictions. They needed something many had never experienced before: love, trust, safety, compassion, and connection. Without those, no real healing could take place.

This truth extends far beyond prison walls. In today’s world, we are bombarded with overly simplistic answers to deeply complex problems: violence solves conflict; global warming doesn’t exist; autism can be explained simply by women having taken over-the-counter medication.  These reductionistic black-and-white explanations may feel tidy, but they leave no room space for the depth and nuance that real understanding and solutions require.

There is a danger in simplicity. If we cling to false simplifications, we diminish what makes us human: our ability to reason at a higher level, guided not by fear or blame, but by compassion, values, and respect.

The real solutions, the ones that heal, are never quick fixes. They require courage to sit with discomfort, patience to build trust, and openness to connect. They ask us to embrace complexity rather than run from it. And though it isn’t easy, this is where true change begins….

If you feel you or a loved one may be struggling, please feel free to reach out and contact us or visit the programs section of this website to see what we offer.  

 

Warmly,

 

 

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Hard work to do, harder not to do it

Hard work to do, harder not to do it

by | Sep 19, 2025 | Balance, Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Change, Courage, Recovery

Hard work to do, harder not to do it

Processing trauma is hard not processing trauma is harder.  In an effort to protect ourselves we can shy away from things that are scary or difficult.  But ironically, it’s these very efforts to shield ourselves that keep us injured.  

Some people progress quickly once they begin treatment while others might feel frustrated that they’re not progressing as they would like.  It’s at such moments that we must ask ourselves ‘what am I shying away from that I should be leaning in to?’

It’s behind the doors we least want to open that ultimately lie the greatest treasures.  If we can just find the courage to explore, chances are good, that we’ll be rewarded with a shift in perspective. Therein lies the healing.

Is there something you’re ready to lean into?  Perhaps our Landing Strong door is a good place to start.  

We’re currently loading up a few great group programs.  It’s not too early to get on the list.

Maintaining Health is Thursday September 18th
Identity & Transition is on Fridays: September 26th, October 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th
Advanced Skills in Trauma Recovery is on Tuesdays: November 18, 25, December 2, 9, and 16

Warmly,

 

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

The gifts newcomers bring

The gifts newcomers bring

by | Sep 12, 2025 | Change, Community, Compassion, From Belinda, Gratitude, joy, Wisdom

The gifts newcomers bring

 

When I travel to Toronto to visit my father, I often take an Uber to get around the city.

Over time I’ve made it a practice to learn about the people who drive me. Experience has taught me that beneath the surface of a simple ride, there are often stories of great courage, resilience and hope.

This trip was no exception. The car that arrived was spotless and cared for with evident pride. My driver, I soon learned, was from Afghanistan. Back home he had been a Human Rights Lawyer specializing in the protection of women and children. His wife he shared, was the Executive Director of a shelter for women fleeing intimate partner violence. Together, they had built lives of service, only to leave it all behind in order to start anew in Canada with their children.

As we talked, I commented on how big an investment his car must have been, and how difficult it is for Uber drivers to make a decent wage. His response humbled me. He said he was grateful for the work, glad to be able to provide for his family, even if it meant 14 to 16-hour days.

This fall he will begin a paralegal program at a local college, supported by a student loan. His English, he admitted, isn’t yet strong enough for law school, but his dream is to one day return to his calling.

What struck me most was his gratitude. He spoke warmly of Canada of the safety, the kindness of its people, and the opportunities it offers his family.

I left the car wishing him well and deeply moved. In truth, it is we who are fortunate, our country enriched by people like him and his wife, who bring with them resilience, vision, and hope for a better future.

 

Warmly,

 

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Catching more than fish

Catching more than fish

by | Sep 5, 2025 | Communication, Community, Creativity, Gratitude, Growth, Outdoor Adventures, Relaxation, Wellbeing

Catching more than fish 

On our Community Connection excursion a couple weeks ago, Mackenzie and I decided to share a fly rod. She took the first cast. Almost instantly, she felt the tug of a fish nibbling at the line. Eyes wide, she quickly thrust the rod back to me. “You take it,” she exclaimed. “I don’t want to catch anything!” We both burst into laughter.

I stepped up, still chuckling, and tried my hand at casting. To my surprise I caught a fish almost immediately. What I neglected to mention is, that while I love fish, I hadn’t actually wanted to catch one either. It had been over forty years since I last held a fish or removed one from a hook.

There I stood, a reluctant angler facing a slippery reality. But with some fumbling and help from a certain brave veteran, the catch and release was successful. The fish swam away unharmed.

Reflecting back, I realize that the excursion wasn’t really about fishing. It was about the connections we build in shared experiences, stepping out of our comfort zones, laughing at our mistakes, and supporting each other in moments of uncertainty.

Sometimes, what we “catch” has little to do with the line and everything to do with the bonds formed along the way.

 

Warmly,

 

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong