Those who run together, have fun together.

Those who run together, have fun together.

by | Oct 27, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Courage, Friday's Inspiration, Resilience

Those who run together have fun together


It was raining and tempting not to go, but luckily, we did and we couldn’t have had more fun!

In true Nova Scotia style, we kept up the family tradition of running the Valley Harvest Marathon, regardless of the weather.

There is indeed strength and spirit in numbers. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar thinking back to the first time you came to group? You may have sat in the parking lot coming up with a myriad of reasons why you couldn’t set foot in the door, but then, were glad you did. Perhaps you too were expecting rain, but like our family of runners, found sunshine by the end of the day.  Come run with us at Landing Strong.

Warm thoughts,

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

Sending love and support to victims of the flood

Sending love and support to victims of the flood

by | Jul 28, 2023 | Challenge, Community, Courage, Grief, Love, Support

Sending love and support to victims of the flood

We join you this afternoon with an acknowledgement of the hardship and loss faced by the people in our community, expressing thanks to the first responders who put themselves at risk assisting those who were trapped by flood waters.

We feel gratitude for those who are safe, and want to express our sympathy and support for those who have endured unimaginable hardship. Our hearts are with you.

In such challenging times, it is important to acknowledge the valiant efforts of the Brooklyn Fire Department, in addition to all other emergency, hydro, and road repair crews who worked around the clock to restore safety and order.

If you were part of this emergency response and are struggling, please feel free to reach out and give us a call. Know that we are here for you.

Warm thoughts,

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

Striving to be more

Striving to be more

by | Feb 24, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Courage, Friday's Inspiration, Growth

Striving to be more

It’s easy to define ourselves in terms of our work.

Pushing hard, staying within a single lane, the temptation is strong to lose sight of the rich scenery and possibilities around us.

Last night my husband Joe came home beaming. He’d had a great night of hockey, stating that it may have been “his best game ever”. The night before that, he spoke excitedly about having had a great evening of tennis. Tonight he has a bit part as an Oompa Loompa in The KES Junior school’s rendition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Joe seems to have mastered the talent of being many things. I’ve always been grateful that, come a zombie apocalypse, he’s on my team. At some deep level, he’s understood the importance of staying engaged in many diverse aspects of life, not simply driving in a single lane.

Getting and staying healthy is about diversifying our investments, not putting all of our eggs in one basket. I’m particularly aware of that as I approach the latter half of my life. Over the past year I’ve worked hard to deepen my interests, explore new hobbies, and challenge myself to discover things that might intimidate me. At the end of my life, I doubt I’ll be asking myself if I worked enough. Rather, I expect I’ll look to relationships, hoping I have been authentic, honest and trustworthy. Both inside and outside of my work, I never want to stop striving to be more.

Warm thoughts,

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

Home isn’t always a place

Home isn’t always a place

by | Mar 26, 2021 | Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Community, Friday Inspiration

Anyone who knows me also knows I love sappy movies with predictable happy endings. I love the feeling of knowing that, in 90 minutes, no matter what challenges are faced, everything will be okay in the end.  I think in many ways it’s my philosophy of life.  If we keep on journeying, eventually we’ll get home.  

Home isn’t always a place is it?  It’s often a feeling.  Sometimes it’s just being:  Listening to music with friends, having a heart to heart over coffee with a friend, or walking in nature with your dog.

Home is a feeling that starts with being comfortable with ourselves.  Whatever challenges you may have faced on your journey, we can overcome them together.  Join us for a group program, and make your home a supportive community of peers who may have walked similar paths.  

Warm regards,

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

In search of the perfect cookie

In search of the perfect cookie

by | Sep 4, 2020 | Belinda's Thoughts, Challenge, Creativity, Friday Inspiration

The chocolate chip cookie.  What a perfect creation.  Whether it was first made by accident, or a flash of brilliance and loose hand with chocolate, this mouth-watering creation has remained a classic for many years.  

This year, Mackenzie made it a goal to perfect her chocolate chip cookie recipe.  We’ve been fortunate enough to sample her different attempts, each week learning more about the chemistry and subtleties of baking.  I never would have believed that the sprinkling of flaked salt on top of a baked cookie could have such a transformative effect.  Or understand the caramelizing effect of butter versus margarine.  Small changes can indeed, have profound effects on the overall creation.

It’s amazing how often in life we use the same ingredients in a recipe, somehow expecting the outcome to be different.  In many ways, health is similar to a perfect cookie recipe.  It takes a multitude of ingredients, with the quality of each element having a significant impact on the outcome. Recovery from injury isn’t just about individual therapy.  It also involves group work, exercise, balanced nutrition, healthy lifestyle and meaningful, supportive connection with the people who are important to us.  If we’re missing an ingredient, the result won’t be as good.

If your recovery is going slower that you might like, don’t assume you’re doing it wrong.  Maybe you’re exactly on track, but just need to adjust an ingredient or two.

We still have a few spots left in our Mind/Body Health and Recovery group for Caregivers.  This is intended for partners/adult children of those who are injured.  We want to take care of you too.  

For those Veterans and First Responders who have taken a course before, feel free to join our monthly Maintaining Health Program, starting this September.

Identity and Transition is full, but there are still spots left in Healthy Living, starting in November.  Consider planning ahead and enroll in the January Emotions Management Program.

Shake up your recipe.  You may be thrilled with the result.

Warm regards,

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