A community that rocks!

A community that rocks!

by | May 26, 2023 | Courage, Friday's Inspiration, Gratitude, Support

A community that rocks!

Each month, members of our community gather for a group program, designed to support ongoing health. This is an opportunity to check in on a regular basis with how we are doing, offer support when needed, and celebrate each other’s growth. Something has struck me in recent months. As members work to find new avenues of creative self-expression, even with no artistic backgrounds, beautiful things emerge, not just with the art, but also in the relationships we have with one another. In this month’s Maintaining Health, among other things, we discovered the hidden joy of rock wrapping. It never really matters what activity we are doing, I always seem to leave these sessions feeling connected, relaxed, happy and refreshed.This program is available for anyone who has successfully completed any one of our full Landing Strong programs. Mark the summer dates on your calendar and let us know if you to come: June 15th, July 13th, August 17th.Our Friday Healthy Living program also spends the afternoons at Makers Studio. It’s an upbeat program designed to look at what’s really important in our lives and how to bring more of that in. Give us a call.

Warm thoughts,

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

A good news story to brighten your day

A good news story to brighten your day

by | May 19, 2023 | Courage, Friday's Inspiration, Gratitude, Leadership, Media, Support

A good news story to brighten your day

Every year, MADD Canada recognizes police officers who are going above and beyond to keep our roads safe. 

This year marked the launch of MADD Canada’s Constable Heidi Stevenson’s Watch Award Ceremony, held at the RCMP headquarters in Dartmouth. This new awards program was introduced to recognize officers who remove the most impaired drivers from the roads. The Top Performer for 2022 was Constable Scott Aldridge, RCMP. The 2022 Gold Awards were presented to officers who removed 24 or more impaired drivers. We’re proud to acknowledge Constable Kristopher Hansen from the Halifax Regional Police as one of the 5 Gold Award recipients. This is the second time Kris has been recognized by MADD. In 2019, he received an award for being the Top Performer in the Province for the year 2018.

This award ceremony serves as a lovely acknowledgement of the significant impact Heidi Stevenson had in the province, as well as recognizing those who walk in her footsteps as part of her legacy. Heidi was Kris’ instructor for Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Impaired Detection, and Drug Recognition Expert. Kris in turn taught the Impaired Driving Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing courses to 5 of the 7 Bronze Award recipients. 

Landing Strong applauds the effort of all the recipients of this most prestigious award. 

This level of commitment, tenacity, and courage helps make our province one of the best places to live. 

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

A call from the universe

A call from the universe

by | Jan 6, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Courage, PTSD, Recovery, Support

A call from the universe

Hello, I am suffering from severe ptsd, anxiety and depression and am feeling stuck. I need to do something but don’t know what. Are you able to help?

There it is. A call from the universe. Someone who, after years of contemplation, manages to muster the courage to reach out. These are the spectacular moments of bravery that inspire me.

I imagine a solitary soul, standing on a cliff shouting to the universe:

Hello, is anybody out there? Do you hear me? Do you see I am suffering and that I’m alone?

We’re here. I call back. We can’t see you but we hear you. Where are you? Come join us. You’d be welcome and there’s room.

January may be a month of cold, but it warms my heart to meet new members and welcome them to our community.

New programs are starting next week. Virtual and in person. It’s not to late it you’re interested. Just drop us a line or give us a call. It just takes a few moments of courage.

Warm thoughts,

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

The risk of not being seen

The risk of not being seen

by | Dec 13, 2022 | Belinda's Thoughts, Courage, Love, Resilience

The risk of not being seen

Today marks a significant occasion as Brittney Griner, two-time Olympic gold medalist in Women’s basketball, was released from custody after nine months of detention in Russia. CNN analyst Brandon Tensley states:Griner, a Black queer woman isn’t the only American to be detained in Russia. But her predicament stands out for how it has directed attention not only to the fact that US society undervalues professional women’s basketball, but also the ways LGBTQ people in the US and Russia are differently marginalized.Griner had the courage to stand up and be seen in a country that was intolerant of gender diversity. And she paid a price. A similar theme of intolerance arose recently in World Cup Soccer, serving to increase global awareness of this important issue.For those military members and first responders who have been injured in service, a stigma exists within many institutional cultures regarding injury, particularly if the wounds are invisible. Members of minority groups within the military and first responder communities often face additional challenges in that they are doubly marginalized due to race and gender. It may seem easier to disappear.Although we still have a long way to go, it’s good news that increasing numbers of people are speaking up and being seen and recognized. A member of our community has done so recently in a big way and finally received a well-deserved promotion. Well done!Standing united in the desire for everyone to be seen and recognized with respect and inclusion.Warm regards,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.Executive Director, Landing Strongp.s. Keep in mind group enrollment for a wide range of programs starting in the New Year is happening now. If we get a few more people, we’ll be offering an online Emotions programme in addition to our in-person programs. Please feel free to give Julie a call or drop us a line if you’d like to sign up for any of our programs.

Live long, Laugh, and Prosper

Live long, Laugh, and Prosper

by | Nov 4, 2022 | Belinda's Thoughts, Courage, Love, Resilience

Live long, Laugh, and Prosper

This Halloween, I was scheduled to attend a lunch time meeting at King’s-Edgehill School. Traditionally, the school makes a very big deal of Halloween…EVERYONE dresses up. Wanting to be part of the fun, I decided to wear a costume. Unfortunately, what I didn’t know was that the school had their dress up day the previous week.

Imagine my dismay when I found myself in full Star Trek costume surrounded by a sea of students in uniforms.

I too was in uniform, only it was from wrong planet.

Somehow, this wasn’t the way I imagined this would play out.

The incidental bonus to the day is that I realized everyone I encountered was eager to join the fun. On seeing my costume, Lezlee and Jen, our Office Admin staff, ran out to Dollarama to get fun costumes and a treat bowl. Everyone smiled when greeted by a witch and a cat in the reception. Clients greeted me in the lobby with the traditional Klingon hand signals and greetings.

As the day progressed, I forgot that I was in costume, but the smiles and jokes from others reminded me that we all enjoy an excuse to laugh together.

When people feel joyful, they break into spontaneous play.

Small acts of fun truly do spark joy.

Maybe that’s the take-away from my day. Live long, laugh and prosperWarm regards,

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