Finding Gold at the end of the rainbow

Finding Gold at the end of the rainbow

by | Nov 24, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Community, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, joy, PTSD

Finding gold at the end of the rainbow

Today I walked to work with a skip in my step and a smile on my face.

You see, my office is close to the group room. All week, I had been hearing the animated sounds of connection as participants from three separate programs formed new bonds, shared experiences, and supported one another in their respective journeys of recovery.

I can tell the programs are going well. The warmth and laughter spill across the reception area, like the heartbeat of the building.

On Friday, as I walked to work, all I needed to do was follow the rainbow.  Literally.  It took me directly to Landing Strong.

What a happy way to end a wonderful week.

Warm thoughts,

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

Recovery is a Journey not a Destination

Recovery is a Journey not a Destination

by | Oct 13, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Compassion, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Recovery, Wellbeing

Recovery is a Journey not a Destination

Many people when they face a setback in their recovery may think, ‘Oh I’m not as far along as I thought I was.’ When in fact, its simply a bump on the road. Not an indication that they weren’t where they thought they were.

There will be many bumps, that’s natural. Just like how an athlete won’t run their best run every day, you too will have ups and downs on the road of recovery.

How do we stay strong when the journey feels so long? By simply taking note of small wins, we fuel ourselves for the longer journey.

One of the unique things about group therapy is newer members get the chance to meet people further along the road. It helps to trust the process, knowing that if you just keep walking, you’ll get to where you want to be.

Warm thoughts,

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

Preparing for the Harvest

Preparing for the Harvest

by | Aug 18, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Outdoor Adventures

Preparing for the Harvest

You have to love gardening. A lot of waiting and tender loving care, without the certainty that the results will be worth all the effort.

Will it be worth it? You might ask, putting yourself through the work necessary without any guarantee of reward? Initially, when we first plant our seeds, we just have to hope it will. After time goes by, suddenly out of nowhere, our tomato plants are laden with fruit.

Windsor is home to some of the world’s largest pumpkins. Magical things happen here.

In our monthly Maintaining Health series, we are witness to similar growth and change. No matter what stage of recovery people may be in, sometimes seeing what is possible provides us with the fuel and confidence we need to continue.

Fall is a great time to start sewing your seeds of change. A number of programs are about to start. Call us now to see what works best for you.

Warm thoughts,

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

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

by | Jul 14, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Change, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Recovery

Are we there yet?

In any journey, it’s easy to get hung up on the destination. “Are we there yet?!” our internal voice demands, wanting to know when the point of arrival has come. I’ve shifted my mindset around this concept in recent years, realizing that half the joy lies in the journey itself. It’s something my parents seemed to have figured out given the numerous adventurous road trips we took together as a family. The journey was the whole point. 

Trauma recovery is similar, in that there is never actually an end point. This doesn’t mean it’ll always be hard, but continuous movement is part of ongoing health. 

Join the movement by pre-registering for one of our fall programs today.  

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

I am the work

I am the work

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Belinda's Thoughts, Community, Friday's Inspiration, Growth, Plan, Recovery, Support

I am the work

People often speak about the discomfort they experience having to leave their jobs following injury. They’re eager to push through their symptoms, trying to get back to work as quickly as possible. The interesting thing is, pushing to speed up recovery often has the inadvertent consequence of slowing it down.

When it comes to recovery, you have to go slowly in order to progress quickly.

What does this mean?

Recovery isn’t a vacation as others might think. We all know it’s a period of time requiring intentional work.

Instead of asking yourself the question “When can I go back to work?” It might be more helpful to consider the following statements:

I am the work.
There is no other work.
Recovery is my mission.

Processing traumatic events is a part of being a first responder. If you don’t do it while you’re operational, you’ll likely be forced to take time off to deal with it later. It’s like putting off paperwork. It never actually goes away.

The skill of emotional processing is a necessary component of health but is something that is not often awarded the time and space it needs.

This my friends, is the work.

Warm regards,

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