Ellen Strong Klassen

Anxiety can feel like an uncomfortable tightness across the chest, sometimes extending into the throat. Often the belly feels flashes of sensation, known as “butterflies”. Anxiety is different from nervousness or fear, as it hangs around even when things seem fine. We feel on edge a lot of the time. This can impact our lives in big ways – stopping us from doing things we would like to do, maybe even activities that we used to love. Our lives can become smaller in our efforts to feel safer. Unfortunately, this only makes more things amp up our anxious feelings when we venture out of our increasingly tiny comfort zones. Counselling can help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface, calm your nervous system, and learn tools to manage anxious thoughts and feelings. Together we can work toward a sense of steadiness, confidence, and relief—so that anxiety no longer takes up so much space in your mind and your life.

Living with ADHD—whether as a child, teen, or adult—can bring both strengths and challenges. Many people with ADHD are creative, energetic, and full of ideas, yet they may also struggle with focus, organization, restlessness, or self-criticism. Counselling can help by offering strategies for managing attention and emotions, improving relationships, and building on personal strengths rather than fighting against them. For parents, it can mean learning how to support a child without constant conflict; for adults, it can mean finding practical tools to stay on track and feel more at ease in daily life. With understanding and the right support, people with ADHD can thrive and feel proud of how their minds work.

Depression doesn’t always look like deep sadness or tears (although for some, it does). For some people it can show up as exhaustion, irritability, or a sense that life has lost its colour or meaning. You may find it difficult to get out of bed, or to concentrate. You may notice that activities that used to be pleasurable no longer seem worth the effort. You may feel disconnected from others, or from yourself.
If you notice these changes lasting more than a few weeks, it could be a sign that you’re struggling with depression. The good news is that depression is treatable, and you don’t have to face it alone – help and healing are possible.

Later life brings many changes—retirement, shifting roles, health concerns, or the loss of loved ones—and even positive changes can stir unexpected feelings. Counselling can be helpful when sadness, worry, or loneliness begin to overshadow daily life, or when adjusting to new limitations or living situations feels overwhelming. Some elders come to counselling to reflect on their life’s story, find peace with the past, or strengthen relationships with family. Support at this stage of life isn’t about “fixing” anything—it’s about being heard, finding meaning, and discovering new ways to feel connected and at ease.

Parenting can be deeply rewarding—and also incredibly hard. Many parents seek counselling when they feel overwhelmed by their child’s behaviour, anxiety, or emotional struggles, or when family communication has become tense or confusing. Others come simply because they want to parent with more patience, confidence, and connection. Counselling offers a space to sort through what’s happening, understand your child’s needs (and your own), and learn practical ways to restore calm and connection at home. You don’t have to have all the answers—sometimes the most loving thing we can do for our children is to admit we don’t know, and to reach out for support ourselves.