NU PSYCHOLOGY BLOG
Insights For Your Next Chapter.
Explore articles from NU Psychology on therapy, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, trauma, EMDR, depression, relationships, burnout, neurodiversity, and psychological assessments. Our Calgary psychologists share practical, evidence-informed resources to help adults, older teens, couples, and families better understand mental health and take meaningful next steps.
Somatic Therapy: Body-Based Trauma Work Explained
You can tell the story without crying, and a slamming door still puts your shoulders up. Body-based therapy exists for that gap. Here is what somatic work actually involves, where it came from, what the evidence genuinely supports, why polyvagal theory should be held lightly, and what to check before booking in Alberta, where the word somatic is not a protected title.
Anger Management Therapy: What It Actually Involves
"Anger management" makes most people picture a court order and folding chairs. It began as something else entirely: a 1975 research project that became one of the better studied treatments in applied psychology. Here is where it came from, what actually happens in sessions, who it helps most, and when something underneath the anger needs treating first.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: SFBT Explained
Solution-focused brief therapy starts from an unusual place: not what is wrong, but what you want instead and when a little of it already happens. What SFBT is, where it came from, the questions it uses, what sessions look like, how many you are likely to need, and who it suits.
Internal Family Systems Therapy: IFS Explained
Part of you wants to go, part of you says that's reckless, and a third part criticizes both. Internal Family Systems treats that as ordinary rather than broken. What IFS says about the mind, what protective parts are protecting, what a session involves, and who it suits.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: DBT Explained
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy was built for people whose emotions arrive faster than their thinking. What DBT is, where it came from, the four sets of skills it teaches, what the work looks like week to week, who it helps most, and what it is not.
Why Am I So Angry All the Time? What Your Irritability May Be Telling You
A cupboard left open, a slammed door, and then the embarrassment. If you have been more irritable than you used to be, your anger may be carrying a message. Learn what anger often covers, how stress, depression, ADHD, trauma, and perimenopause can shorten the fuse, and how to change what happens next.
Perimenopause Anxiety: Why It's Rarely Just Hormones
Awake at 3:40 a.m. with a list that will not stop, and told the answer is hormones? For most women, midlife anxiety has many sources: sleep, caregiving, work, finances, personal history, and the messages we absorb about aging. Here is what the research shows, and why good care looks at the whole person.
Relapse in Recovery: What a Slip Means, and What It Doesn't
The morning after a slip, the mind reaches for a verdict: all that time, gone. For National Recovery Awareness Month, we look at why shame after a lapse can pull people back toward using, how a lapse differs from a relapse, what recovery keeps even after a slip, and when it makes sense to reach for more support.
When Grief Takes Its Time: What Healthy Grieving Looks Like
Months after a loss, a wave can arrive out of nowhere, in a grocery aisle or a familiar song, long after everyone assumed you were through the worst of it. This is a look at why grief does not follow a schedule, why the idea of neat stages misleads us, and what grief support actually offers when the loss will not settle. Keywords: grief counselling Calgary, how long does grief last, grief comes in waves, prolonged grief, complicated grief, grief therapy Calgary, coping with loss, grief that won't go away
When the Sky Is Hazy and So Is Your Mood
Some August mornings in Calgary begin behind a grey haze and a sun the colour of a warning light. If your mood dips on smoke days and you cannot quite say why, there is a reason for it. This is a look at how wildfire season affects mental health, why the heaviness is real rather than imagined, and what actually helps when you cannot change the sky.
Self-Care Isn't Selfish: Rethinking What It Really Means
Self-care isn't about luxury or indulgence—it's about protecting your mental health before burnout takes over. Discover how small, consistent habits can strengthen resilience, improve wellbeing, and help you show up more fully for yourself and the people around you.
The Other Side of Summer: Understanding Mental Health During the Season
Summer is often portrayed as the happiest time of year—a season filled with vacations, sunshine, and opportunities to recharge. Yet for many people, summer can also bring unexpected challenges. Changes in routine, social pressure, loneliness, financial stress, and the expectation to make the most of the season can all affect mental wellbeing. This article explores the often-overlooked side of summer and offers practical ways to support your mental health throughout the season.
What Pride Month Reminds Us About Identity, Courage, and Mental Health
Pride Month is about more than celebrations and visibility. At its heart, it is a reminder of the importance of belonging, authenticity, and human connection. This article explores how acceptance, community, and the freedom to be yourself can influence mental health, while highlighting the resilience and courage found throughout LGBTQ+ experiences.
Coming Out Is a Process, Not a Moment
Coming out is often portrayed as a single conversation, but for many LGBTQ+ individuals, it is a journey that unfolds over time. From self-discovery and identity exploration to acceptance and belonging, the process can bring both challenges and growth. This article explores the connection between coming out and mental health, highlighting why authenticity, support, and self-compassion matter at every stage of the journey.
Father’s Day and Men’s Mental Health: The Story Behind the Strength
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the fathers and father figures who support, guide, and care for their families. Yet behind the role of provider, protector, and problem-solver is a person navigating their own challenges, pressures, and emotions. This article explores the connection between fatherhood and men's mental health, the unseen demands many fathers carry, and why creating space for support, vulnerability, and emotional wellbeing benefits fathers, children, and families alike.
Why Simple Decisions Feel So Hard: Understanding Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue isn’t about laziness. This blog explains why simple decisions start to feel overwhelming and how mental capacity impacts focus and follow-through.
Motivation Isn’t Just Willpower: How Your Brain Decides What Gets Done
Motivation isn’t about discipline. This blog explains how your brain’s reward system influences procrastination, focus, and why getting started can feel so difficult.
Emotional Regulation vs Overwhelm: What’s Actually Happening in Your Brain
Feeling overwhelmed but not sure why? This blog explains the difference between emotional regulation and overwhelm, and what’s actually happening in your brain when emotions feel hard to manage.
A Reminder to Get Outside! Why It Helps Your Mental Health in Calgary
This is your reminder to go outside. Even in Calgary, small moments outdoors can shift your mental health—here’s why it helps and why it feels hard.
Why Do I Procrastinate So Much? Understanding Emotional Avoidance
Struggling with procrastination even when things matter? This blog explores how emotional avoidance drives procrastination—and why it’s not about laziness.