Taking Stock of Your Mental Health

Make Mental Health a Priority

Hi Everyone,

Happy Spring! 🌱


Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month in Canada? This is a good time to pause and check in with yourself (and you can make this a regular practice).

TAKE A MOMENT—find a comfortable position, slow things down, and notice your breath moving through your body for 5–6 slow cycles. Then, with curiosity (and without judgment), reflect on the past couple of weeks:

  • What have I been noticing about my body (aching, tingling, numbness, etc.?

  • How has my general emotional state been?

  • How connected do I feel to my emotions?

  • What has been taking up most of my attention?

  • Is there a thought pattern or narrative that keeps looping?

  • How aware am I of my needs?

  • How are my relationships?

  • How do I feel about myself?

  • Am I finding pleasure in things I usually enjoy?

  • How is my sleep?

  • How am I coping with stress?

Taking a regular snapshot of your internal world is both respectful and responsible. Many of us have learned to dismiss or bypass our inner experience—especially difficult emotions like anger, sadness, shame, or loneliness.

We live in a culture that prioritizes positivity, sometimes at the expense of authenticity. We can become skilled at masking or suppressing pain. But what often helps is the opposite: welcoming what’s there, revealing it to yourself, and then opening up with a trusted person. This connection takes courage and practice.

Reaching out—to a good friend or a therapist—can reduce feelings of isolation and inadequacy. Early support is strongly linked to improved overall well-being.

My Approach to Therapy

I’m an integrative somatic therapist which means I draw from multiple modalities, including:

  • Compassionate Mindfulness

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Emotion-Focused Therapy

  • Inner Child Work

  • Focusing

I also invite clients to connect with their bodies in the therapeutic process. You may have heard the phrase, “Our issues are in our tissues.” There is strong evidence that working with bodily sensations can deepen emotional processing and support regulation.

I often incorporate breathwork, meditation, and body-based exercises into sessions.

I Support Clients With:

  • Complete Trauma

  • Embodiment and nervous system awareness

  • Co-dependency and boundary challenges

  • Anxiety

  • Relationship issues

A Note on My Work

I tend to work with clients over the longer term. I don’t believe in quick fixes—this work is about gently uncovering the roots of pain and the beliefs that formed around it.

Together, we explore the adaptations that once protected you but may now be holding you back. This process takes time, trust, and patience.

I identify first as a human being, and second as a therapist. I continue to do my own healing work, and I believe this is an essential part of showing up fully for others.

Gentle Healing Reminders

  • Slowness and consistency are your friends

  • It is normal to feel uncomfortable

  • Healing is different for everyone

A Few Fun Facts About Me

  • I’m an oldest daughter

  • I was a competitive gymnast

  • I previously worked in Public Health

  • I’ve practiced yoga for 24 years

  • I’m always taking a course

Therapy Openings

I currently have two spaces available in my practice. If you—or someone you know—could benefit from support, feel free to reach out via email. I work both in person and offer virtual sessions.

A Book I Love

The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans

This book highlights connection in the form of letters and emails. It illustrates how words can bridge distances and help mend relationships.

“Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.”

– Goodreads

Yoga

I teach yoga at 889 Community in Yorkville. I am currently teaching two classes. Please join me.

Candlelight Resorative Yoga 

 Thursdays
Time: 6:45 pm to 8:00 pm

This gentle class offers long held, fully supported postures using props to invite deep relaxation. Expect somatic practices to support nervous system regulation, breath exploration, guided meditation, and spaciousness. This is a place to simply be. Class is suitable for all levels and is especially helpful for those living with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.

Gentle Yoga

Fridays
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am

 Explore slow mindful movement, breathing practices, simple meditation, and intentional rest. 

Sign up online in advance at www.889community.com.
Use promo code: LISA25 to receive 25% off

What I’m Looking Forward To

For the past few years, I have been participating in silent mindfulness days and weekends with my teachers, Felicia Pavlovic and Ante Pavlovic from Toronto Yoga Therapy. I’m especially looking forward to our June retreat in Caledon. One of my favorite aspects of these retreats is walking the beautiful nature trails in silence alongside a like-minded community.

If this content resonates with you, feel free to pass it along to someone who might benefit.

With warmth,

 
Lisa Mitchell