Navigating estranged relationships with parents as a queer person can be especially challenging, particularly around holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  These holidays, meant to honour parental bonds, can feel bittersweet or even be a painful reminder of what’s missing for those who have faced rejection, misunderstanding, or conflict due to their sexuality or gender identity. Here are some ways to cope with estrangement.

Despite the legal right to gender-affirming care, many trans youth in Canada already face barriers to access. These barriers may include long wait times for specialist care, lack of knowledgeable healthcare providers, financial constraints, and stigma or discrimination.

EMDR therapy is a structured eight-phase approach designed to address the impact of traumatic memories on an individual's mental well-being. Here’s what we know about how and why it works.

Queer Black individuals in Canada often find themselves at the crossroads of multiple forms of marginalization, significantly affecting their mental health. Discrimination based on both race and sexual orientation can lead to feelings of isolation, diminished self-esteem, and a profound sense of alienation. These experiences can fuel anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.

The queer community experiences more systemic oppression and violence as a community, meaning we are more likely to experience trauma, and more of it. These trauma recover skills, then, are especially beneficial to the queer and trans people.

The holidays can be a difficult time for many reasons, including folks who struggle with body image. This may be a time when we hear unsolicited comments about our bodies or food choices, as well as harmful messages reinforced by diet culture (particularly when it comes to new years resolutions).

The holiday season may surface different emotions as a reminder of our past or current relationships. Grief and loss, sadness, and loneliness may become stronger during the holidays. It can be a stark reminder of what the holiday season once was, or the potential of what it could be.

Red Umbrella Day is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

Play Therapy is a psychotherapy approach where play is used to express or communicate feelings. Play is broad and may include almost anything and everything - puppets, art, dance, games, toys, beading, cartoons, anime - you name it, and it may be blended within the therapy process.

Every experience of dissociative identity and plurality is unique and valuable. You may have heard different definitions or labels used to describe different experiences and that is okay! The community is vibrant and fluid by nature, and we welcome different expressions or words used to describe the plural experience. Comment below if you have words you like to use to describe the experience!

Every experience of dissociative identity and plurality is unique and valuable. You may have heard different definitions or labels used to describe different experiences and that is okay! The community is vibrant and fluid by nature, and we welcome different expressions or words used to describe the plural experience.

This pride season, we’re honouring the history of queer resistance in Canada.