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Elpizo offers counselling and therapy services online/virtually wherever you are and at our conveniently located offices in Milton.
Elpizo Counselling Services
192 Main St E, Lower Level Milton, ON L9T 1N8, Canada
Book a consultation to experience the personalized touch of therapy connections with Elpizo’s therapy matching whisperer, Ruth Baah-Gyebi. With her 25 years of clinical expertise, Ruth specializes in helping clients find their perfect match with therapists at Elpizo. She understands that a supportive therapeutic journey begins with a strong connection between client and therapist. Ruth carefully considers your unique needs, preferences, and goals to ensure that you are paired with a therapist who can provide you with the most effective and personalized mental health care.
At Elpizo, we believe in the power of tailored therapy experiences, and Ruth is dedicated to guiding you towards the supportive and empowering therapeutic relationship you deserve.
Elpizo Counselling Services
192 Main St E, Lower Level Milton, ON L9T 1N8, Canada
Earlier this month our very own Ruth Bahh-Gyebi was welcomed onto the The Good Health Cafe podcast hosted by Nikita Boston-Fisher to talk about how COVID-19 has impacted mental health, how to offer support and what the therapy experience is like.
The Good Health Cafe podcast’s goal is to give you tips on how to navigate the healthcare system and easily understand other matters of public health. As we know, the healthcare systems and public health can be pretty confusing with different terminology used and The Good Health Cafe podcast aims to bridge that gap.
In an interview before the podcast, Gyebi and Fisher discussed how to prioritize your mental health during the pandemic. Below are some fantastic tips that Gyebi gave to help your mental health this year, that you can try while stuck at home during the lockdown.
Try new things – candle making, arts and crafts from the dollar store and podcasting are all things that I tried for the first time this year.
Take breaks – take a pause to go for a walk. If you have some vacation time, use it. Do what you can to give yourself a chance to rest and recharge.
Reconnect with old friends and make new ones – call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while to see how they are doing.
Gyebi also gave a couple of great tips you can try out for the current holiday season. One of those great tips is to gift a visit to a mental health professional to yourself or a loved one. If you’re interested in giving such a gift, Elpizo Counselling has experienced therapists and counsellors that are willing to work with you to get the best help, feel free to call 877-355-7496.
If you are interested in listening to the full podcast and learning more about mental health and the therapy experience, click here.
The winter season is now upon us, which for some may mean a noticeable change in our mood. With the sun setting early now and the cold weather taking over, it’s not uncommon to experience a decrease in motivation and more frequent depressive episodes during this time.
The month of December shines light on Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as the acronym, “SAD”. This disorder is a type of depression that arises during the change in season. Most people who experience SAD feel their energy being depleted and lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. On the rare occasion, people may experience depression caused by SAD during the spring or early summer months too.
Symptoms of SAD may include:
Feelings of depression as the winter season progresses
Low energy
Lack of sleep or oversleeping
Losing interest and motivation
Loss of appetite or weight loss/gain
Sluggish and anxious feelings
Suicidal thoughts
The cause of SAD may be due to the reduced level of sunlight in the fall and winter months, a decrease in serotonin levels due to the lack of sunlight, and the body’s level of melatonin becoming disrupted.
If you experience severe symptoms of SAD and do not get treated, it can possibly lead to worse problems such as:
Problems at work or school
Substance Abuse
Extreme suicidal thoughts or behaviour
Other mental health disorders
Light therapy, medication and psychotherapy are options of treatment you may want to look into if you’re experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Of course it is normal to have some days of feeling down, but if you feel it an overwhelming amount of times and just can’t get yourself back to normal, you should highly consider seeing a doctor or counselling service.
The Holiday Season has arrived and it is going to be unlike any other. With COVID-19 still being a hot topic, many are opting to change from their traditional routine to a new one.
Last week on Elpizo’s Community Connect, the team came together and discussed how to navigate this holiday season. If you don’t know what to do this holiday season you should definitely take a look!
This is our last Community Connect for the year so if you’re interested in the other topics that we cover we recommend going over to our Youtube channel to watch our other Elpizo Community Connect sessions.
Watch the workshop below and leave us a comment on how your navigating this holiday season!
The day was first recognized in 1999 when the United Nations General Assembly passed the resolution, introduced by the Dominican Republic, designating November 25th as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. However, the United Nations (UN) was not the first to do this. Women in Latin America and the Caribbean have been honouring the day since 1981. The reason for the day was to mark the anniversary of three women political activists who were assassinated in the Dominican Republic on November 25th 1960 for opposing the regime of dictator Rafael Trujillo.
The UN officially recognized the date on February 7th 2000, and the United Nations General Assembly encouraged organizations around the world to raise awareness yearly on the date.
Unlike an illness or disease which groups of people have no control over, ending violence against women is a movement that everyone can bring awareness to. Tragedies like the 1989 École Polytechnique Massacre, where a man killed 14 women in a Montreal university should never happen. As a society, we should bring awareness and support initiatives such as The Spotlight Initiative, so history doesn’t repeat itself.
Elpizo offers a wide range of services for women who have recently or in their past experienced violence and sexual violence. We provide comprehensive counselling and therapy solutions such as Rapid Resolution Therapy that will eliminate emotional and behavioural difficulties. These options are offered online and in-person, and with all our therapeutic options, we work with you to make sure you get the treatment you need.
The 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence is an international campaign that takes place every year. It runs from November 25, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10th, Human Rights Day.
Launched in 2008, the UNiTE Campaign aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls around the world. This is done by calling on governments, civil society, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, the media and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing and fighting against the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.
COVID-19, the quarantine, lockdowns, and social isolation have negatively influenced mental health and increased risks of family violence and conflict. It is a critical time for women being affected by gender-based violence.
From November 25 to December 10, the UN’s System’s 16-Day Activism against gender-based violence is taking place under the 2020 global theme: “ Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”
The main principles of the UNiTE Campaign Advocacy are:
Honour and acknowledge women’s movements
‘Leave no one behind’
Survivor-centered
Multi-sectoral
Transformative
Elevate the voices of young feminists
The colour orange continues to be a key tool; unifying all activities
In order to support and be a part of the change, join UNiTE on The 16 Days of Activism and help speak out, unite with partners around the world, reflect on what we can all do in our own communities to eliminate violence faced by young girls, women, and the LGBTQ2 community. Start conversations on social media and become an ally by listening, believing, speaking out, intervening, and acting on what is going on and how you can help.
If you would like to learn more about International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and current UN efforts to fight violence against women, click here.
For international domestic violence awareness month, we are here to help bring awareness to what domestic violence and abuse is. Domestic abuse is an incident or multiple incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening or violent behaviour. Common cases of domestic violence include sexual violence by a partner or ex-partner, or physical abuse by a family member.
Some examples of domestic abuse may include:
Coercive control
Psychological and/or emotional abuse
Physical or sexual abuse
Financial or economic abuse
Harassment and stalking
Online or digital abuse
Women are more likely than men to experience different types of domestic abuse, typically sexual violence, but that does not mean that men do not experience it as well.
How can I tell if I’m in an abusive relationship?
If your partner has ever been physically or emotionally abusive to you in any form, has often stalked you, unjustly accuse you of things, or try to take control of you – that may indicate that you are experiencing domestic abuse.
How can I tell if I am being abused at home?
If anyone, no matter who they are or where you are, has ever put their hands on you or has hurt you in any form, not just physically, and you might not feel safe around this person at all times, this may indicate that you are being physically/emotionally abused.
It is common to have arguments, fights, disagreements, etc. with your partner, family members, or people close to you. But if this becomes a consistent pattern or you often feel scared or in danger around these people, you should really consider getting help or talking to someone about it.
You are not alone. You can easily get help and support without judgement. There are plenty of platforms where you can virtually receive help through live chats, online handbooks, survivors forums, or counselling services like we offer at Elpizo.
Why is it important to balance your career and personal life? Anyone and everyone who is currently working, needs to find the perfect balance between their work-life and their personal life priorities.
How can you tell if your work-life and personal life are properly balanced? You can find out by taking this short quiz:
I am constantly stressed and feel like my whole life is out of balance.
True
False
I don’t get to spend much time with my friends/family.
True
False
I don’t have a proper “me-day” or a good amount of time for myself to unplug weekly.
True
False
My daily life is pretty unorganized and I tend to just go with the flow without having a proper schedule.
True
False
I tend to work longer hours than anticipated.
True
False
My responsibilities at home have increased.
True
False
My overall physical, emotional and mental health is currently not in a good state.
True
False
Work from home has increased my work hours and decreased my productivity.
True
False
With the new ‘work-from-home’ normal, I can’t draw a line between professional or personal life.
True
False
My social circle only consists of my work friends.
True
False
After taking this quiz, if you answered with mostly “A” ‘s, you may need to start thinking about boundaries that you have set, or need to set, and to think about what your top priorities should be.
Click here to find 6 tips for better work-life balance.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Breast cancer is the most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer death for Canadian women. The National Breast Cancer Foundation reported that a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes. This October Elpizo is joining the fight and helping to make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer.
An interesting fact about breast cancer is that the left breast seems to develop cancer more often than the right breast, which scientists have yet to figure out why. Also, men can develop breast cancer too. Less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men and each year in Canada, approximately 220 men are diagnosed with breast cancer – having approximately 60 men die from the disease.
There are many ways for you to contribute to the fight against breast cancer and support those currently battling it:
Self Breast Examination: Breast self-exams are important for the early detection of any cancer,, they do not take up too much time and it’s not painful or uncomfortable. Click here to watch a quick video on how to do a breast self-exam.
Education: There are many free and informative articles, websites, and ebooks you can check out to learn about breast cancer and the effects it has on men and women. Simply do a Google search for ‘breast cancer’ and you’ll have a world of information that is just one click away.
Donations: A little can go a long way and anything is always appreciated! You can donate to screening and treatment centres or organizations that support breast cancer research.
Support: You can now virtually volunteer by hosting online fundraisers and spreading the word + sharing the news about breast cancer awareness.
Be positive and hopeful: Being open and sharing your stories about how you or someone you know have been affected by breast cancer. Wearing a pink ribbon will also help spread awareness and get the conversations starting!
To all our cancer warriors, Elpizo is fighting with you in hope. On October 25th, Elpizo will be hosting a yoga session at 11 am, followed by a paint and sip on October 30th time to be confirmed.
Come join us in the fight against breast cancer by spreading the word and bringing awareness to this disease. If you would like to make a donation for cancer research, visit our Facebook page and donate funds through our Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser
With fall just starting and winter coming at lightning speed, Elpizo Counselling Service is happy to announce a refresh to a brand that has supported their community for more than 19 years. We are Elpizo and are very excited to showcase this new look for the company and invite everyone to take a look at our website and social media to see the changes.
Many changes come from this new look like our enhanced, blue and orange colours. The blue represents loyalty, intelligence, faith, tranquillity and calmness. While the orange compliments the blue and represents determination, success, encouragement, and stimulation. We believe that these colours represent Elpizo the best as we embrace these ideals every time we interact with a client or partner.
The Executive Director of Elpizo, Ruth Baah-Gyebi has been very excited about this new era at Elpizo and had this to say. “Our new mission and vision statements “Building hope, renewing strength, supporting healing and enriching lives” captures the essence, core and character of Elpizo”.
Aside from the colours, there are many other things that you might take notice of. The website has been refreshed and is now easier to navigate for our clients and partners. We will also be producing more content to bring awareness and information to people interested in counselling and therapy on our website as well as Youtube. One thing is for sure, even though Elpizo may look different, we are still providing reliable and engaging service to clients. We will always make sure that the clients’ needs come first during every session while at the same time making sure we are accessible through unprecedented times. If you would like a free consultation please feel free to contact us at this link https://elpizocounselling.com/book-online/.
