WOW! It has been one year since I opened up my practice at this location!
Time really does roll by quickly!
I have found that I describe my office/studio as a "work in progress" to honor that I need time to settle into a space! (I still haven't settled on whether to refer to it as an office or as a studio or creative space or healing space......shall let you know when I've decided)!
I've rediscovered my love for indoor plants and sprinkle them throughout the office/studio. With privacy coverings on the windows, the plants serve to bring a bit of the natural world inside the space and serve as gentle metaphors of change and growth!
The attached video is my amateur attempt of providing a bit of a tour of the interior to share what it looks like currently!
Namaste, my friends
​Leanne 

 This isn't to say or to encourage avoiding the areas of your life that need change ~ rather that there are many ways with which we can evoke change in our lives.
Planting those positive seeds is but one proactive approach.
Sending you light ~ Leanne

To celebrate (and in celebration of) ageing, I offer this thought:
For many years I have lovingly referred to my grey hair as my having artic highlights.
And then recently I read this tiny quote and it made me smile.
The timing was perfect in a synchronistic way.
"Those are not grey hairs, those are strands of your silver lining."
Sometimes we need those subtle reminders that we are so much more
than the sum of our external parts. 

This spring it has been a very cloudy mixture of rain, wind and the occasional burst of sunshine! I've made the conscious decision to get out into those moments of sunshine and either enjoy a walk or to just turn my face to the warmth of the sun's rays and breathe.
We all have different ways of managing our Canadian weather patterns and I'm often curious about what others do to find balance during the times where we see more grey sky than blue.
Is it listening to really great upbeat music that makes you want to sing and dance?
Is it cooking delicious savoury foods that awaken your taste buds and is also simultaneously comforting?
Or is it gearing up in clothing that keeps the wind, rain and cold at bay and setting out to explore new paths in the nearby woods?
I would love to hear other suggestions!
In peace and light,
​Leanne

I heard a Raven calling from high up in the tall Fir tree just before this picture was taken. I love the many different vocalizations that Ravens have, these sounds and calls that will literally stop me in my tracks to listen. 
How often do we let ourselves listen to the sounds of nature?
The sounds from nature tend to get lost amongst the din of the human landscape of sounds.
Here is where I offer an invitation. 
An invitation, an encouragement, an offering, a suggestion.....with hopes that you may find a way to invite a moment each day where you are able to focus and listen to sounds from nature. 

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) light up our northern hemisphere sky and appear alive as they dance across the night sky. The truth of the matter is, that dance is a protective one, that speaks of the invisible shield at the upper most layer of our atmosphere that the charged particles from the Sun collides with.
Two nights ago the Aurora Borealis display brought me to thinking about how we each have our own shields of protection. It may be in the form of visible "armour" (clothes etc.) or a shield that is invisible to the eye, one that is worn within us. Our protective mechanisms are created (and evolve) over the course of our lifetime, some discarded when the need is no longer apparent, others are held onto. 
How do we know when our protective "armour" no longer serves in a positive way and in fact has become a barrier to our being able to live a healthy balanced life?
A question that can be pondered over a cup of tea while looking at the many amazing photos of the recent Aurora Borealis display!

The Bottom floor with the rounded windows is the soon to be opened new location
for Solstice Moon Counselling & Art Therapy!!
I'm soooo excited to be creating this space
where clients can meet me for
Counselling and/or Art Therapy!
It will be by appointment only
with new hours for the summer months!

July & August Appointment hours:
3pm- 8:30pm Monday - Thursday
2pm-4pm Saturdays
To book an appointment 
Phone: 778-608-3895
​Email: solsticemooncounselling@gmail.com

I went to one of the local garden centres yesterday to purchase seeds for my garden. This is a welcome return to gardening, and done with intent and contentment. I've missed gardening to this degree, and look forward to the process.
This particular garden centre is lovely as it is set back from the road and you wind around a twisty little path to get to the parking area and the main building.
I was greeted by a lively group of chickens happily walking through the parking area looking for gravel and bugs.
The photo above was my attempt to capture how this particular chicken was quite content roosting in the tree cooing quietly watching the others move about on the ground. I find that the soft cooing sounds that chickens make when content is soothing and for lack of better words "earthy" and reminds me of farms and rural areas. 
I'm writing this blog post in homage to all of those that are getting ready for garden season, whether this involves patio container gardening, raised bed gardening or large scale gardens, there is something inherently therapeutic about working with soil, seedlings and plants.
I would encourage anyone to find a way to explore gardening. Connecting with the earth, nurturing plants as they grow and taking time to breath outdoor fresh air.

Just to be clear...this isn't a blog post debating the pros and cons of mask wearing. Nope not at all!
I had a realization this week that there may be individuals who might be seeking counselling services, are looking through my website and they may be curious about how I look with and without a mask. 
So I thought I would do a quick blog post and share!
I love seeing people's faces, but it's also amazing to see just how expressive our eyes, eyebrows, brows and cheeks can be (any facial part that is not covered by a mask).
Our voices, body posture, hand gestures all add into the many ways that we express ourselves to others. Add in Art Therapy and there is an additional way for self-expression!
So whether you choose to seek in person counselling (mask on) or online counselling (mask off)...you will be met with my smiling eyes!