Jill Connors Counselling Services

06/07/2026

Therapist in training since '97 🤣✌️

In some ways, things haven't changed. I do still love to curl up like this, even in sessions sometimes. My wardrobe is made up of many comfy sweaters and jeans. And my hair is often pulled into a messy bun or clip.

One thing that has changed (other than those great bangs), is how I relate to this younger Jill. I can give her the compassion and gentleness she needs when she is anxious. When perfectionism comes up, I can relate to this younger me and help her embrace flexibility.

How can you relate to your inner child?

06/03/2026

June is Men's Mental Health Month

Health Canada has shared information about progress toward our FIRST Boy's & Men Health Strategy. First!! This is a step forward.

As a mom raising two boys, I am feeling emotional.

In light of men's mental health month, I find myself wondering....what are the stories, labels, and expectations we are placing on boys? How does that affect their development into adolescence and adulthood? How can we balance encouraging boys to grow and be independent, but to know it is okay to need and ask for help? How do we guide boys to know that vulnerability is strength? How do we teach boys equality?

Check out the full article here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/06/as-mens-health-month-begins-canada-advances-work-on-first-men-and-boys-health-strategy.html

05/28/2026

Some people don't want to talk about it over and over again, or at all.

The idea of sitting with a stranger and talking about the hardest moments of your life, finding words for things you’ve never spoken, and reliving them out loud can make therapy feel impossible before you even begin.
That’s why many people wait, or sometimes never go at all.
ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) takes a different approach. You don’t have to describe your trauma in detail. Instead, the process uses the images your mind holds about a memory, not the story itself. Many people are surprised to learn they don’t need to explain everything for ART to help.
Your actual memories remain. ART doesn’t erase what happened. What changes is the emotional weight your body and mind have connected to it—the images, physical feelings, and automatic reactions that can linger long after the event.
You still remember, but you don’t have to keep feeling it the same way.
If fear of the process has kept you from getting help, it may help to know that healing doesn’t always mean revisiting every detail.
Sometimes, you just need a different way in.
To find an ART-trained therapist near you, visit www.ARTworksnow.com.

05/26/2026

Starting or returning to counselling can come with mixed emotions.

Better understanding some of the longer term benefits of counselling may help you take the next step.

✨️ c o n n e c t i o n
In working with a counsellor, you create a meaningful connection with another person. We collaborate together to help you move forward. While Google, reddit forums, and chat gpt can offer you some tips to improve your mental health, they are not a replacement for human connection. You do not have to face your mental health issues on your own, us counsellors are trained to work with you.

✨️ e m p o w e r m e n t
Another benefit to counselling is accessing a stronger sense of empowerment. Setting goals for yourself and seeing your progress and accomplishments along the way fosters a sense of empowerment.

✨️ c o m m u n i c a t i o n
Working with a counsellor also helps you develop and practice your communication skills. This strengthens your communication with yourself and others in your world. Counsellors can guide you to better understand and express your thoughts, emotions, sensations, urges, and behavior.

✨️ s a f e t y
Counselling is a safe space for you. Your thoughts and feelings can be held without judgement. This experience can support you in developing a stronger sense of internal safety that you can carry with you outside of session.

✨️ g r o w t h
Through counselling, you can develop awareness and insight into yourself, the challenges you face, and the unique strengths that you carry. You can learn what skills can fit for you, and how to use them effectively.

✨️ r e l a t i o n a l h e a l i n g
Many of us carry emotional wounds from early relationships that shape our connections to others in our current relationships. Difficulties trusting, disconnection, abuse, neglect, betrayal, abandonment, and criticism are a few examples of negative experiences that can leave a lasting impression on our nervous system, and can create barriers to developing safe, healthy relationships. A counsellor can work with you to build a therapeutic relationship, where you can experience a safe, boundaried, non-judgmental connection.

05/14/2026

Using time management tools can help you manage stress.

Do you find yourself overwhelmed with running to do lists in your mind, worrying about when you are going to do things, or putting yourself on the back burner because there's "too much to do"?

Life gets busy, but you do have choice over how you manage your previous time and energy.

Check out these resources to learn more:

Time blocking: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-use-time-blocking-to-manage-your-day-4797509

Eisenhower Matrix:https://sps.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/Eisenhower%20Matrix.pdfchromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://sps.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/Eisenhower%20Matrix.pdf

Rest - https://www.apa.org/topics/mental-health/seven-rest-types

05/14/2026

Using time management tools can help you manage stress.

Do you find yourself overwhelmed with running to do lists in your mind, worrying about when you are going to do things, or putting yourself on the back burner because there's "too much to do"?

Life gets busy, but you do have choice over how you manage your previous time and energy.

Check out these resources to learn more:

Time blocking: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-use-time-blocking-to-manage-your-day-4797509

Eisenhower Matrix:https://sps.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/Eisenhower%20Matrix.pdfchromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://sps.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2023-08/Eisenhower%20Matrix.pdf

Rest - https://www.apa.org/topics/mental-health/seven-rest-types

05/06/2026

Learning is an ongoing process 📚

I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, consulting with others, and taking trainings. I completed the Cognitive Processing Therapy training recently, and look forward to offering this to clients!

CPT is an evidence based, structured therapy that is an effective treatment for PTSD. In CPT you learn to identify "stuck points" in your thoughts and beliefs. We work together to challenge those thoughts, so you can develop a more balanced perspective and move forward.

04/15/2026

Taking a few moments to watch the river open up and let go reminds me of a similar practice we can use with our thoughts.

Not all of our thoughts are helpful. Being able to take a step back and notice your thoughts is a lot like standing by the river and watching the ice chunks go by.

Some thoughts can be big and fast.
Some can be dark.
Some can be slow.
Some can be welcome.
Some can get stuck.
Some can be like popcorn.
Some can come in hot an
d barge through all the other thoughts in our mind.

As uncomfortable as this can be...how much attention we place on our thoughts can play a part with how they impact us.

Try taking a step back and practice acknowledging your thoughts by saying " I notice I'm thinking ________"

It can take you from being in the river fighting the ice chunks, to standing on the river bank, allowing your thoughts to come and go 🫶

04/01/2026

Such a warm welcome ☺️

Welcome Jill Connors to the team! 😃

Check out her bio and we will add her booking link at the bottom of this post. You can book directly with the link.

Jill Connors, M.A. (Counselling Psychology), LCT, C.C.C.

I completed my Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree from Yorkville University in 2021. I hold a Bachelor of Science (Major in Psychology) degree from Mount Allison University, as well as a diploma in Addictions Community Outreach from Nova Scotia Community College.
I work with clients who are seeking to better understand themselves and their relationships. We can work together to highlight your strengths that can support you in facing challenges and difficulties. I honor your wisdom and insight, and encourage you to move forward at a pace that aligns with you.
In therapy, I draw on different types of therapeutic approaches to meet your unique needs as an individual. I offer a compassionate, strengths-based perspective to encourage you to develop more flexibility with yourself. I work from a trauma-informed lens, and provide you with a balance of information and options so you can make thoughtful decisions about your therapy along the way.
You may not have chosen some of the circumstances you are facing, but you do get to choose how you respond and move forward. You may be seeking counselling to address something that has gotten your attention…whether it is anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, or trauma. It’s okay if you do not have a specific reason. There is benefit in showing up to create a space where you can explore what is important to you.

Services:
- Individual counselling for youth (ages 12 and up) and adults
- Accelerated Resolution Therapy (Basic Level)
- Systems Training for emotional predictability and problem solving (STEPPS)

Booking link - https://clientportal.us.zandahealth.com/clientportal/jillconnorscounsellingservices/home

03/31/2026

Anyone else love the feeling of starting a fresh journal? ✨️ I have different journals that serve different purposes. Sometimes I jot things on my phone, sometimes on the back of a random piece of paper, or in a journal.

There are many benefits to journalling, and no right or wrong way to do it. Journalling can help you acknowledge your emotions, practice expressing yourself or find ways to cope or address your problems. Journalling can also be a place to explore your strengths or get to know yourself. Try giving yourself a prompt, such as reflecting on "how have I been facing a challenge in my life lately?"