Most people describe a shrinking attention span as something that happened to them, a personal failing, a sign of getting older, or simply "too much screen time." In my view, this framing misses the more useful point. Attention is not a fixed trait. It behaves more like a skill, shaped by daily habits and by a digital environment that is, in many respects,…
By Keith Norris, RTC, MTC Intimate relationships involving narcissistic traits are often marked by early intensity, idealization, and a strong sense of being uniquely chosen. This early phase creates the impression of depth and emotional investment. As the relationship evolves, however, many partners encounter patterns that are difficult to understand and even harder to predict. These patterns include sudden withdrawal, shifts in warmth,…
Developing a coherent and stable identity is a central task during adolescence. According to Erikson (1968), this period is characterized by a conflict between identity versus role confusion, in which young people begin to consolidate a sense of self by integrating personal values with those modeled by peers and society. However, this period is also a time when adolescents are particularly vulnerable to…
Cognitive reflection is the ability to override intuitive, automatic responses with deliberate, analytical reasoning to make more accurate decisions along with check-list utilization. An important aspect of which is its potential to facilitate awareness, control, and monitoring processes to help identify potential thinking errors and encourage the deployment of alternative strategies. A 2024 Ergonomics study by Mohan et al., provides some compelling results…
“Uberized” online therapy platforms—like BetterHelp, or subscription based ones like Talkspace—have surged in popularity over the past decade, partly due to their promise of affordable, on-demand mental health care. But these services often trade away client confidentiality, compromise clinical quality, and treat therapy as a commodity rather than a relational process. Below, I explore how Uber-style mental health platforms betray core ethical principles…
The ability to do things we don’t want to do often attributed to a construct called “discipline.” However, this framing obscures a more complex interplay of neurocognitive conditioning, environmental influence, and shifting cultural values. Increasingly, what is perceived as a lack of discipline may in fact reflect a neurological adaptation to novelty-saturated digital environments—particularly those designed to exploit dopaminergic reward pathways. The erosion…
“Letting go” isn’t about erasing the past, pretending nothing happened, or admitting defeat; it’s an active journey that rewrites how our memories and emotions hold sway over us. Letting go involves a set of cognitive and neurobiological shifts—experiential acceptance, cognitive reappraisal, and memory reconsolidation. In letting go, there is a process of cognitive reappraisal, which means reframing how you interpret a hurtful event—shifting…
Understanding Imposter Syndrome and How to Break the Loop You’d think that getting the job, landing the client, or being handed the mic would settle things. That at some point, confidence would catch up to competence. But for many people—especially those in high-performance fields or creative industries—that feeling never really arrives. Instead, success brings something else: doubt. Sometimes louder than ever. What Is…
Aviation professionals, particularly pilots, are often thought to embody a unique blend of skills and personality traits—the so-called "right stuff." While cognitive and technical abilities are well-established as essential for pilots, air traffic controllers, and aviation maintenance technicians, the influence of personality traits on aviation performance is more complex and nuanced. The "Honeymoon Effect": Personality’s Delayed Impact The role of personality in aviation…
The polarization gripping society today is undeniable. It feels like a relentless tug-of-war, with mounting pressure to choose a side—failure to do so risks marking you as an outcast. For many, conformity seems like the only path to safety. With ideological enforcers seemingly everywhere and the demand to align intensifying, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, as if you’re sinking under a flood of…
Occasionally, we encounter rare moments of clarity and happiness, where the weight of sadness and anxiety seems to disappear even for a minute. These moments - a quiet summer evening at the beach, recovering from illness, or being moved by art or music makes us wonder whether life could feel less like a burden. What if we could let go of fear and…
By Keith Norris, Counsellor in New Westminster BC For many individuals, work provides a sense of purpose and a platform to live out their values. However, situations often arise where job responsibilities or workplace cultures clash with personal principles. This misalignment can lead to stress, disillusionment, and burnout. While not every role or organization will align perfectly with an individual’s values, it is…
Understanding the Link Between Anxiety and Depression: Two Sides of the Same Coin I often hear clients say, “I can’t tell if I’m anxious or depressed.” This confusion is common because anxiety and depression frequently go hand-in-hand, creating a cycle of overwhelming thoughts and emotions. While they are distinct conditions, their close relationship means that they often occur together, blurring the lines between…
The experience of grief is as unique as the individuals who go through it. For many years, theories like those of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and John Bowlby have shaped our understanding of bereavement, offering helpful frameworks for the types of reactions people may experience when faced with the loss of a loved one. These stage models—whether it’s Kübler-Ross’s five stages or Bowlby’s four stages—serve…
Men's Issues in Therapy As suicide rates rise among middle-aged white men, there is a growing effort to break down the stigma around seeking help from mental health professionals. Many men find it difficult to ask for assistance—even something as simple as directions—let alone reach out to a counselor. This reluctance can have lasting effects on their well-being. Research increasingly shows that men…