relationship building | Julia Kristina Counselling

Why Getting Unsolicited Advice Often Feels Icky.

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:43-07:00June 28th, 2016|General|

Have you ever wondered why it is that most of us think other people want, no NEED our advice and should absolutely do what we say and make the choices we can clearly see are best from them - but then when the tables are turned and they come to us and tell us what to do, or how we should live our lives or what choices WE must make, we get irritated, resistant, frustrated and feel like they "really don't know what they are talking about"? So we all want to give our golden, must-be-revered [...]

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Passive Aggressive Behaviour. What’s It All About?

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:45-07:00November 26th, 2015|General|

Have you ever known someone who seems all nice and pleasant on the outside, but who you often go away from with a funny, uncertain, insecure or kind of ick feeling? You leave their presence asking yourself “what just happened? I feel all kinds of no good, but I can’t directly put my finger on what was said or done… all seemed pleasant on the surface, but something was just not right.” And then you start to question yourself and wonder if it’s you who’s being weird and not them. But I’m here to [...]

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Entrepreneurial Boundary Setting 101

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:46-07:00September 27th, 2015|General|

"Boundaries don’t mean you are mean. Boundaries mean you are clear." I’m a therapist. And so my job is to care. But I also really do care, which is one of the big reasons I love my job so much. I get to earn a living doing something I genuinely love, and am so grateful for it every day. Part of what I do as well is give some of my knowledge and expertise away for free. I write this blog, I have given pro bono talks around my community, I have a YouTube [...]

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Why Trying to be Fiercely Independent Will Leave You Wildly Unhappy.

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:48-07:00July 20th, 2015|General|

The other day on CBC Radio One they were talking about teen depression and how it’s on the rise in North America. Some stats say that approximately 20% of all teens will experience a major depressive episode before they reach their adult years. I find this information quite off-putting and disturbing and it's made me reflect on the why of it all. Why, in a nation where the majority of us have way more than anyone could ever want, let alone, need? Where we have freedom, food, and fresh water? Where we have education, elected government, and employment? Where [...]

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6 Irritating Behaviours That Push People Away.

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:51-07:00May 1st, 2015|General|

The truth is, we all behave in ways that are less than becoming from time to time and sometimes we’re aware of our unflattering behaviours and sometimes we’re not. No one’s perfect and that’s okay. But there is a line between having the oddmoment, and being a down right unappealing person to be around. And if you want others to really enjoy your company and like being around you as much as possible here are 6 behaviours you may not want to exceed your quota on too often. Constantly Criticising Others Picking people apart, judging [...]

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5 Things You Can Do To Become An Exceptional Listener.

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:51-07:00April 27th, 2015|General|

“We have two ears and one mouth. This is so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” –Aboriginal Wisdom Ahh communication. When we hear the word communication, the first word that usually comes to mind is ‘talking’. But that’s only the half of it. The other half is listening and that part often gets forgotten. And believe it or not, being a good listener is often more crucial to being an excellent communicator than talking. Most people can talk relatively well, but very few actually listen well. If you really want to stand [...]

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With A Little Grace

By Julia Kristina|2017-05-21T16:05:58-07:00July 23rd, 2012|General|

Self deprecation and humility – there is a difference. I don’t know if it’s a Canadian thing or what, but I think many of us fear appearing egotistical, prideful, or cocky to such an extent that we overcompensate too much toward the other end and become almost self-deprecating. It’s often relatively subtle – an “oh it’s not that good” here, an “I kind of messed it up” there, a “You should see how good so and so does it”… but any and all put downs we give ourselves do still chip away at the soul [...]

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