Understanding the Risks of Sports Gambling/Betting
Sports betting has become increasingly accessible and popular, especially among men. What often starts as a harmless pastime can sometimes evolve into a problematic behaviour. In my ten years as a therapist in downtown Hamilton, I’ve seen more and more people whose sports betting habits are beginning to negatively affect their mental health, relationships, and financial stability. If you're noticing troubling changes in yourself or a loved one related to sports betting, you're not alone—and there are steps you can take to address it.
Worried About Being Judged in Therapy? Here’s What Your Therapist Really Thinks About You
If you’ve ever left a therapy session replaying what you just said, you’re not alone. Doing this can have benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, thinking about things from your therapist’s perspective can help you have insight into your own thoughts. On the other hand, you might find yourself leaving with a worry that your therapist is judging you as inept, unintelligent, or just plain whiny. The latter is a common fear, but a fear that is not usually helpful. After all, therapy often involves talking about things we don’t usually say out loud, so of course it’s going to feel a bit scary. In my ten years as a therapist in downtown Hamilton…
The Hidden Side of Anger: What You Might Be Feeling Instead
Anger is both a helpful and unhelpful feeling. It can help defend something important in your life - for example, if someone you love is being hurt, or someone is pressuring you to break a principle you hold, anger can give you the energy to defend what is important to you. On the other hand, anger can be an incredibly destructive force. It tears apart families. It leads to abuse. It all too often leads to unnecessary hurt. In my ten years of experience as a therapist in downtown Hamilton, I’ve seen it happen.
Anger is unfortunately especially a problem for men. Men are too frequently taught that being masculine means limiting emotional expression to a very narrow range. Men are ‘allowed’ to be neutral, angry, or maybe a little happy. Any expression of other emotion comes with the perceived risk of being weak or ‘less of a man.’ So, men learn to express any uncomfortable feeling as anger. This is not only the case for men, but it is especially the case for men.
So, (especially if you are a man) if you are finding anger causing you to hurt people you love or put distance between you and others, or get you into some other sort of trouble, my advice for you is this…
Coming Out of Hibernation: Easing Social Anxiety as Spring Arrives
After months of cold, dark days and quiet nights, spring invites us to step back into the world. The longer days and warmer air encourage social plans, outdoor activities, and reconnection. While this transition feels refreshing for some, for those who experience social anxiety, it can also feel overwhelming. Winter naturally brings a slowdown—fewer social commitments, shorter days, and more time spent indoors. While this can be a welcome break, it can also reinforce patterns of avoidance. The longer we stay in, the harder it becomes to step back out. If social situations already feel stressful, months of isolation can make them seem even more daunting.
In my ten years of experience as a therapist in downtown Hamilton, I’ve seen clients who struggle with this seasonal shift, feeling torn between the desire to reconnect and the urge to retreat. The good news? Social engagement, like any skill, can be tuned up with time and practice.
How to Waste Money in Therapy
Therapy can be life changing, if you take the actions to make change possible. But with a few mistakes, it could also be a waste of money and time. While some of the life-changing effects of therapy are about the quality of the therapist, so much of what makes therapy work is what you bring to it. In my ten years of experience as a therapist in downtown Hamilton, I’ve come to learn some common mistakes that clients make in therapy, usually because they don’t know what to expect from therapy, what their responsibilities are as the client, or because they want to be polite. While I do my best to address these situations with clients as we begin a therapeutic relationship or when I think these challenges are arising, it can be helpful for clients to review how therapy works best ahead of time.
More tips for battling procrastination and increasing productivity
In a previous blog post, I explored why we procrastinate, introduced the Pomodoro Technique, and broke down how and why it works. If you haven’t read that post yet, you might want to check it out first!
As a licensed therapist practicing in downtown Hamilton with 10 years experience, I’ve worked with many clients who struggle with focus, motivation, and time management. The Pomodoro Technique is a powerful tool, but why stop there? This week, we’re building on that foundation with extra procrastination-battling and productivity hacks to help you get even more out of your work sessions.
The Pomodoro Method: Not a pasta dish, but a trick to conquering procrastination
We’ve all been there: Staring at a to-do list that feels overwhelming, putting off tasks until the last minute, and then feeling stressed when time runs out. Some people think this pitfall is easy to avoid - “Just do the stuff on your list!”, they say. But for some people - myself, a licensed therapist with more than 10 successful years of providing mental health care in downtown Hamilton included - it can feel absolutely impossible to get started. Enter the Pomodoro Method, and no, it isn’t a tasty pasta dish!
My best advice for stress: Don’t try to calm down
You’re stressed. Your house is a mess, bills are piling up, you hate your job, and you and your partner have had yet another little spat about the dishes. Maybe you feel so stressed you are getting a little sweaty and feel your heart beating. As a licensed therapist, my advice to you is: Don’t try to calm down. Surprised? Read my latest blog to find out why and what I think you should do instead.
7 Tips for Feeling Your Best at Family Events this Holiday Season
Even the merriest of people can find some parts of the holiday season challenging - especially when it comes to visiting family. In this blog I give 7 practical suggestions (plus, I share a few of my own experiences celebrating Christmas with my family in Hamilton, Ontario) to help you take care of yourself all holiday season long.
Maximize Your Benefits: Your Guide to Insurance Coverage for Therapy in Ontario
Are you aware of the health insurance coverage offered by your employer (or your spouse’s or parent’s employer)? Most major health insurance plans cover therapy. If you’re not using the money that’s allocated to therapy in your insurance plan, you’re wasting valuable resources that are available to you! Read today’s blog to learn more about how to access therapy through your (or your family’s) insurer and make the most of your mental health.
Do I need therapy? Here’s 8 ways you can tell
When life gets tough, many people tend to just accept (often with a huge sigh) that "life is hard” and think their problems don’t warrant an appointment with a therapist. Many people suffer in silence for too long because they don’t understand how a therapist can help them. Spoiler alert: You don’t have to have extreme mental health problems OR a mental health diagnosis to make good use of a therapist. Take it from me, a Registered Psychotherapist who’s seen hundreds of clients facing a variety of life challenges!
Supporting Paternal Mental Health
My friend and child sleep consultant Chelsea Dawson invited me to write a blog post on mental health for new dads. Check it out!
Hi, I’m Scott Page, a male therapist in Hamilton.
Let’s get to know each other. Learn 5 little-known facts about me!