Past Newsletters

Christmas 2024

Look down the street.  Through every window, light spills out onto the snow.

Inside a home, it is Christmas dinner. The table is beautiful; the silverware gleams and the turkey is golden. The side dishes are artistically arranged and the candlelight gives everyone’s faces a warm glow.

It is so perfect it could be a movie set.

But we know its not a movie set.  This is real life.

The turkey almost burned and behind everyone’s artfully lit faces, internal struggles are going on. Anxiety, depression, trauma and difficult relationships are all unwanted guests at the table.

Statistics tell us that one in five Canadians experience mental health issues.  These statistics aren’t just numbers, they impact our own neighbourhoods. 

 

Fall 2024

Navigating the journey of life can be challenging; we don’t come pre-programmed knowing everything we need. We all need tools and strategies to help ourselves and our families along the way.

Emoticon is a therapeutic group program for children to help them identify, understand and manage their emotions. Anna and her son Drake talked to us about their
experience with Emoticon. 

Anna: The tools (Emoticon) provided are not just ‘here you go, use this’. There are options, different ways of doing this. Not one size fits all. There are different choices, he can pick the one that works for him. You aren’t just telling the kids, ‘These are your options’. You made sure that the information could be used, they are practical. 

Spring 2024

Many of us have ways of encouraging our personal well being. Whether it is spending time with a friend or going for a walk after a difficult day, we care for our inner selves in different ways. But sometimes we may need new tools and professional help to navigate life well.

Eagles Nest knows that reaching out for help in those times can be difficult; there are still many stigmas attached to mental health support. In everything we do, we work to remove those stigmas. From our counselling rooms to the group programs we offer, Eagles Nest creates a welcoming space where everyone can care for their mental health with support and understanding. Life is tough, reaching out and getting help shouldn't be.

 

Christmas 2023

Canada’s Wonderland. The airport. Christmas shopping at Home Sense. What do all these have in common? Lines. Lots of lines.

No one likes waiting in lines but if it is short, keeps moving and the reason you are there isn’t that urgent, you can do it. But what if you are waiting for something you really need?

Maybe your marriage is falling apart. Or your teen has low self-confidence. Or you are having trouble managing the stress of work, family and caring for aging parents. Waiting in line for help for these things is hard.

Unfortunately, finding affordable, local mental health resources and support can involve long lines and a lot of waiting.

OHIP only covers very specific types of mental health services. If you don’t fit in that box and can’t pay to see a therapist or don’t have private insurance coverage, you may not get the help you need.

Fall 2023

Over 20 years we have heard a lot of stories. Of all the stories we hear, stories of transformation are our favourite.

Often the person telling the story never thought they would get to tell it. They believed there was no hope, no other possible ending. But we know that with support and new tools, change is possible.

In this newsletter we are sharing some recent quotes from clients about change and how coming to Eagles Nest has impacted them. Even after 20 years, we never get tired of hearing these stories.

Spring 2023

What is it like coming to Eagles Nest for a program?

We recently talked to Cleo* about her experiences coming to I Am Worthy.

This 7 week therapeutic program helps teen girls explore their unique identity, build mutual support and celebrate their own value.  I Am Worthy is offered in-person at the HOPE Centre. 

Christmas 2022

Depending on where you travel, time machines are no fun.

A time machine arrives in your front yard. The only catch is that you must travel back to a time in your own life. When do you choose? One period we are pretty sure you won’t choose: the early teen years.

Remember that time? The insecurity? The shifting social groups? Never feeling smart enough/athletic enough/beautiful enough? The teen years can be soul-crushing.

It’s not just your experience. Statistics on self-worth for teens are sobering

Fall 2022

A mother with serious health conditions. A son living on the street with a drug addiction. A global pandemic. It was the perfect storm.

Alison* is a single parent. 3 years ago, she asked her adult son to leave her home because of his addiction.

The storm was coming though. By the beginning of the pandemic things had spiraled out of control; he was stealing, there were legal problems and her health issues meant she had to be careful about contact with others. She was desperate to set some boundaries with her son. A friend suggested she call Eagles Nest.

 

Spring 2022

“There was so much yelling.”

That is one of the first things Elyse* mentions when asked why she enrolled her son Leo* in Emoticon, one of our programs for kids.

Leo is 8. He is a social guy. He loves games and hanging out with people. He also has big emotions that he doesn't always know what to do with.