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Ripple Resource Library
Learning starts with Curiosity
Welcome to the Ripple Resource Library, a growing collection of articles designed to make mental health feel a little more understandable and a little less overwhelming. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, teen, or adult navigating life's challenges, you'll find practical strategies, compassionate insights, and neuroscience-informed education to help you better understand yourself and the people you care about. We believe that lasting change begins with understanding, and that even small shifts can create meaningful ripples over time.
Looking beneath behaviour.
Understanding emotions.
Creating small ripples of change.
The 10 Mental Health Benefits of Golf (From a Licensed Therapist Who Used to Hate Golf)
Confession time. I used to hate golf. Well, not golf itself… necessarily. But what it represented. As a wife and mom of toddler twins, golf used to feel like dedicated hours of freedom that I didn't have. While I was home navigating diapers, naps, meltdowns, and the endless mental load of parenting, my husband would head out with friends to do something he genuinely loved. I'd watch him leave feeling equal parts envy, resentment, and if I'm honest, a little guilty for feeling
Aug 37 min read
Regulation Is Not Relaxation: The Truth About Emotional Upset
What's Do People Say When Someone Is Upset? Chances are, it’s something like: “Calm down.” “Take 10 deep breaths.” “Sit down, relax. Everything is going to be okay.” Sound familiar? You’ve probably said these things to others—and to yourself—expecting that you (or they) should just relax. But does that ever really work? Sure, once in a while it might help. But more often than not, it can actually make things worse. Instead of truly calming down, a person might appear composed
Jun 17, 20252 min read
Co-Regulation: Guiding Our Children Through Emotional Storms
Many parents ask: How do I provide co-regulation for my child? Great question—and I wish there was a simple, clear-cut answer. But that’s not how co-regulation works. At its core, co-regulation is about connection. It’s about your child’s nervous system being able to tap into your regulated, steady presence. That’s why it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution—co-regulation is dynamic, and unique to every parent-child relationship. That said, I can offer you some guidance. Step O
Jun 2, 20253 min read
The Safe Emergency Technique
Have you been burned by an ex-partner and now find it hard to trust in a new relationship? Do you refuse to eat out after a bad experience with food poisoning? Did you bomb your last public speaking gig and now dread having to present again? Try the Safe Emergency Technique. It’s a guaranteed method when done correctly. To make it work, you need to pay close attention to the pace that your body needs. Your mind might urge you to “speed this up” or “just get this over with,” b
Feb 13, 20253 min read
Emotional Regulation Using Polyvagal Theory – Be your Best Self!
How many times have you been told to take 10 deep breaths, calm down, or that your fear reaction isn’t warranted? The internet and social media are full of advice on mindfulness, meditation, and other techniques for managing emotional dysregulation. But here's the catch: these strategies can be ineffective unless you understand how your body perceives cues of danger. The truth is, our bodies are much smarter than our thinking brains! While the thinking brain can be skilled at
Nov 15, 20243 min read
Boredom: The Mother of Reinvention
Boredom is often dismissed, but it’s not just a childhood issue—adults can benefit immensely from embracing it, too. If you find yourself collapsing in exhaustion at the end of the day, falling asleep the moment you sit down, or unable to quiet your racing thoughts, you might be the perfect candidate for an exercise in boredom! Many of us are trapped in an endless cycle of “musts” and “shoulds.” Take a moment to notice the busy mind that generates this list. Now, ask yourself
Oct 6, 20242 min read
Nurturing the Flicker: How to Grow Your Smallest Goals into Big Wins
So often in life, we have a great idea, a goal, or something we want to commit to. In our enthusiasm, we share it far and wide. We announce it to others, spend money preparing for it, and act as if it’s already accomplished. We buy that gym membership, get supplies for painting, or set up a yoga space at home. But more often than not, many of us experience the disappointing reality of our enthusiasm fading, and the “great idea” eventually dies. When this happens repeatedly, w
Sep 8, 20242 min read
I DARE You!
Navigating life can be incredibly challenging—sometimes astronomically so. Between pandemics, environmental crises, and an array of future uncertainties, maintaining our well-being can feel like an uphill battle. While there are countless strategies for keeping ourselves in good mental health, many of us rely on just a few, or even just one or two. I invite you to make a list of all the activities and practices that help you maintain good mental health. Just like with dental
Sep 8, 20242 min read
Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Ripple
Ever heard yourself say “A part of me wants to and another part doesn’t”? This is revealing what is understood through Internal Family Systems (IFS) as your internal system. At Ripple Effect we have been exploring ways to integrate this model into our work with great success. It makes such intuitive sense to children to thinks of themselves as having parts within them. Multiple aspects of this model fit with the Ripple approach. It promotes the relational approach in a truly
Dec 8, 20192 min read
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