Posts by Caitlin McBride
Sobering up from your smartphone
Written by Mercedes Miller I sit down at my laptop to start writing a blog post for Avalon. I pick an interesting topic, find some good articles to get inspiration from and open a blank document – and then I see my phone screen light up out of the corner of my eye. I…
Read MoreFirst phase of Avalon re-opening beginning July 6
Avalon welcomes the Government of B.C.’s recent announcement that the province will begin our gradual entry into Phase 3 of the provincial re-opening approach. In line with our update on May 26, we are now planning how we can facilitate a limited number of safe in-person meetings at our Avalon Women’s Centres. These in-person meetings…
Read MoreAvalon begins planning for gradual re-opening
We welcome yesterday’s news that the Government of B.C. is moving towards Phase 3 of the provincial re-opening plan! This means that Avalon can begin the process of planning how we can safely and gradually re-open our doors. Our biggest piece of guidance in this process will be the results collected from our Future of…
Read MoreSelf-soothing behaviours
Written by Mercedes Miller Yesterday, I attended a webinar led by Dr. Pat Ogden that covered the topic of delivering sensorimotor psychotherapy, a therapy that combines body awareness and body movement with cognitive therapies, in an online format. One of the major themes that I found throughout this webinar was self-soothing behaviours: tools that…
Read MoreA guide to practice self-compassion
Written by Karen Pontious Your mind immediately starts scrutinizing yourself every time you fail to finish your never-ending to do list. Lying in bed, you randomly remember some embarrassing moment you had when you were in high school. If you’ve experienced any of these things, maybe you have an overbearing inner critic like me. We…
Read MoreGrieving the loss of alcohol or drugs
Written by Mercedes Miller When one thinks of entering recovery, the thought of leaving the substance of choice behind is on the forefront of one’s mind. Saying goodbye to that substance and the relationship one had to it may not be as common, but experiencing grief and all the emotions that come along with…
Read MoreThat miracle they talk about: Heide Mayne
West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Ralph Sultan and Centre Manager Heide Mayne at the North Shore Open House event on June 1, 2019 By Rosemary Keevil When Heide Mayne first stepped into the Avalon Women’s Centre North Shore at 11:30 on Friday, May 3, 2002 she was a depressed and desperate woman. She attended the midday…
Read MoreHow your nutrition is impacting your recovery
Written by Karen Pontious Drugs and alcohol can cause long-term damage to your body and you feel the effects both mentally and physically. The link between substance abuse and poor nutrition is vicious cycle that can negatively impact your goals in recovery. During the initial stages of recovery your body is in the detoxification stage…
Read MoreUpdate on Avalon Women’s Centres
At Avalon Recovery Society, we take the health and safety of our community very seriously. Many women in recovery have underlying health conditions and are vulnerable to infection and illness, and we have an incredibly small staff and volunteer team that we rely on to operate. To protect the wellbeing of our community and…
Read MoreHow to break the stigma around addiction
Written by Karen Pontious Addiction has been given a label based on widespread misinformation and judgments. The resulting stigma causes us to wrongfully make assumptions about ourselves and those who suffer from addiction. T.V. shows constantly depict the “wine mom” as a social norm, and we glamorize alcohol and drug consumption – until addiction joins…
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