Sarnia Institute for Trauma and Stress
434 Christina St. N. N7T 5W2 Sarnia, ON, Canada

"And uncertainty breeds anxiety, stress and depression. So that's what we're seeing with many veterans, is that uncertainty caused by COVID, whether it's financial, whether it's to do with their health, their employment, it's really having a negative impact." https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com//disabled-veterans-strug

Getting to Know Cindy Shrigley Cindy Shrigley, MSW, RSW is the founder of Sarnia Institute for Trauma and Stress. Her bio is on our website, but we thought we would share some more with you about Cindy and her long-standing commitment to the prevention and treatment of trauma in our community. Did you know?... Cindy was part of the first Critical Incident Stress Debriefing team in Sarnia for emergency personnel and served as their clinical coordinator for a period of time. Cindy was one of the first Canadians trained in EMDR therapy in 1999. She has been using EMDR therapy almost exclusively since and now provides consultation to other EMDR therapists to help them continue to develop their skills. Over the years she has sought out training by some of the world’s experts in the treatment of trauma, dissociation, and traumatic grief. She has even helped in the development of treatment protocols for people with complex trauma. Cindy helped to establish our local Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers’ clinic for workers who became ill or injured as a result of their job. She provided counselling services for OHCOW’s clients and families who were impacted by asbestos-related cancers. Her recent clinical interests are in traumatic and attachment shock and how it contributes to longstanding issues in our clients’ capacities to process traumas and recover from trauma-related issues. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have Cindy Shrigley as a therapist and mentor in our clinic as she brings forth so much experience and wisdom to us all. Thank you, Cindy, for your wisdom and commitment to helping people in our community and beyond along their healing journeys. If you would like to learn more about Cindy and her approach to psychotherapy, please visit our website: https://sarniatraumaandstress.com/about/

An online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies found that 25% of respondents feel more stressed and anxious since the pandemic due to the length and severity of the pandemic, social isolation, and concern for family members’ health (Reynolds, 2020). As we move into a season where it becomes more difficult to connect with others outdoors and where many events and celebrations may have to be scaled back, we’d imagine that would add to the isolation and stres...s people are facing. If you’re looking for ways to cope, feel free to check out the resource on our website which helps to process down feelings of stress and anxiety. (Please note: This protocol is meant to be a self-care strategy and is not meant to replace assessment and treatment by a mental health professional.)

This year presents new challenges for people with SAD as we spend more time practicing social distancing and caring for our health. Darker days and colder weather also mean more time indoors, which means less time with friends and family. Give this article a read to learn more about ways you can manage symptoms at home.

We had a lovely time last week getting to know our new neighbours, Naturopathic Doctors Dr. Mason Bresett ND and Dr. Chelsea Dakers ND. They have opened their clinic The Health Creation Lab at 442 Christina St. N. in Sarnia. We got to learn about their approaches to health and well-being and look forward to having them as part of our "healing village". For more information, feel free to visit their website:... https://www.thehealthcreationlab.com/ See more