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By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: October 8, 2026 Thanksgiving Is Almost Here Thanksgiving weekend is approaching. For many families, that means turkey dinners, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, crowded kitchens, travelling, family traditions, and conversations around the dinner table. It's also the time of year when we hear a familiar question: “What are you thankful for?” I

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: October 1, 2026 Welcome, October And just like that, October is here. The leaves are changing across Nova Scotia. Pumpkins are appearing on front steps. Halloween decorations are slowly taking over the stores, and before long, children will be deciding whether they're going to be superheroes, witches, princesses, ghosts, or whatever chara

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: September 24, 2026 Pumpkin Spice Season Has Arrived It's officially that time of year. Pumpkin spice is everywhere. Coffee shops have changed their menus. Sweaters are coming out of closets. The mornings are cooler, the evenings are getting darker a little earlier, and across Nova Scotia we're beginning to see those first beautiful signs

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: September 17, 2026 We’re Halfway Through September Somehow, we are already halfway through September. The backpacks have been broken in. Lunch-making has returned to the evening routine. The school buses are back on the roads. University students are finding their way around campus. Sports, dance, activities, homework, work schedules, and

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: September 10, 2026 And Just Like That... We're Settling In What a few weeks it has been. Not long ago, I was writing about boxes, transitions, uncertainty, and preparing to leave the first office Venture Counselling & Therapy called home. Now, I'm sitting in our new space at 30 Damascus Road, and slowly but surely, it is starting to feel

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: September 3, 2026 Writing from Toronto Today, I am writing this blog from Toronto. Just a few hours ago, my youngest son and I landed and began what I'm calling our "Mom and Son Adventure" On August 31st, Joseph turned 20 years old. Twenty. I can hardly believe it. To celebrate this milestone, we decided to take a trip together and spend

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: August 27, 2026 Four Days and Counting... Eeeek! As I sit down to write this blog, I can't help but laugh a little. In four days, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. will officially be moving into our new office space. Four days. Eeeek! There are boxes everywhere. Furniture is being moved. Plans are being finalized. Lists are being checked

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: August 20, 2026 Growth Isn't Always Comfortable As therapists, we often talk about growth as something positive. Growth sounds exciting. Growth sounds empowering. Growth sounds like success. But what we don't talk about enough is that growth often comes with grief. To grow, we usually have to leave something behind. A role. A routine. A r

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: August 13, 2026 The Summer Version of the Sunday Scaries Have you ever noticed that sometime around the middle of August, your mood starts to shift? The weather is still beautiful. The beaches are still open. There are still camping trips, barbecues, and sunny evenings ahead. And yet... You start thinking about September. Back-to-school s

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: August 6, 2026 Wedding Season and New Beginnings On August 1st, I had the privilege of attending and helping organize my soon-to-be daughter-in-law Taylor's bridal shower in New Brunswick. The theme was & "Taylor's Last Rodeo." It was adorable, full of laughter, games, family, and celebration. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: July 30, 2026 Learning from the Land, Learning from Each Other As a therapist practicing in Nova Scotia, I have the privilege of working alongside individuals and families from many different backgrounds, cultures, and communities. One of the greatest lessons I have learned throughout my career is that healing does not belong to any one p

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: July 23, 2026 Drawn to the Water Have you ever noticed how your shoulders seem to relax when you arrive at the ocean? Or how sitting beside a lake feels different than sitting in a busy parking lot? Perhaps you've found yourself staring out at the waves, watching a river flow, or listening to water lap against a shoreline and thought, "I

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: July 16, 2026 Summer Is Meant to Be Enjoyed—Not Survived By the middle of July, many of us are deep into summer mode. The kids are home from school. Vacations are underway. Camping gear is packed and unpacked. There are beach days, family barbecues, road trips, festivals, and endless attempts to squeeze every bit of fun out of our short C

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: July 9, 2026 You Don't Need January to Start Again When people think about fresh starts, they often think about January 1st. New Year's resolutions. New goals. New habits. New beginnings. But what if I told you that July might actually be one of the best times of year for a reset? By now, we're halfway through the year. The excitement of

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: July 2, 2026 Reflecting on Canada Day Yesterday, Canadians from coast-to-coast celebrated Canada Day. There were fireworks, barbecues, community events, and opportunities to gather with family and friends. For many, Canada Day is a time to celebrate what makes our country unique. One of those things is our diversity. Canada is one of the

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: June 25, 2026 Looking Beyond Father's day Father's Day has just passed, and for many families it was a time of celebration, gratitude, and connection. Social media filled with photos of dads at barbecues, fishing trips, family gatherings, and special moments with their children. But behind many of those smiles is a reality we don't talk a

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling Therapy Inc. Posted: June 18, 2026 When Summer Feels Exposing As summer arrives, so does a shift—not just in weather, but in how we experience our bodies. Layers come off. Social events increase. There are beaches, pools, patios, and gatherings where appearance can feel more visible than usual. And for many people, this doesn’t feel freeing. It feels… exposing

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: June 11, 2026 Happy Pride Month June is Pride Month across Canada—a time to celebrate the strength, resilience, diversity, and contributions of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. For many people, Pride is colourful parades, celebrations, community events, and visibility. But Pride is also something deeper. It is about belonging. It is about safety

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: June 4, 2026 The Invisible Stories That Shape Us There are thoughts we have in the moment—and then there are the deeper, quieter beliefs that sit underneath them. These are called core beliefs. Core beliefs are the internal stories we carry about ourselves, others, and the world. They are often formed early in life through our experiences

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC Registered Counselling Therapist | Founder & Clinical Director, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. Posted: May 28, 2026 The Quiet Work of Growth A couple of weeks ago, we planted our box garden at home. There’s something grounding about putting your hands in the soil—choosing what to plant, spacing things out, watering everything just right… and then waiting. At first, nothing looks different. The soil looks the same. There are no visible sign