You might wonder why a therapist is (again) blogging about baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays. Well, first off, I’m a fan, and sometimes we, like our clients, need to write about the things that move and inspire us, and the things that bring us joy and optimism. Also, I couldn’t help but notice, watching this series with family and friends, some comparisons between life, mental wellness, agility, and baseball (this team in particular).
Consider, the certain heaviness in the air lately — not just in people’s individual lives, but in how it feels to exist in this moment in history. Many Canadians I speak with describe a particular unease: anxiety about finances, job security, housing, the world. They are witnessing polarizing politics and feelings of instability that seem to be south of the border, but bleed into everything. There’s this sense of being small — up against something vast and unpredictable.
That feeling isn’t far off from what it’s been like to follow the Toronto Blue Jays this season. They’ve spent the year facing powerhouses — older, wealthier, seasoned teams from across the U.S. And yet here they are, the so-called underdogs, stepping into the World Series against the defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It’s a story many of us can relate to. Facing something that feels too big — whether it’s global uncertainty, emotional exhaustion, or grief that keeps pulling you backward — can make us feel like David standing before Goliath. The question isn’t whether we can make the giant disappear. It’s whether we can find our footing, our ground, and still choose to show up.
When Life Feels Like a Series You Can’t Win
Anxiety, depression, and grief each have their own way of shrinking the world. Anxiety keeps the mind racing toward what could go wrong. Depression pulls energy inward until the simplest things — answering messages, getting out of bed, getting help — feel monumental. Grief folds time in on itself, replaying memories that can’t be undone.
People often tell me, “I should be coping better,” as if these experiences are a test they’re failing. But in truth, these are normal responses to pain, uncertainty, and loss. They are the body and mind trying to protect us — just not always in ways that serve us long-term.
Therapy becomes a space where we begin to understand those patterns — to look at what our minds are fighting against, and what our bodies are still carrying. We work slowly, learning to notice what happens internally rather than rushing to “fix” it.
Sometimes that means becoming aware of how you brace against anxiety. Sometimes it means allowing grief to move through you instead of keeping it buried. And sometimes, it’s about understanding that feeling powerless in a world that feels unsteady doesn’t mean you’re broken — it means you’re human.
Therapy as a Way of Reclaiming Agency
As a therapist, I don’t see the process as about winning or losing. It’s about helping you locate a sense of steadiness within the chaos. That might involve learning small grounding skills, exploring early patterns that shape how you respond to stress, or developing a deeper compassion for yourself. It’s both practical and reflective — working from the body outward and the mind inward.
Unlike baseball, with therapy, there’s no scoreboard. No final inning. Just gradual awareness, new choices, and moments of ease that start to take root again. Over time, those moments grow — like a team that’s learned to trust its rhythm after a long, gruelling season.
A Local Place to Begin
If you’re in Hamilton, Burlington, or the surrounding area, you can come in-person — sometimes that sense of physical presence, being in the same room with another person, creates a quiet grounding of its own. Online sessions are available too, across Ontario for those who prefer the privacy and comfort of home (or elsewhere).
It’s less about the format and more about the intention: to create a space that helps you rebuild confidence in your own capacity to face what feels overwhelming.
Choosing to Show Up
In moments like these — in sports, in life — I find myself drawn to what it means to stay in it. To keep showing up, to work as a team, even when the odds aren’t in your favour. The Jays may be facing a giant in the Dodgers — much like Canadians often feel overshadowed by the cultural and political storms south of the border. But that’s what makes their effort so compelling: they keep showing up.
That’s also the work of therapy. Not heroic. Not grand. Just steady. A willingness to face what feels big, and to trust that something within you is capable of meeting it — maybe not all at once, but one honest step at a time.
If that resonates, you can reach out for a free 15 minute consultation through ontariotherapist.com
Let’s go!!!
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