Blog - Page 3 of 7 - Dr. Christina Bjorndal

How to Choose a Fish Oil for Depression and Anxiety

Omega 3 Fatty Acids, commonly called ‘fish oils’ are a category of fats that are essential to mental health. Essential, meaning that the body requires them for many important functions, and we cannot make them ourselves; we must get them from the diet. Omega 3 fatty acids have been well studied for many conditions, and…

My Personal Forgiveness Practice

I’ve been diving deep into my own practice of forgiveness lately. Forgiving is not just a singular act, it is a practice that takes work, effort, and can feel so uncomfortable sometimes that we want to quit and stay mad and be right. But, it also feels so good once we start getting the hang…

Social Connection in a Time of Social Distancing

This week, May 4th – May 10th, 2020 is Mental Health Week. As someone who has struggled with a number of mental illnesses and who now works with others to help them overcome theirs, I feel this is a very important week. It is a week that helps to shift societal beliefs and perceptions about…

Managing Your Mind in Uncertain Times

The reality is life is uncertain. It’s just that when we are going about our daily lives, we typically aren’t restricted so much, and we are able to let go of some of these uncertainties and continue moving in a forward direction. For a lot of people, the difficulties being stirred up by coronavirus are…

Viewing Pain as “Spiritual Punishment”?

Is my chronic pain a spiritual punishment? Sometimes it can feel that way, like we are being punished for not being “good enough”, or not “strong enough” to dissipate emotional or physical energy before it gets stored up and turned into pain. This is not the case! Being human is an incredibly vulnerable, raw, difficult…

God and Chronic Illness

Call it by any name, but the belief in something bigger than ourselves, and bigger than what we see, is a strength that can help people through difficult times. Difficulty in life, illness, tragedy, and trauma is never easy, but many find strength in supportive beliefs. The question is, how do we reconcile belief in…

The Spiritual Role of Chronic Pain

What is the spiritual role of chronic pain? Chronic pain is a signal. Literally, it is a signal from the body to the brain, but it can also metaphorically be a signal from something bigger than ourselves as well. We store so much emotional energy in the body that it turns into physical sensations all…

The #1 Question I Get Asked…

Are you part of a book club? Make Beyond the Label your next book selection and invite Dr. Chris as a guest author! This is what one of Dr. Chris’s friends did and there were some wonderful and enlightening questions that come out of the book club meeting that she attended. It was very exciting…

Am I “cured”? + IgG Food Testing

Below is the fourth instalment of the series of questions from a book club meeting at which Dr. Chris was the guest author. Navigate back for part 3, and forward for part 5. What would you like to ask? Contact Dr Chris and bring her to your next group meeting or book club! 1. How do…

The Transformative Energy of Conversation

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day! The point of this annual mental health day is to mark the importance of discussing these issues and bringing them into the light. It’s all about transformation of energy from shame, blame, fault, and hiding, into courage, support, acceptance, and compassion. The energy needed for this transformation is significant;…