Tracy Riley, M.A., Registered Psychologist

Therapy and resources to help you find ways forward that feel meaningful, helpful, and wise.

Guided Meditation: Loving Kindness Toward Sensations or Emotions, and Yourself | September 24, 2026

We are always in relationship. We are in relationship with the world around us, with other people, and with what we experience inside ourselves. One relationship we can be curious about is the relationship we have with our own emotions.

Some emotions may be easier for us to experience than others. For one person, anger might feel harder to acknowledge or be with than sadness. For someone else, the reverse might be true. Even joy, contentment, or a feeling of relaxation can sometimes be difficult to experience. What feels easier or harder is specific to each person, and it is something that can change over time.

In this meditation, you are invited to practise offering loving-kindness toward a sensation or emotion that feels easier for you to experience, and then toward one that feels more difficult. You don’t have to choose a sensation or emotion that feels like the hardest one.

This meditation also gives you an opportunity to practise offering kind wishes toward yourself.

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in Practices and Resources,Self-Compassion,Working with Emotion

Guided Meditation: Breath and Compassionate Self | September 22, 2026

Wanting to be outside yesterday as part of the day and also desiring to make something, I recorded this meditation while sitting by a lake. Listening later, I heard the words but also found myself getting lost in the soothing sounds of the crickets and the movement of water.

Movement.

Movement is something I often seem to have conversations about. Moving between this and that. Between pain and beauty. Between activity and rest. Between effort, courage, and taking a break. Movement as essential.

From the meditation:

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An Introduction to Solastalgia and Its Relevance to High-Speed-Rail

I am writing this post on February 27, 2026 in the context of a proposed high-speed-rail corridor that, if built, would span approximately 1000km between Toronto, Ontario and Quebec City, Quebec with 7 planned stops along the route. Alto is the federal Crown corporation overseeing the proposed project (AltoTrain, n.d., a) and is requesting feedback from the public currently through to March, 2026 (AltoTrain, n.d., b).

Although the proposed Alto high-speed-rail is the current (and local) context, the concepts in this post apply to numerous other contexts as well. At the end of the post, you can find a list of links to all references cited throughout.

The contents that follow are from a paper I recently wrote: Anticipatory Solastalgia and Proposed High-Speed-Rail: Impact is Already Occurring.

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Autumn Reflections and Intentions Retreat: A Full Day of Rest and Renewal

I offer an autumn retreat for people drawn to pause and reflection during this season.

About This Retreat

Spend a full day at a lakeside retreat during autumn’s beauty (10 AM – 5 PM). Located near Sydenham, Ontario. Maximum 4 participants. Facilitated by Tracy Riley, an experienced registered psychologist.

Your day includes: Guided reflection that invites you to pause, listen to yourself, and consider what might be supportive for you over the coming season; creative expression through collage; opportunities for sharing in a supportive small group setting; and generous unstructured time to walk a tree-lined lane, sit by the water, or simply be still by the warmth of fire in the wood stove inside.

This retreat is a space to pause, bring care toward yourself, and give yourself room to breathe.

Bring your own meals; hot beverages and materials provided.

Please reach out for more information if interested.