Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav
OtterlyPositive
2 23,316
L Explorer 4
5 star rating
Rating
Number of ratings12 Number of reviews11 Listens toOver 18 LanguagesEnglish Listener sinceAug 31, 2020 Last activein last 6 months GenderFemale PathStep 123 People helped57 Chats252 Group support chats6 Listener group chats15 Forum posts196 Forum upvotes359
Bio

Hi there! 
I go by Otter :) I am a 37-year-old cis/bi-woman from Canada. I have been in therapy for several years, and am currently training to become a therapist myself! I am here to lend a compassionate ear and gain some experience in the mental health space. I am a judgement-free zone and I hope I can help create a safe space for you :)

Update: I am only able to take on single session or asynchronous chats at this moment (ie. not more than one synchronous chat with the same person). Thank you for understanding! 

Recent forum posts
OtterlyPositive profile picture
Connectedness - Staying in touch with friends
IDG 7 Cups Hub / by OtterlyPositive
Last post
 April 28th, 2025
...See more We all know that as we grow older, it can be hard to make new friends, or even hold onto old ones. It’s a natural part of life, as people move, get new jobs, start families, and shift their priorities. It used to be easy to spend time with your friends by default, either because you were in school together, participated in the same activities, lived nearby, or just had more free time. Suddenly, you find yourself having to plan months in advance, just to catch up on the last 6 months of your lives. Suddenly, keeping friendships alive takes work. I have had several people in my life confide in me that they are afraid of reaching out to friends, whether it’s just to chat, or catch up, or hang out. At first, I was surprised - why would you be afraid of this? Aren’t you friends for this reason? They explain that they’re afraid of being a burden. They figure that their friends are too busy, and don’t want to bother them. So instead of reaching out and facing the rejection they fear, they just don’t reach out at all. I’d like to know - have you ever been afraid of being a burden on a friend? Has this stopped you from reaching out? Now, I can’t speak for every single person, but I’m here to tell you - YOUR FRIENDS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!! I have never, ever, in my life, felt burdened by a friend who wanted to spend time with me. Put yourself in their shoes - how would you feel if an old friend reached out? Or perhaps, wanted some advice? Frankly, I take it as a compliment, as it means they like my company and value my opinion! Don’t you want to pay your friends a compliment?  Another thing to consider - maybe your friend actually really needs to hear from someone. If you haven’t been in touch in awhile, you might not know what’s going on in their life. And we all know social media is not a real representation of anyone’s life. By not reaching out, you could be robbing them of a lifeline they could really use. Maybe they have the same fear as you! And how ironic would it be if both your fears were keeping you two from connecting with each other? Something that you both wanted? It’s important to face this fear, or we risk isolating ourselves from our community, which we’ve learned is a very important part of being human. We need to stop self-sabotaging ourselves. We need to feel connection with others, to belong to a community, something that is bigger than ourselves. Reach out. Check in. I assure you, your friends will thank you for it. Can you think of a time where you reached out to a friend, despite feeling anxious about it? How did it go? How did you feel after?
OtterlyPositive profile picture
Critical Thinking, Openness and Learning Mindset
IDG 7 Cups Hub / by OtterlyPositive
Last post
 April 28th, 2025
...See more While the skills of Critical Thinking and Openness/Learning Mindset are from two different dimensions of IDG (Thinking and Being), I think that they compliment each other very well.  I know that, as we get older, we can find ourselves set in our beliefs, thoughts and ways of doing things. I, for one, have found myself simplifying things so that they fit into the way I see the world. It can be upsetting to have your views challenged. But I believe that this is a challenge we should all be embracing. Especially in this divisive world that we currently live in, taking the time to genuinely listen to someone who has a different point of view can lead to great growth and learning. I’ve always been afraid of conflict and confrontation. This is one of the reasons I don’t like participating in debates. My partner, on the other hand, loves in-depth discussions and debates on controversial subjects. It isn’t a matter of confronting the other person and trying to “win” the debate. But rather exploring topics that are complex and learning about how the other person sees and interprets things. Having witnessed him having these conversations with others, I can see the value in being open to talking with people who you disagree with. By approaching it as an opportunity to learn, you are nurturing a growth mindset. It is then your responsibility to use your critical thinking skills to decide whether you should adopt these new opinions or not. I’m curious, have there been times in the past where you found your beliefs changing, and what was that like? Also, what is one area of your life that you think you could be more open to growing in?
OtterlyPositive profile picture
Signature vs. Character Strengths
IDG 7 Cups Hub / by OtterlyPositive
Last post
 April 2nd, 2025
...See more Hi all! I've just started my IDG journey, and am at the step where you reflect on your character strengths. There are questions to reflect on, and one of them is: * _Do you agree with your top character strengths? How are these similar or different to your signature strengths?_ So I don't actually understand what the difference is. I thought the two terms were being used interchangeably. Can someone please clarify this for me? Thank you so much in advance!!
Search more from @OtterlyPositive
Feedback & Reviews
A lovely friendly and non-judgmental listener. I would definitely recommend.
OtterlyPositive is so amazing! I never once felt judged and they have helped me navigate some quite difficult situations. Do yourself a favor and request a chat with this listener
Gentle, attentive, very good listener. Our chat was brief but heartwarming 💛
good listener , understands how to help others thank you so much
Thank you otter for helping me in tough times! I appreciate you
Wonderful person. I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone. I'm quite shy and they helped me to start talking.
yes its nice to talk with you 😊🙏...good person 🙏
Nice people listen to my vent
An amazing listener. Really helped me gain insight and perspective. You'll be hard pressed to find a better person on the site!
A really nice person. Very good at asking the right questions. A kind ear.
Really helpful and genuinely Nice person!
Categories
Depression
Managing Emotions
Work Stress
Anxiety
LGBTQ+ Issues
Sleeping Well
Breakups
Family Stress
Chronic Pain
Financial Stress
ADHD
Forgiveness
Grief
Social Anxiety
Loneliness
Student Life
Relationship Stress
Women's Issues
Self-Esteem
Spirituality
General Mental Health
Sexual Health
Racial & Cultural Identity
Men's Issues
Badges & Awards
78 total badges
Listening Ear Magnet Jester of Smiles Anxiety Depression Eating Disorders Managing Emotions Surviving Breakups Crisis Intervention Listener Oath Verified Listener Chronic Pain Family Stress Sleeping Well Graduate Master Scholar Love Bug Refresher Light Chat Voice Talker Loneliness Guide Exercise Motivation Affirmative Listening Ace Startup Support ADHD OCD Boundaries Managing Finances 7Cups Guide Rocket Listener Community 101 7 Cups Intern Grad Loyal Friend Tick Tock Fellow Friend Steadfast Soul I Steadfast Soul II Meet & Greet Proudly Proactive I Proudly Proactive II Proudly Proactive III Proudly Proactive IV Proudly Proactive V Reconnection Hero I First Community First Chat First Post Five Steps High 5 Hang 10 Open Door Thankful Heart Gratitude Abound Hope Training Peer Pro Peer Training 01 Peer Training 02 Peer Training 03 Peer Training 04 Peer Training 05 Peer Training 06 Peer Training 07 Peer Training 08 Peer Training 09 Peer Training 10 Peer Training 11 Peer Training 12 Community Builder Grad Pineapple Tulip Alumni IDG Open Arms Greeting Grasshopper Greeting Guardian
Report an issue