CREDIT: DAVID LEYES
Kimberly Moffit is a therapist in Toronto who urges young people to break up with the unhealthy things in their lives.

Toronto-area therapist Kimberly Moffit stopped by Western University in March to talk to students about getting rid of anything unhealthy in life. Moffit holds a Master’s degree in Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University and just submitted her doctorate dissertation in psychology at Middlesex University London.

Moffit shared tips on how and why to break up; issues she addresses in the Break Up and Move tour she’s currently on.

“Break Up and Move is … essentially designed to empower women to break up with things that aren’t working for them in their lives,” Moffit said. “That could be anything from a toxic relationship, a bad friend, a job where you’re not really feeling inspired by to breaking up with dieting, to breaking up with the birth control pill, breaking up with pop.”

Moffit wants attendees to get used to the concept of breaking up.

“One of the keys to the whole tour for me is to get used to the uncomfortable feeling of breaking up so that it actually becomes comfortable and you can make healthier life choices,” she said.

Moffit’s tour is primarily aimed at college- and university-aged audiences.

“We’re in a time of our life where we’re very vulnerable,” she said. “We might be dealing with cyber bullying, we might come from a sheltered upbringing and [college] is a time where we really have to get to know ourselves and come out of our shell and learn to be adults.”

She says developing the confidence to break up with what’s not working is a skill that should be taught at a young age.

“We can actually be more empowered in our adulthood.”

A driving factor that may hold people back is fear.

“It’s fear of making the wrong decision, fear of being alone,” Moffit said. “Plus we’re emotionally attached at times. Whether we’ve been working at the same job the last couple of years and we know we don’t’ like it but it’s all we’ve ever known. For that reason we’re afraid to leave.”

If students start making the change now, they can gain the confidence to continue in the summer when they go back to some unhealthy lifestyles.

“You can’t prevent bad relationships from coming into your life,” Moffit said. “There are always going to be certain relationships that keep you back and you don’t really want there. I think the key is how you deal with it.”

Moffit says that having these talks now can help students deal with situations that may arise in the summer.

She also says that having a support system is never a bad thing.

“If you have access to friends and family members, that can help,” she said. “It’s validation for us to know what the right decision is.”

For more information on Moffit and her practice visit kmatherapy.com and visit breakupandmove.ca to learn more about the movement.