Clients come to counselling for many different reasons, and sometimes after having exhausted numerous other avenues. Those who benefit from counselling are often determined to be free of feeling stuck in a state of uneasiness, stress, or pain. They may be wrestling with depression, compromised self-esteem, feelings of shame, or are simply tired of the protracted state of conflict they experience with the people in their lives.
Unrelenting emotional distress takes its toll, and can contribute to disruptive physical symptoms that may impact concentration, quality of sleep, and one’s ability to be effective, engaged, and inspired.
You can thrive, and feel whole again.
Regardless of the issue, working with a skilled mental health professional can provide much needed perspective, and relief from the symptoms that stand in the way of your well being.
My areas of expertise include :
- Anxiety
- Grief
- Post traumatic stress
- Couples Counselling
- Family of origin issues
- Problematic family dynamics
- Parents/families of children with developmental disabilities
- Problematic substance use
- Stress/pain management
Having worked with many clients whose problems initially felt insurmountable, I know how difficult it can be to begin the journey to heal. Problems can become the landscape of our lives so much so that we have trouble envisioning our world without them.
Though your experience is totally unique, countless people have made great strides, and overcome significant obstacles through counselling.
Because the therapeutic relationship plays a vital role in the success of any therapy, my focus is to develop a positive therapeutic alliance that gives clients the confidence to move through challenging emotional territory.
It is very important that clients are given tools that resonate with them.
What is helpful for each person is so unique. For some, it is a deepening understanding of the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. For others, it is learning how to use mindfulness to cultivate safety and enhance physical resources.
In order to reach a successful outcome with lasting, heartfelt results, the therapeutic relationship must be an authentic, collaborative, and co-creative process.
Like a garden that is only ready to yield after the ground softens, clients release the rocks and weeds of emotional stagnation in the presence of a compassionate and skilled professional.
Feeling safe and supported, clients are able to trust the process, and sow new seeds of hope, enthusiasm, and energy to create the life they envision.
My clients appreciate that I provide an individualized, well integrated counselling approach that is built upon a foundation of clinical research.
Some of the modalities that I use are:
- Sensorimotor psychotherapy (SP): Drawing from extensive research on affective neuroscience and mindfulness in clinical practice, SP recognizes that deeply held traumatic memories are stored in the body. When safety is established in the body, a state of mindfulness allows previously disruptive sensations, impulses and movements to be observed, and used as access points for processing traumatic memories.
- Yoga Therapy (YT): YT practitioners use mindfulness, gentle touch, and supported movement to help clients
make contact with present-moment experience. As the therapist tracks changes in facial expression, breathing, movement, tone of voice, and prosody, the client is asked to talk about what they notice. Throughout the session the therapist uses mindfulness directives and questions to help the client deepen into the experience by inquiring more deeply into the sensations, feelings, thoughts, impulses, and visual/auditory/tactile/olfactory experiences that arise. - Solutions-focused brief therapy (SFBT): Also referred to as “Brief Therapy”, SFBT was originally developed to help clients articulate their goals, and focus on the solutions for the issues that originally brought them to therapy. SFBT shines light on exactly what a client wants, and when in their life they felt closest to achieving their goals. SFBT is based on the premise that the client is the expert in their own life. Because solutions to problems are already inherent in our lives, and once identified they can be easily used as a catalyst for change.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Lasting change takes place when clients are determined to challenge the maladaptive patterns that are built on dysfunctional thoughts, and the feelings and behaviors that stem from them. CBT has been thoroughly researched and has been shown to be effective with numerous issues, including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
- Narrative therapy (NT): NT recognizes that language has the power to story our lives. In this approach it is essential to develop a felt sense of how the problem affects a client’s life and relationships, and the various ways that the problem has usurped a person’s power. NT conversations function to externalize the problem from the person. A collaborative process, therapist and client work together to uncover sites of resistance, highlight exceptions to the client’s problem story, and use client agency to develop unique outcomes. Once obscured by the problem, a new client story is born, one built on a foundation of client strengths, skills, and the hopes and dreams rediscovered through the reauthoring process.
- Mindfulness: Mindfulness is focused on being non-judgmental while paying attention on purpose to what’s happening in the present moment. Mindfulness helps us to cultivate a different relationship with our thoughts, feelings, and memories.
- Couples therapy
Client rights & confidentiality:
The confidentiality of your therapy is protected under the Personal Information Protection Act which governs me, and all the other members of BCACC, (British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors). With the exception of disclosure of imminent harm to yourself, another person, a child, or if records for legal proceedings that you are involved with are subpoenaed, everything you share with me is completely confidential. You can give me express written permission to consult with others if you felt this would be beneficial. I do consult with colleagues about my work with clients but this is always done without revealing client names, or self defining features.
It is my goal and ethical responsibility to support you to obtain the most beneficial therapy possible. Should you feel that our work together is not progressing in the way you would like, I would be more than happy to provide you with referrals for other qualified counsellors.
Therapy Options
I offer both in-person and skype counselling sessions. Book your first session today! Or contact me for more info…
