Psychotherapy

Individual Psychotherapy

 I adhere to a relational ,  integrative, , experiential, systemic  and developmental lense in my work, exploring the reciprocal relationship between these lenses and my clients  context., I pull  from multiple empirically validated  psychotherapy modalities, studied over several years.  These include  Psychodynamic, Gestalt, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Body-Centred Psychotherapy . UsIng these experiential approaches  to align with your unique needs.. 

I see therapeutic change as a process that happens on many levels, most of which are not within our awareness and why a therapeutic and reflective therapist can be helpful..  Individual psychotherapy can be a space to build  compassion and  curiosity about the ways in which you find yourself operating without your awareness as you move about your day, or that we have taken for granted. 

 Appreciating  the ways in which we arrived at this point, while also noticing those patterns that might no longer be helpful to us in the present.  Noting those moments where our behaviours do not attend to our unmet desires, Finding new hope and trust in the therapeutic relationship to try something new. 

As a result,  much of the work I do is to help clients build an emotional capacity, hold their feelings, gently explore your inner world, physically/emotionally process emotions that have been disowned for sometime adn integrate them into our lives with compassion.  

Couples Counselling 

I combine both experiential, process-oriented approaches and systemic therapies in my work with couples  using short-term, scientifically supported therapies that helps couples identify the underlying dynamics  that create lasting positive changes in their relationships..  I draw from attachment and developmental theories which assert that humans are hardwired for strong emotional bonds with others. Relationship distress is seen as a result of a perceived threat to this connection.   I help couples identify what is causing the distress and provide information supported with experiental opportunties to integrate disowned parts and gain insightful  understandings of  distressed patterns that negatively  overtake the opportunity for connection. A new cycle of interaction can be established in which both partners are experienced as available and responsive to each others needs. This safe, secure attachment allows couples to be flexible in problem solving — communicate effectively even during conflicts.

Family Therapy 

I have several requests from adult children wanting to mend relationships with their parents.   I work with families, specifically those with adult children, to mend bonds and heal fractures within their relationships using systemic and experiential interventions.  As an EFFT therapist with families, I focus on the emotional experiences and problematic  patterns within the family system that block family members from accessing the source of their desired connection, to create new patterns and deepen emotional accessibility and responsiveness.      

"EFFT provides a practical approach to engaging families at an emotional level. Accessing, processing, and connecting family members through the power of emotional experience promotes healing and fosters a family’s resilience to the everyday and unexpected challenges of life."  

Emotionally Focused family Therapy: Restoring Connection and Promoting Resilence

-James L. Furrow, Gail Palmer, S.M Johnson, G. Faller and L. Palmer- Olsen