"No brain is the same. No brain is the best. Each brain finds its own special way." - From a poem written by Edward Hallowell, ADHD 2.0
In my work as a psychologist, as in the rest of my life, I am warm and open, genuine and direct. I am also silly and a seeker of facts. I use compassion and humour during sessions. Exploring difficult emotions, memories, or problems can be confusing and difficult and I offer resources, stories, or analogies to help clients through the process. I support change and growth by providing information and encouraging clients to open up to new perspectives and possibilities, gaining new insights about behaviour, and identifying sources of hope through support, curiosity, and openness.
I practice using humanistic psychology, respecting the unconditional value and uniqueness of each person. At the same time I endeavour to hold awareness that social and cultural systems impact our individual development, and our collective circumstances shape our behaviour, life experiences, and relationships. I draw from different psychological theories and counselling models in my work and use a variety of techniques selected to suit each client’s goals, needs, and preferences. Here are some of the lenses I use to formulate my thinking and develop strategies:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help increase our awareness of our thinking patterns and behaviours. Through ACT and CBT, we can learn practical coping methods for everyday life and take actions to experiment with new behaviours that serve us better.
ART is a unique trauma treatment protocol that uses eye movements to reprogram the way distressing memories and images are stored in the brain so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions.
Our attachment styles can influence how and when we connect with other people. Attachment theory can be a way to help us understand our childhood, family, and present relationships.
DBT focuses on helping to accept the reality of our lives and our behaviors, while learning to make changes to more effectively solve problems. In my work I teach skills as is an important part of the counselling process and take time to offer practical skills and strategies to use in daily life.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is useful for couples, families, relationships, and individual clients. It focuses on addressing problems by recognizing both surface-level and deeper, more vulnerable emotions and helps with how we engage with people we care about.
By approaching counselling from a feminist perspective, we can create space to discuss the bigger systemic barriers we all face. I acknowledge that some personal issues exist on a societal level instead of an individual level. I also believe that each client knows what’s best for them individually.
The Somatic Experiencing (SE) method is a “body-first” approach for healing trauma and stress. It acknowledges that the effects of trauma and stress are often held in our bodies long after the threat or stress has passed.
I am always open to feedback and questions from my clients. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings! Counselling is for the client, so I want to work in the way that’s best for them and talk about their response to sessions and things that happen between us.