Find a Therapist in Lions Bay, British Columbia.

I use a two pronged approach in assisting clients . The first is called CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is highly used in counselling. It increase a clients awareness and enhances their education and skills. The second component, and I believe the most important, is the Reduction of Emotional Charge connected with the issue. Some times CBT is sufficient to bring about permanent change. But often people relapse because the emotional stimulation/reaction had not been reduced & they default to their old coping mechanisms.

A holistic approach is used, integrating empathetic listening, evidence-based techniques, and collaborative goal-setting. Clients are encouraged to explore the interaction between our thoughts, feelings (emotions and physical sensations) and actions. Cognitive-behavioural strategies can be used to address patterns, while psychodynamic insights delve into underlying issues. Mindfulness practices may be used to enhance self-awareness and increase our capacity to sit with our feelings and notice our thoughts. The therapeutic relationship, with well defined boundaries, is pivotal in the work we do together.

Life can be hard. Help is here for you. Challenges and problems are part of life. It's good to reach out for help. You are the expert in your life, in your goals, values and aspirations. I am here to provide tools, accountability, support, encouragement and help in revealing to you all your inner awesomeness. I have unwavering confidence in your capabilities and potential, even when you find it hard to see them. Together we create a place to step back and gain perspective, test ideas, create solutions and move towards a life that is fulfilling, meaningful and connected.

My approach in psychotherapy is a collaborative relationship between client and therapist, respecting your presenting issues, your choices, and pace for change. I often integrate a body-oriented approach in order to engage all parts of the brain and accelerate and deepen the healing process. I may suggest we work using cognitive behavioral therapy and/or sensorimotor psychotherapy (primarily for trauma), along with a variety of other techniques that work well with your presenting problem. I find that many clients are surprised at how quickly they make progress.

Whether you are suffering with long standing anxiety and depression, facing a difficult transition, or frustrated with a current relationship, psychotherapy can help get to the root of your struggles. Psychotherapy differs from advice: as a therapist, I won't offer quick fixes or inspirational sounding platitudes. What I will do is join you in thoroughly exploring your current problems. This helps you tune into with your emotions, needs and desires in a way that can clarify purpose, improve your connection with others, and help you make important decisions. I have extensive training in psychotherapy - please get in touch to discuss how psychotherapy can be helpful to you right now.

In the practice of psychotherapy, I believe in an eclectic approach that considers human beings holistically, taking into account emotions, the body, mind, and social and cultural factors. Everyone embarks on a unique journey; at the core of my practice is a commitment to honor the wisdom within each individual and their right to pursue their own path of healing and self-discovery. In this collaborative process, I assist clients in increasing self-awareness, learning skills to manage and express emotions, processing unhelpful feelings and traumatic past experiences, enhancing emotional intelligence, improving relationship satisfaction, and fostering self-empowerment and personal growth.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in a positive manner. Its aim is to help people understand the thoughts behind feeling anxious or depressed and addressing these thinking patterns. Psychotherapy will help you change behaviors and habits that are limiting you, to experiencing your fullest potential.

My approach to Psychotherapy incorporates mind, body, spirit and emotions. It goes much deeper than talk therapy alone. While talk therapy is an essential component, a somatic approach to Psychotherapy allows for the possibility of deeper healing and more permanent change, as the body holds the information we need to heal. Therefore I take a body centred approach to healing while drawing on an extensive range of other psychotherapeutic approaches. Each session is tailored to where the client is at in the moment and from the belief that somewhere in all of us, no matter how deeply we have been wounded, we have the resources we need to heal.

Psychotherapy (or counselling) is ‘talk therapy’ – where you, as the client, share: your experiences, goals, challenges, presenting concerns, both verbally and nonverbally. Through this communication a therapeutic relationship (or alliance) is formed. This relationship acts a safe space for you to explore, excavate, evaluate, take new risks, etc. In a large way, engaging in the therapeutic relationship is ‘practise’ for the real world. I, as the therapist, will work with multiple modalities (or theoretical orientations) within our dialogue and engagement, which will serve to help us reflect, challenge, bear to light, collaborate, as well as model things (such as security, compassion, etc.).

I strongly believe that psychotherapy is an art. This is the reason I integrate different approaches and modalities when working with clients based on their goals and their current situation. In other words, I use my years of training and my clinical experience to make sure what we do is helpful to you. I have done training in approaches that focus on thoughts and cognitions such as CBT, approaches that are more emotionally focused such as AEDP and approaches that are more body focused such as SP. This helps us to give equal attention to all parts of your experience such as your feelings, your thoughts and your body. You will feel more integrated and whole as a result.

Throughout my life and educational career, I have learned the benefits of understanding how our brain and body develop and impact each other. The brain is like any other body part - when injured or not functioning properly, it requires proper attention and care to heal and strengthen it back to a higher functioning state. It is with this knowledge that we can begin to understand ourselves and our own reactions more. My goal is to help you find a path towards self-compassion and a clearer sense of self, while also working together to seek out alternative solutions to create a healthier mindset.

I use a neurobiologically informed approach to treating trauma. That means I'll use the lenses of the nervous system and brain science to help make sense of how you're feeling stuck or repeating patterns you'd like to grow beyond. Most trauma experts agree that our body stores the residue of traumatic experiences and that it is necessary to include the body in the healing process to experience real and lasting change. I always bring the body into therapy by inviting you to become aware of your sensory experience and nervous system states.

For every client that I see, I always offer an individualized and tailored approach by draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches in order to enable your mental health healing and functional recovery. Using a collaborative and client centered approach, I will walk alongside you and together, we will explore solutions to overcome life's obstacles.