The most effective psychotherapy, the most immediately “real” experience of this interaction, is that of an emerging authentic self from within each client. Each of us is comprised of an authentic self and a false self. The false self is made up of the various masks, roles, defense structures, and the like, that we adopted as children in order to “fit in” and navigate the family system we were each parachuted into at birth. One’s authentic self is thus, necessarily, hidden from view. The more unhealthy the family system, the more defenses are required, thus the more the authentic self is compromised, hidden. Indeed, our authentic self may feel threatening, to all that we have “known”.

My approach to psychotherapy is founded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy but also blends other therapies. I will teach you the basics of the type of therapy that is most relevant to your problem. We will then work to apply the therapy to your specific issue. We will practice the skills that are taught and you will be given work to do at home. You will then report back about how the strategies are being implemented at home to allow us to tweak the skills to have them work best for you! Ultimately, you will be much better at managing your own issues independently!

My approach to psychotherapy is kind, curious, and practical. I provide clients with a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental environment from which to explore the issues that may be preventing them from experiencing a full and well life. I support children, youth, and families in learning to identify and access their inner strengths and resiliencies.

Psychotherapy is most successful when the individual enters therapy on their own and has a strong desire to change. If you don’t want to change, change will be slow in coming. Change means altering those aspects of your life that aren’t working for you any longer, or are contributing to your problems or ongoing issues. It is also best to keep an open mind while in psychotherapy, and be willing to try out new things that ordinarily you may not do. Psychotherapy is often about challenging one’s existing set of beliefs and often, one’s very self. It is most successful when a person is able and willing to try to do this in a safe and supportive environment.

Counsellors at Elim are highly trained psychotherapists who hold professional membership with the Canadian Counselling and psychotherapy Association. As such we are not only qualified to offer psychological services, but also abide by the high ethical standards of this governing body. In addition our practice is supervised by a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience. An additional benefit of having such supervision is that clients may be eligible to have all or part of their fees reimbursed by their insurance company if they have benefits that cover counselling.

As a psychotherapist I have long experienced that it is precisely through the process of verbalizing thoughts that my clients are able to gain a clear sense of their reality--words clarify the vagueness of ideas. And once a reality is expressed, then a client can move toward acceptance of that reality and toward understanding of how to shape that reality in a way that best meets their needs and aspirations. Please visit www.newhorizonscounselling.com and Psychotherapy.

I can help you on your journey to find: • Hope & confidence that you can resolve your issues. • Clarity & solutions to your problems; • Your hope in times of crisis; I offer counselling approaches such as: • Relaxation excercises; • Cognitive therapy; • EMDR which helps overcome anxiety, stress & tauma;. • EFT which positively shifts our thinking and modifies our anxiety response; & • Sandtray therapy which offers a unique non-verbal form of healing. By acknowledging you have a problem, and want to find a solution, you are much closer to resolving it. I serve adults, & young adults 16 and over and seniors. I am here to help.

Psychological treatment involves a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of current psychological symptoms, and psychotherapy that addresses the root causes of a specific psychological disorder. Research affirms that individuals do improve as a result of psychotherapy, particularly when they are committed to the process. In an initial session, your mental health professional will work with you in a collaborative fashion to identify treatment goals. He or she will also collect basic demographic data, obtain your consent to the treatment you are to receive, and inquire as to any questions you may have about the course of treatment that has been discussed.

I use a variety of models in my psychotherapy. Most importantly I believe a warm respectful, non-judgmental environment provides the safety a client needs to address very personal and painful issues in a therapy session. Helping a client see their own uniqueness and inner beauty and to develop confidence in those aspects of themselves allows a client to move forward quickly. I have huge respect for the courage it takes for a client to begin work with a therapist. Depending on the needs of a client I use Experiential or Relational or Psycho-dynamic or Emotionally Focused or other Attachment based therapy, I specialize in working on Healing Shame with some clients and EMDR for Trauma.

I specialize in utilizing cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing, solution focused, holistic and narrative therapeutic techniques with clients struggling with a variety of issues including substance abuse, high risk behaviors, disordered eating, trauma and abuse and mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety.

People often come to therapy to get rid of painful and difficult feelings. Rather than getting rid of our feelings, therapy is a skilled process of helping us understand ourselves so we can use our feelings to navigate our lives. Even the very painful feelings hold vital information for us to become sure-footed in our life. Just like in martial arts, we use the momentum of the attacker and redirect it to ensure our safety ; in therapy we use the information from the painful feelings to clarify what we need to create more safety in our lives so we can thrive. It is a valuable process of allowing our feelings to work for us to create satisfying joyful lives.

For over 25 years I have been working with individuals and couples to help them with their particular issues and problems so that they may achieve emotional health as well as relationship and career goals. Each client has a unique situation and set of issues, be it anxiety, stress, depression, substance abuse, grief, personal growth, relationship issues, aging, illness, etc ; each problem has a unique set of tools and strategies to select for its solution. Together we will meet and identify the problem(s); I will propose a treatment plan and together we will discuss the plan as well as determine whether the match between therapist and client is a solid one in order to move forward.

I welcome you to consider psychotherapy with its in-depth approach to counselling. Together we build a trusted relationship that supports you in considering perspectives and changes. In therapy people often want to become more aware of their beliefs, feelings, thoughts, relationships, or choices in their lives. My integrative approach enables me to modify therapy to specific goals and needs of each person or family, and to meet new concerns. Starting with our first meeting I invite working together and with your feedback as I draw on knowledge and experience to support you using cognitive, behavioural, creative, emotion-focused, narrative, pastoral, and systems approaches. Ottawa & area.