Janice Graham, Ph.D., RCC

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Janice Graham, Ph.D., Counsellor and Psychotherapist

Supportive and respectful counselling for individuals and persons in relationships


 
 

Education and Affiliations

BCACC Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) #2521  www.bc-counselling.org

OACCPP Certified Counsellor #1156-0247C    www.oaccpp.on.ca

  • Ph.D. and M.A. in Counselling Psychology (Berne)
  • Masters of Theological Studies (UWO)
  • Certificate Palliative Care and Bereavement Studies (UWO)
  • Western Branch Canadian Psychoanalytical Society (WBCPS)
  • Certified Mental Health Provider (CMHP)

 

Dr. Graham adheres to The BCACC and OACCPP Codes of Ethical Conduct and Standards of Clinical Practices for Registered Clinical Counsellors.

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Counselling Philosophy    

Janice’s approach is to help each client identify and develop individual competencies in order to resolve problems and lessen unhappiness. Each person has a unique and complex emotional, spirituality, physical, sexual, mental, social, psychological makeup. Your life experiences, from the very beginning have laid the path on which your life has run. Janice will ask you to tell your story and will ask questions to help focus on key issues and patterns in your life. You will be listened to attentively, respectfully and without criticism. Counselling will help you understand your experiences and empower you to make goals, learn skills and take steps to direct your future life along a path which will bring you greater happiness and satisfaction.   


Treatments methods include a variety of respected counselling techniques including:

  • Psychotherapy
  • Art Therapy
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
  • Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR)
First, unhappiness is not abnormal.  It is a normal state in everyone's lives at various times. 

Second, unhappiness is seldom a medical condition. It does not usually need to be treated with meds. Life style changes supported by counselling are effective approaches for most people. Improving your life with insight and change is also very self empowering. Most people describing depression trace it to unhappy things that are happening in their lives. Counselling will help you figure out effective ways to deal with these trouble causing situations. Then you are dealing with the causes of deepresion, not its result. That said, be sure to see your medical doctor if you are worried about your mental health.  

As your counsellor I will help you to lessen your unhappiness, but don't expect a life with no unhappiness. That is a fantasy option!

Consistently, Dr. Graham's clients have described her as someone they are comfortable with and who is easy to talk to.

People decide to contact a counsellor for many reasons. You know what is happening in your life and can probably identify some of the behaviours, yours and those or other people, which are causing you distress. Often the root causes of a problem is not apparent to you in the beginning of counselling. Once you know the root causes you will be able to plan the changes you need to make to move toward greater happiness in your life.

Janice is experienced with many counselling issues as listed earlier in this document. Below are some counselling concerns in which Janice has particular additional training and interest.

Counselling can help with many relationship issues such as intimacy and sexuality, communication, anger and control, trust, betrayal, values differences, commitment and family life.

Some persons are seeking help to strengthen their relationship. Some want help to save a troubled relationship. Others are seeking help to end a relationship in a dignified way.  Sometimes clients are not sure where they stand or if their relationship has a future.  Counselling will help you figure out your best course of action and will help you move forward to achieve the best outcome for your relationship. 

Loss and Bereavement

Bereavement is the process of accepting and adjusting to a loss, to an unwelcome new reality of life. The loss may be the death of a loved person, loss of health or ability through aging, illness or accident, infertility, loss of a relationship, loss of occupation through retirement or job loss or any other loss which leaves you in mourning and distress. 

Janice Graham is a specialist is death studies and grief counselling. She is a graduate of the Death Studies programme at King's University College Centre of Death and Bereavement, University of Western Ontario. She has been regular participant in Bereavement Conferences and was a faculty member teaching courses in Death and Bereavement at King's University College. 

Janice is a sensitive and compassionate grief counsellor. The death of children is a special interest and bereaved parents are particularly welcome.

Post Abortion Grieving and Healing 

Have you or your partner experienced an abortion? Recently or many years ago?
Abortions are a solution to a problem pregnancy. A problem pregnancy is any pregnancy which is a problem for someone - for you or someone else. 

For all kinds of reasons which make sense the pregnancy has been terminated. Sometimes the decision is your own; often the woman is pressured by others to have an abortion. 

For some women, the minority, the abortion is an incident, over and done with. However, for the great majority there remain troubling suppressed unresolved emotions. It is never too late to resolve these feelings. 

Typically the abortion experience is silenced and buried in secrecy. 

Research shows that the abortion experience has long lasting negative impact, leading to self destructive behaviours such as eating disorders, relationship and parenting problems, low self esteem and sterility. Many women experience lingering internal emotional strife, alternatively condemning and defending the abortion. 

Many fathers of aborted babies experience these same feelings but society does not acknowledge their grief. It is never too late to resolve these feelings. 

Persons who have received appropriate post abortion counselling report feeling more at peace with themselves. 

Janice is an experienced post abortion counsellor and educator. She will offer you non-judgmental, sensitive, compassionate support using a structured approach whose goal is to facilitate reconciliation and forgiveness and to honour the life that ended. Dr. Graham has no connection with any political position on abortion but seeks only to provide support to those who request it. 

Persons who are considering abortion now are encouraged to seek informed counselling to help them understand as fully as possible the implications of their choice.

Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse 

Enormous numbers of men and women have been victimized by sexual perpetrators in their childhood.

This experience has the potential to severely damage one's life. Intrusive memories, flash backs, depression, relationship difficulties, anger, severe emotional pain, suicidal thoughts and helplessness are only a few of the experiences survivors report. 

Some people who have been sexually abused fear that they will themselves become abusers because they have been trained in the practices of abuse.  This is an important concern to be discussed in counselling.

Janice will work with you to help you overcome the abuse and legacy of sexual trauma in your childhood. You can feel comfortable and safe discussing these very personal experiences.

Pre-Marriage and Re-Marriage Counselling 

Statistics show that marriage partners who attend some form of premarital counselling have an improved chance of achieving a lasting marriage. 

Janice offers practical and supportive counselling to both first time marriage partners and unions in which one or both partners have been in committed relationship before.

Blended Families 

Increased divorce and remarriage leads to many new families being formed by combining members of former families into new family units. 

Most persons enter blended family formation with optimism and confidence that the members will bond and function well together as a family. After all, the new parents love each other. However, problems often develop. 

Counselling will help you understand and cope with the difficulties of being a step parent or grandparent, step child or step sibling.

Internet Abuse and Screen Addiction 

Inappropriate and overuse of the internet damages many lives. Cyber sex and use of chat sites can destroy intimate relationships. Internet gambling, shopping and game playing can lead to financial problems by encouraging unplanned spending. 

Addiction to internet pornography has become almost epidemic. Shame, guilt, lying and anger and distress of partner are only a few of the outcomes.  If you or your partner is looking at porn sites counselling can help with understanding and overcoming this form of sexual addiction.

A fantasy world can become dangerously real. People are attracted to the anonymity, excitement and ease of access of online communications but very often progress from internet to real life contact often with troubling outcomes. 

Counselling will help you understand why you are attracted to or overusing on-line services and help you learn to overcome problem behaviour.

Hoarding

Are you or someone you know a pack rat or a chronic saver?  Are you the child or spouse of a hoarder? Research finds that up to 5% of people hoard compulsively to the point of causing problems and distress to themselves or others. Hoarding is commonly a secret behaviour, literally hidden behind closed doors. Rooms and whole houses are stuffed with old newspapers, magazines and every conceivable kind of item..

Hoarding can bring serious problems - safety and health concerns, anger, fears, social phobia and more.

Talk to Dr. Graham about hoarding.


Dr. Janice Graham Reaches

Victoria BC