Philosophy

I believe that the therapeutic relationship facilitates the process of change and growth, and therefore a good fit between both client and therapist is essential to the psychological and emotional work that takes place between the two.

Each individual has the intrinsic capacity for growth and change. Therapy can be a supportive process, offering structure and guidance through the process of change and transformation.  Therapy can be helpful in shifting cognitive, emotional, or behavioural patterns that are no longer useful strategies for living fully.

 In my practice, I draw from a somatic approach to the resolution of trauma.  This is a counselling approach that draws on the wisdom of the body, neurobiology, and attachment studies to resolve shock and developmental traumas that can result in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, stuck relationship patterns, addiction, emotional dysregulation, and a diminished life force.   The resolution of trauma can free up one's emotional, creative, and spiritual energies.  

 Essentially, paying mindful attention to the wisdom of the body, and attuning to the language of our body, naturally facilitates the very healing we are seeking. It is a process that allows us to live more authentically and further frees up our life force to be more of who we are in the world.

 Areas of Specialization

Somatic Transformation – a process of attuning to the innate healing processes of the body-mind.  This approach draws from the fields of attachment, life-span development, mindfulness, interpersonal neurobiology and recent brain research.   It integrates left-brain processes (logic, cognitions) with right-brain ones (sensations, emotion, images, kinesthetic gestures and experiences) to regulate the nervous system to heal emotional patterns (overwhelm, emotional numbness or reactivity, anxiety, depression) and physical symptoms (migraines, pain, syndromal illness). Somatic work is helpful in healing acute trauma (accidents, injury, medical procedures) and chronic-stress/relational trauma (loss, violence, abuse, neglect). 

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy – a behavioural approach to therapy that combines both acceptance and change strategies to build emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.   This therapeutic approach was developed for those with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, and can be helpful for people with patterns of intense emotional dysregulation, interpersonal chaos, and self-harming or suicidal behaviours.  (also see Marsha Linehan)