Therapy Types

  Building on a foundation of ‘talk therapy’, I integrate other therapeutic approaches depending on what’s relevant to a particular client. The main ones are described here:  

      This approach offers practical tools to strengthen your motivation to change, mindfulness techniques to help you tolerate difficult feelings versus emotional reactivity, and coping skills to help you navigate triggers. I am an experienced Addiction Counsellor specializing in alcohol and cannabis. I work well with people who lead high functioning lives and who've reached a point where their lifestyle is creating problems at home, at work, or in relationships. "If you have this idea (even if the voice speaking to you is very small and quiet) that there might be another way to live: listen." (Laura McKowen)

  Brainspotting (BSP) is an approach to healing and wellness that is deeply rooted in the body's nervous system. Research studies have shown that BSP leads to transformational change that is emotional, psychological, and physical. Discovered by Dr David Grand in 2003, BSP provides a simple, neurobiological tool that can locate, process and release experiences and symptoms out of reach of the conscious mind. It is particularly effective in helping to identify and heal underlying trauma that contributes to anxiety, depression and other behavioural conditions. “Where you look affects how you feel.” (David Grand)

   “Relationships are the biggest determinant of our happiness, yet we’re never taught how to do them.” (Alexandra Solomon). Here, I draw upon the work of 2 of the world’s leading experts: Esther Perel and Alexandra Solomon. Today, we expect more from our intimate relationships than ever before, making them brand-new territory to navigate and understand. This approach helps clients bring awareness to their beliefs and patterns, and reimagine what’s possible in their intimate relationships, starting with the one they have with themselves. “The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.”

(Esther Perel)

   Developed from transpersonal psychology, this approach is about coming “home” and rediscovering the essence of who you are. In striving to meet expectations of others or in achieving outward success, we often lose connection with who we are on the inside. This loss may create depression, anxiety or a sense of disconnection from ourselves. Spiritual Psychotherapy invites you to explore and access your whole self. It is about healing and self-empowerment. "Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart...live in the question." (Rilke)

       Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is the therapeutic approach most similar to coaching. It is goal-focused and incorporates positive psychology principles. SFBT helps individuals change by developing solutions to their problems, rather than focusing their efforts on the problem itself. It helps clients discover capabilities they may have overlooked, while identifying past successes and ways to repeat them. It is an accessible and motivating approach for achieving behavioural change. “That’s a way to see it and there is also another way to see it.” (Insoo Kim Berg) 

  “Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going inside ourselves.” (Bessel van der Kolk) This approach recognizes the signs of traumatic impact and takes steps to avoid re-traumatizing people while supporting their healing from the past. Whether from adverse childhood experiences or circumstances in adult years, this is a compassionate approach that helps clients with emotional regulation, grounding and coping tools, and the deep healing provided by Brainspotting.