Psychotherapy Options

Depression affects 1 in 5 Canadians, yet people are still afraid to talk about it. Since 2020, that number has steadily increased. Depression can affect all aspects of life - relationships, work, school, and even one's ability to care for themselves. Symptoms can be mild or debilitating and possibly fluctuate each day or week. The uncertainty of depression may have you isolating in your home, coping through unhealthy behaviours or masking it until you become exhausted and overwhelmed.

My goal is to reduce the shame associated with depression and help you start to enjoy life again. This typically involves strategies from mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and diabetical behavioural therapy. While that may not mean anything to you - I want you to know that there are options and people out there who want to hear you and support you. 

Everyone experiences grief, yet no one likes to talk about it. We live in a grief-phobic society where people are expected to process their grief quickly and get "back to normal life" - but what if ''normal life' does not exist anymore? Grief counselling can provide clients with a space to process their changing emotions in nonjudgemental space and help them to create a new 'normal' that feels reflective of their experiences. 

Grief can occur for a variety of reasons - death of a loved one, loss of a friend (human or furry), end of romantic relationships or friendships, unmet expectations, miscarriage, infertility or diagnosis of illness. I believe grief can also result from disappointment or feeling held back by past experiences. My approach to grief is unique for each client, and includes narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, plus a focus on coping skills to help you now, and in the future. 

Anxiety is essential to our survival, but sometimes our bodies start to perceive threats everywhere which causes our anxiety systems to work too hard. This may cause persistent feelings of anxiousness/nervousness, inability to relax or 'turn brain off', becoming overwhelmed easily, inability to focus, and unpleasant physical symptoms - sweating, racing heart rate, changes in breathing, and changes in appetite. It may show up as excessive scrolling on social media, short temper, feeling disconnected, isolation or reaching for substances/food to numb the thoughts. 

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My goal for anxiety counselling is to understanding how anxiety shows up in your life, why it might be happening, plus explore skills you can use to reduce the negative symptoms of anxiety. I hope you can find ways to manage your anxiety, while building resilience to prevent these symptoms from returning in the future. My approach for anxiety counselling depends on the client's needs and experiences. It typically draws from a lens of cognitive behavioural therapy, somatic techniques, and acceptance and commitment therapy.

Trauma may be caused by a singular event, long-term experiences (such as neglect or abuse), childhood experiences and vicarious trauma from hearing or seeing other people's experiences. I believe the accessibility of news coverage and social media also play a role in the development of trauma. These experiences cause shame, sadness, depression, grief, anxiety, overwhelm, and physical symptoms. Trauma can also change our sense of self and how we interact with our friends, family and the world. 

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Trauma therapy can help you establish emotional regulation and improve negative symptoms caused by traumatic experiences. It is also a space for you to safely discuss what happened, if that feels right for you, and work through the narrative of the experience. Trauma therapy is highly individualized and effective when the client feels supported and connected to the therapist.