Why choose me as your therapist?

My role is to foster collaboration and work alongside you throughout the counselling process. You are the expert of your own life. But I will ask the right questions, provide different perspectives, validate, guide but also challenge you. You are not broken and do not need fixing. But I will offer feedback on unhealthy thought and behaviour patterns to help you shift, and see and do things in new ways. 

My style is supportive, encouraging and accepting. I take more of a direct yet empathetic approach. I am a strategic and present listener and have a nourishing presence. I use humour and lightness to keep sessions more casual rather than clinical because trust, openness and safety are vital to your engagement. I allow space for curiousity, in-depth emotional exploration and processing, yet also space to be practical and have action-oriented solutions. 

I take a humanistic and integrative approach that prioritizes your individual nature and you as a whole. To do this, I bring talk therapy, creativity, practicality and experiential techniques together to meet your needs, personality and uniqueness. This supports flexibility, approaching issues from different perspectives and tailoring treatment to you. I believe there is no one theory or approach that can address all of your issues.  

I believe our therapeutic connection contributes to your strengthened resilience and personal growth. In fact, for me it is the most important thing that ensures your growth and healing. Developing a caring, respectful and trusting relationship can enhance your openness to guidance. Along with encouragement and support from me, you will be empowered through the counselling process. 

Talk therapy is insightful and reflective and helps you dig deep and focus on the long term. It gives you the chance to explore your thoughts, feelings and the effect they have on your mood and behavior. Emotional exploration and awareness can help you shift painful feelings, self-destructive patterns and learn realistic coping skills. I draw from such evidence-based talk therapies as: Person-centred, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Existential therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). I tend to draw from talk therapies that are grounded in human potential, self-expression and mind-body wellness.

 Everyone has creative potential and creativity can be used to make sense of your experiences. It does not limit you to verbal or intellectual tools for self-expression. Tapping into it facilitates your self-healing, in a holistic way. It can enhance emotional understanding in a non-intimidating way and promote presence and awareness. In our sessions, it may take different forms: visual arts, writing, working with sand or play doh, music, using photographs and nature-based objects. Creativity can be nicely integrated with other therapeutic approaches. 

Experiential means experiencing rather than talking about it. I draw from a range of experiential modalities that can help you engage in healing with your whole self- mind, body and spirit.

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helps you get to know your different parts and then offer the healing each part needs.
• Mindfulness practice promotes slowing down and paying attention to your inner world.
• Self-compassionate, mindful body-oriented methods like the Hakomi method, Qigong, Polyvagal therapy and body movement can help you get out of your head and tap into what's going on in your body.
• Nature therapy in the office + Walk and talk therapy prioritizes connecting to nature. Emotional shifts happen when we are moving and embodied, mood improves and creativity and deeper insight can take place.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) allows for facilitated client self-healing of trauma and psychological stress.

I also emphasize practicality in the counselling process since sometimes a client simply wants to learn some concrete coping strategies or techniques. What does this look like? Action and results-oriented. I help you spot real change and bring it to your awareness; encourage you to take what you learn and apply it in your life as you see fit. I support your learning of relevant tools and help you get clarity in how you might use these skills in your real world. Gain techniques to manage your anxiety or depression or use healthier communication skills in your relationships. Whatever your needs and goals are, practical counselling offers real world impact. 

Perhaps you think we can only do nature therapy outdoors but we can bring it indoors with plants, nature photos, and nature inspired items. We can combine this modality with talk therapy, art/creative exercises, body movement, sensory exercises, nature mindfulness and visualization  practice. 

This kind of therapy approach involves walking outdoors together and we talk about your issues and problem solve- just like in the office. Yet there is physical movement benefits, observation of one's natural surroundings and perhaps other therapeutic exercises. I find that movement and being outdoors in nature certainly enriches the session.

Walk and talk sessions don't always need to be in the woods or close to nature. They can take place in a park or in the neighborhood near my office. The benefits of pairing talk therapy and physical movement still hold true.  We might even do half the session in the office and then head out for a walk. And for some clients, doing a session outdoors is less intimidating than a session in the office.