Therapy Services
01.
I'm certified by EMDR Consulting under EMDR Consulting: https://emdrconsulting.com
This equates to me being the third generation under Francine Shapiro ~ whom he spent a decade training with, See:https://www.emdria.org
I am so excited about this method for treating clients and providing them with a new way of experiencing what once held them back from living the best version of themselves.
In my clinical experiences, my observations are that EMDR is superior to popular types of therapies that commonly involve a lot of homework and do not uproot the traumas-of-origin, nor address the discomfort involved over which generally takes years for most individuals. I hope that the links provided answer any questions or uncertainties you may have ~ otherwise, please feel welcomed to contact me for a consultation.
Overactivity in red is before EMDR ~ versus after treatment on the right.
02.
I have been utilizing mindfulness since I was a young person seeking solutions to heal myself from my anxiety disorders. I also wrote a scholarly article comparing and contrasting it with CBT approaches. As my Clinical Psychology professor Douglas Wardell said, "They have been doing for 3000 years what psychology is just starting to figure out." I had been following Tibetan and other mindfulness monks and leaders, such as John Kabat-Zinn whom spearheaded utlizing mindfulness alongside CBT in his MBCT Stress Clinic. For example:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WnZisfYMsE
03.
Sometimes we might need to review your maladaptive thinking patterns, such as polarized thinking (black & white thinking patterns). We might use Albert Allis' ABC's (antecedents, behaviours, and consequences). It fits in a bootstrapping way with Mindfulness. Fundamental to CBT is the triad: The triangle in the middle represents CBT's tenet that all humans' core beliefs can be summed up in three categories: self, others, future in a bidirectional way. This then brings insight to one's core beliefs (which can be changed with EMDR, as well as with awareness of the self. Awareness is a step to change and especially as we challenge the beliefs and behaviours that result or precede self-fulfilling prophecies.
04.
I was trained in Rogerian Client-Centred Therapy at the U of A's Sexual Assault Centre and did a refresher course in 2018 - 2019. As with Carl Rogers, I also have an INFJ personality, this approach and its 3 pillars fit naturally with me as I collaborate with my clients, and they too teach me how to see them with greater empathy and awarenesses.
05.
This therapy was introduced to me as I took on positions sat The Pride Centre & The Family Centre for my practicum positions. De Shazer & Berg created a therapy that gets us out of our default of negative thinking ~ I am confident that most of us know what it is like to get caught up in problem-oriented thinking when trying to solve our problems. To my surprise, it has been useful even with people dealing with the most serious of untreatable disorders, and from solution-oriented questioning we have found ways of creating not only solutions, but better relationships and quality-of-life. All the client needs to do is to keep an open mind.
06
Having run group therapy as an Addictions Counsellor I have come to appreciate what each individual can contribute with their knowledge, anecdotes, and learned experiences to the group as a whole ~ In addition to how resolving a problem within the group can be a positive and an experience to strengthen skills and enhance self-awareness and sense of validation. Since my time in private practice, I have been wanting to provide therapy to more people in a more affordable way. I also have a desire to provide opportunities for art therapy, a way of expressing one's self and where words cannot always be used or found. I hope to start a group for women, to start with, with the increase of neurodiversity in this neglected population. Like Carl Jung, I find mandalas & other art forms to be useful in therapy. More information to come!
