How I work

We focus on solutions.

Your goals will guide our work together. We begin counselling by clarifying what it is you want to achieve for yourself. We will identify your strengths and build on them to improve your ability to cope with the challenges in life. I will help you move forward when you need me to and help you decide what you want now and in the future.

I work in a highly focused manner because I want to help you progress as far as you can in counselling within a reasonable amount of time. I want therapy to be a rewarding experience and for you to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself.

My relationship with my counselling clients is central to my work.

As a Clinical Psychologist, I know that building strong relationships with my counselling clients plays a critical role in the therapy process and outcome. Therefore, you can be assured that I will be accepting and supportive of you, regardless of your situation.

I will listen to you carefully to ensure that I understand your situation and what you are dealing with. This will help you to feel comfortable sharing your concerns with me, and will allow me to determine the best way to help you.

My therapy clients often tell me that they felt at ease with me immediately.

Upon finishing therapy, I invite my clients to return to see me in the future whenever an issue arises. Because I build strong relationships with my clients, many take me up on this offer.

You share the lead in our therapy sessions.

Rather than giving advice or directing you to take a specific course of action, I guide you through an exploration of your situation so you can make the best decisions that will work for your life.

I may offer suggestions and present options for making changes, or to help you to shift your thinking, but the decisions you make are yours, and I will support you in whatever you decide to do.

I offer a flexible approach to counselling.

“I won’t just ask you questions and listen. I will ask you helpful questions that make you pause. They will help you increase your awareness and demystify what’s happening in your life.”

As an experienced therapist, I believe there is no one approach or strategy suited to every therapy client. Therefore, my work is informed by a variety of therapeutic approaches, and is tailored to meet your needs.

Throughout the counselling process, I draw from my extensive training and experience in choosing the best approach to use for you at any given moment.

I often use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) with my clients. Research shows that these are two of the most effective therapy approaches available. I keep up with current trends and research in the field. I also spend a lot of time educating my clients and will pass on information when it will help you move forward.

There may be moments of laughter.

Therapy can be very serious and hard work. It can also sometimes bring up unpleasant feelings. For this reason, it’s important that we keep our sense of humour in the process. Don’t be surprised to discover that therapy can be fun at times. Laughter, after all, is a powerful tool for healing.

The benefits of therapy:

I feel privileged to be a psychologist and therapist. It is rewarding to counsel my clients and empower them to change in significant ways. While the benefits of counselling differ for each person, the ones listed below are often achieved by my counselling clients:

• Feel calmer, more relaxed and in control of your life.
• Feel happier and more optimistic about your future.
• Feel increased self-worth and self-confidence.
• Have better relationships with your spouse and children.
• Achieve more balance between your work and home life.
• Make decisions more easily, and that better honour your wants and needs.
• Take better care of yourself emotionally and physically.
• Understand how you are different when you are gifted.
• Manage intense emotions such as worry, anger, frustration or sadness.
• Find more meaning and fulfillment in your life.
• Heal from losses, whether it’s a relationship ending, or the loss of a job.
• Understand your past.
• Make effective career choices.

These benefits and others are often achieved by my clients. You too can benefit from counselling.

If you have any further questions, you may want to visit my Getting Started page.