What happens in a counselling session?
I will ask you what brings you to counselling and whether it is something new or longstanding. What your current situation is, what has helped or not helped, what you are looking for, whether you have resources or not. The process is organic, but will likely include help with troubling thoughts, behaviours, and emotions. I might ask you what you notice in your body as you talk about something, or help you anchor yourself in the present if you are triggered. We can explore added meanings and self-beliefs that keep you stuck. Perhaps you will learn that traumatic memory is stored differently than regular memory and how to move out of "trauma time" towards more adaptive thoughts and behaviours. If indicated, and with your informed consent, we may work with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a treatment approach that includes some form of bilateral stimulation (eye movements, sounds, or tapping). Laughter is welcome!
Sessions are provided both in-office and online.
Asking for help can be daunting. Believe me, I know this one! But if you are reading this, chances are that you already on your way. We will work together to find a pace that is not too fast, not too slow. Some discomfort is inevitable with change.
How long does it take?
The course of counselling depends on your goals, life situation, and available funding. If you have experienced a single traumatic event and are fairly resilient, the duration of treatment will be shorter than if you have been repeatedly traumatized with no one to turn to. If you had consistent, reasonably attuned caregiving early in life, that resilience will support you; if not, it will take some time to build trust and learn to regulate emotions and internal states. Whether you feel frozen or overly activated, I can help you experience your body as a safe place to inhabit, to build and/or access its many resources (think of holding your ground, feeling less rigid, reaching out or pushing away, depending on the situation).
Cultivate curiosity: Are you ready to begin, or ready enough? What thoughts, emotions, or body sensations support your decision to either seek counselling now, or not?
I will ask you what brings you to counselling and whether it is something new or longstanding. What your current situation is, what has helped or not helped, what you are looking for, whether you have resources or not. The process is organic, but will likely include help with troubling thoughts, behaviours, and emotions. I might ask you what you notice in your body as you talk about something, or help you anchor yourself in the present if you are triggered. We can explore added meanings and self-beliefs that keep you stuck. Perhaps you will learn that traumatic memory is stored differently than regular memory and how to move out of "trauma time" towards more adaptive thoughts and behaviours. If indicated, and with your informed consent, we may work with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a treatment approach that includes some form of bilateral stimulation (eye movements, sounds, or tapping). Laughter is welcome!
Sessions are provided both in-office and online.
Asking for help can be daunting. Believe me, I know this one! But if you are reading this, chances are that you already on your way. We will work together to find a pace that is not too fast, not too slow. Some discomfort is inevitable with change.
How long does it take?
The course of counselling depends on your goals, life situation, and available funding. If you have experienced a single traumatic event and are fairly resilient, the duration of treatment will be shorter than if you have been repeatedly traumatized with no one to turn to. If you had consistent, reasonably attuned caregiving early in life, that resilience will support you; if not, it will take some time to build trust and learn to regulate emotions and internal states. Whether you feel frozen or overly activated, I can help you experience your body as a safe place to inhabit, to build and/or access its many resources (think of holding your ground, feeling less rigid, reaching out or pushing away, depending on the situation).
Cultivate curiosity: Are you ready to begin, or ready enough? What thoughts, emotions, or body sensations support your decision to either seek counselling now, or not?
