What happens in a counselling session?
Counselling sessions, like snowflakes, are never exactly the same. But just as all snowflakes have six sides, my sessions will likely include common elements like learning to name the emotions, body sensations, and impulses that arise in the session (I will help you with that), how to anchor yourself in the present, and how to recognize the added meanings and negative self-beliefs that keep you stuck. You will learn that traumatic memory is stored differently than regular memory, and can expect to move out of "trauma time" and 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).
NEW: video conferencing via doxy.me
We will work together to find the right pace.
How long does it take?
The course of treatment 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 makes a difference, too. If not, it will take some time to build trust and learn to regulate emotions and bodily sensations. Establishing safety and stability in one’s body, one’s relationships, and the rest of one’s life comes first.
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?
Counselling sessions, like snowflakes, are never exactly the same. But just as all snowflakes have six sides, my sessions will likely include common elements like learning to name the emotions, body sensations, and impulses that arise in the session (I will help you with that), how to anchor yourself in the present, and how to recognize the added meanings and negative self-beliefs that keep you stuck. You will learn that traumatic memory is stored differently than regular memory, and can expect to move out of "trauma time" and 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).
NEW: video conferencing via doxy.me
We will work together to find the right pace.
How long does it take?
The course of treatment 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 makes a difference, too. If not, it will take some time to build trust and learn to regulate emotions and bodily sensations. Establishing safety and stability in one’s body, one’s relationships, and the rest of one’s life comes first.
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?
