My approach

Counselling is very much a collaborative process. Research on counselling unequivocally shows that the therapeutic relationship is the biggest contributor to change, even more so than the interventions used. This means that having a sense of comfort, trust, and relational ease with me is the foundation for change and good outcomes. 

An important part of the therapeutic relationship is what is called the working alliance, which is the quality and strength of collaboration between you and myself. This starts with ensuring we are on the same page with your goals for therapy and how we generally may achieve those goals. I think it’s also important to take into consideration your budget, timeline and current capacity to engage in the counselling process. 

My approach is individualized in that I do not offer pre-packaged or manualized therapy which means when you meet with me I am interested in getting to know the one and only you. Specifically, how you experience yourself and the concerns that bring you to counselling and how I can bring my knowledge and expertise to assist you towards your goals.  

I am a process-oriented therapist which means I may not know at the outset the content or direction of the counselling sessions (although I’ll have a general idea), rather, as we engage together in the dance of therapy - sometimes I lead and you follow and sometimes you lead and I follow - we will go where you need to go. Together we trust the process will unfold in the right timing and the right way for you. We will move at your pace and comfort level. You are the expert of you and I will bring my expertise of the change process to help you towards your goals and needs from therapy. As we work together opportunities for different therapeutic tasks will present, this may include in-session tasks or out of session exercises that may help you towards your goals between sessions. 

Although I integrate different modalities of therapy and interventions based on the needs of my clients, my approach is grounded in a theoretical framework known as Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT).  This means that I view emotional experience as a central part of the therapeutic process.  I believe that tuning into and becoming more aware of your emotional experiences, which includes your bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings and stories or narratives, helps connect you with a valuable source of information that is relevant both in therapy and in life. Sometimes what was once adaptive for your life circumstances is no longer adaptive and can leave you feeling stuck or like you're replaying old patterns or stories. It often comes as a familiar feeling or experience but one that is not particularly helpful for your current circumstances. This is where certain therapeutic tasks can help get at the core or root of the problem and help you move through to a more adaptive way of responding to life.