"Nothing in the Universe Ever Grew From the Outside In."
-Richard Wagamese
How I Work
I find that my work with clients moves between "therapy" and "counselling", with therapy being discovering what is outside of one's awareness that may be causing suffering or preventing growth, and counselling being more related to support and strategies. Both lead to some amount of skill building to help clients get to where they want to be or how they want to feel.
The primary evidence-based therapeutic approaches I use are AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and EFFT (Emotion Focused Family Therapy). AEDP is an effective trauma therapy modality. ACT and EFFT are complimentary routes to learning new ways of relating to oneself and others. What each of these approaches has in common is that they are experiential (new experiences and practice = helpful brain rewiring) and they allow for unpacking the past as well as changing behaviors and perspectives within the present.
Sessions are often a mix of tears and lightheartedness; a place where deep emotion, pain and taking ourselves less seriously all meet. We can handle anything if we are not alone.
I believe that my own level of wellness can influence how effective the therapy process can be for a client. This means that I am committed to self-care practices that allow me to conduct my work effectively and with heart.