PSYCHOTHERAPY
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We hold within us an internal working model which represents the external world. This model guides us in our understanding of self and others, and informs the way we process information and make decisions. We develop this representational model from the moment we are born. While consistent throughout the lifespan, this internal working model is fundamentally malleable. Perhaps you have a strong feeling that you are unworthy, that others will inevitably abandon you, your needs will never be met, or others cannot be trusted. Perhaps you even know this to be logically untrue, but cannot help experiencing this to be emotionally true. This is the result of developing an internal working model at a young age which then shapes your experience of the world.
In therapy, we uncover the unconscious and self-perpetuating internal working model and bring it to light. Once we gain understanding of how the model works, we can start to make space for change: think of it as updating an outdated program. We train the mind to be more flexible in processing information so we can stop reinforcing the old patterns of how we relate to self and others. Through the safety created in the therapeutic relationship, we unpack traumas from the past, learn to integrate our experiences so they are more congruent and containable, and find ways to reconnect with ourselves and others in a fulfilling way.
Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final
― Rainer Maria Rilke
ABOUT ME
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We are not broken, just stuck. Sometimes the way we cope with emotional wounds, anxieties, and fears may in fact be detrimental to us, leaving us trapped by the same patterns in life. I depart from an attachment and trauma-informed perspective and place an emphasis on emotional regulation and experiential integration. It is through cultivating mindful compassion toward the most difficult emotions within ourselves that we begin to heal. Compassion means working with, not struggling against; approaching life as an experience to be had, not as a problem to be solved.
I have a Master's Degree in Counselling from the University of Ottawa. I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
FEE
Psychotherapy sessions are $180/50min (HST included). My service is covered by most extended health plans. Please check directly with your provider to see if Registered Psychotherapists are covered under your policy.
If you are an Ontario resident, you can claim the cost of non-reimbursed psychotherapy services as a medical expense on your income tax return.
Direct billing to insurance is available.
TREATMENT APPROACH
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The NeuroAffective Relational Model™ (NARM®) addresses Complex Trauma (“C-PTSD”), including attachment, relational and developmental trauma, by working with adaptive patterns that reflect unconscious patterns of disconnection that impact our identity, emotions, physiology, behavior and relationships. NARM® integrates a body-centered and psychodynamic approach, within a context of interpersonal neurobiology, grounded in mindfulness and a phenomenological approach to addressing identity and consciousness of Self. NARM® offers a comprehensive theoretical and clinical model for the resolution of Adverse Childhood Experiences (“ACEs”) and C-PTSD. NARM® offers a framework for post-traumatic growth by supporting increased resiliency, greater health outcomes, healthier relationships, personal growth and social change.
You may feel discouraged by the task of tackling these patterns, especially if they have been around for years. But thanks to neuroplasticity, you can teach an old brain new tricks. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's potential to reorganize its physical structure by creating new neural pathways to adapt to change. There is a saying in neuroscience: neurons that fire together wire together. As you establish a new pattern of relating to self and others, you are laying down new paths in your brain. Profound changes can occur as you continue walking on these new paths.
This Too Shall Pass
CONTACT
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Finding the right therapist is important, as a strong therapeutic bond is essential for effective therapy. This process takes research, patience, and intuition. Your research and patience has taken you here, the next step is to check in with your intuition. I encourage you to set up a conversation with me over the phone if you are considering me as your therapist, as that will give us a sense of how well we work together.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.