Therapists work from a wide range of approaches. I am well trained in a variety of orientations to counselling, but my expertise lies in Psychodynamic, Interpersonal Process Psychotherapy, and Satir Systemic Therapy. These methods are particularly well suited to clients who are struggling with recurring patterns in their lives that they would like to change.

From a non-jargon perspective, you will find below some key premises that my practice rests upon. Check to see how compatible these are with what you are looking for.

Partnership: Having an openness to look at your life and the courage to make changes is hard work. Successful counselling is a partnership that involves work on the part of the client and counsellor. A good therapist should be in tune with where you are at and understand what you are looking for.

Patterns: We can get stuck in patterns of thinking, feeling, or behaviour that used to be adaptive at one time in life, but that may not be any longer. Often this shows up in a person’s life as points of conflict between people or within the person themselves. Alternatively, it can come from a sense of “going in circles” in life. Repeated unsatisfactory relationships, recurring feelings of depression or emptiness, difficulty with perfectionism or procrastination, and self-defeating or destructive behaviours are examples of some of these kinds of patterns.

Readiness: Readiness is an essential precursor to making change. Pushing or coercing people to change is usually unhelpful at best and can backfire. I help clients to identify the areas they are both wanting to change and ready to work on.

Past, Present, Future: It is sometimes helpful to explore with clients about past experiences they have had, particularly family and significant relationship experiences. At times, this can help cast light on current struggles that a person is having. While we may spend some time in understanding how past experiences impact development, the focus always comes back clearly to the present and future.

Making Change Happen: Insight is an important part of growth and development. In and of itself, it is often not sufficient for the kinds of changes people are trying to make. Learning new strategies of thinking and doing is a part of the growth process. I support and regularly coach clients in this area.

Feedback: Feedback is another part of an effective therapy process. I do not give advice to clients about what decisions to make, but sometimes it can help to hear another perspective on a situation. Feedback is also an integral part of learning new skills and ways of doing things, so practice and debriefing with feedback can be very helpful.