How I Approach Therapy
What matters to you?
Therapists often suggest that they know how to solve your problems before ever meeting you. I take a different approach. I have a lot of ideas about how I might be able to help you, but my first priority is genuinely understanding your experiences and preferences for therapy. Then we will accomplish your goals in ways that fit with your values, culture, and identity. The evidence-based treatments I use are listed below, but first: did you know that the most important part of therapy is how you and I work together? It’s true! Here’s what decades of research suggests matters the most:
We are working toward the same goals
We make joint decisions about what we do in therapy
You feel that I am caring, empathic, and genuine
You feel that I am adapting my approach and expertise to your preferences with respect
Get the results you want
Your experience of therapy is the most important part of our work together. I place a high priority on hearing what you think is going well and what could be done differently so that I can provide you with the best possible support.
I offer clients the option of participating in an approach called feedback-informed treatment (FIT). In FIT, clients complete two short surveys each session and I am alerted if therapy is off track. I then ask for your feedback and make the changes needed to get therapy back on track.
No matter what, I will help you to feel safe and supported when we reflect on our work together.
As part of my commitment to delivering therapy that works, I may ask your permission to audio or video-record your session for the purpose of intensive supervision with another psychologist. This psychologist will review my performance against a number of checklists and offer recommendations for how to better assist you.
What to Expect in Therapy
In our first few sessions, we will explore what brings you in, your relevant history, and hopes for therapy. With this information we can determine if you need an approach that is more calm and curious, challenging and direct, or anywhere in between. Most often, I use an integrative approach that matches your needs with the most helpful questions, perspectives, and tools.
Below are the evidence-based treatments I most often use with individual clients:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Your thoughts, behaviours, and feelings all impact one another. I will help you adapt to new ways of thinking that increase self-awareness and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and more.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Much of your distress is the result of frequently wanting things to be different than they are, as well as mis-alignment between what matters most to you and what you actually do during the day. Through awareness, acceptance, and self-compassion, you will find a greater sense of calm in the present moment and engagement in personally meaningful activities.