What We Offer
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Free Consultation
Meet your therapist
30-minutes
Sessions offered in person
and virtually
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Individual Psychotherapy
50-minute sessions
$165
Sessions offered in person
and virtually
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Couples Psychotherapy
50-minute sessions | $200
80-minute sessions | $300
Sessions offered in person
and virtually
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Walk & Talk Therapy
50-minute sessions
$165
Sessions offered in person
for individuals
What to Expect
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A free 30-minute consultation is optional. It is an opportunity to meet your therapist and see if I’m the right fit for you. We’ll meet in person or virtually through our online platform and simply have a conversation. I’ll tell you a bit about how I practice therapy, what you can expect, and you can share with me what brings you in and ask any questions you may have. At the end of our session, if you’re feeling comfortable, you’re welcome to book an Intake Session. You’re also welcome to sleep on it and take time to think about whether you’d like to move ahead. I’d he happy to hear from you at any time and you can always book online through the portal.
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The first step is an Intake Session during which I’ll ask you a little bit about a lot of things. In this session I will try to get a snapshot of your life and situate myself in your story as best I can. Prior to the Intake Session, I’ll send you a Consent Form, which you must read and sign before we can begin our work together. We will go over the most important parts in that first Intake Session, especially as it relates to confidentiality.
Every session after that will be a regular Individual Psychotherapy Session where we’ll talk about whatever you may be struggling with and work toward your goals. I don’t specialize in any one particular type of therapy (there are many) so you can expect that I’ll be drawing upon tools and techniques from a number of them. I do, however, like to weave a bit of mindfulness and meditation into the beginning of every session, so if you’re up for it, we’ll start with a mindful minute (don’t worry, I’ll set an alarm!) and move to additional minutes and short guided meditations as our work together progresses.
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The first step is to move through the intake process, which consists of a Couples Intake Session followed by an Individual Psychotherapy Session with each partner. During the Intake Session I will try to get a snapshot of your relationship and situate myself in your story as best I can. Prior to the session, I will send you a Consent Form, which each partner must read and sign before we can begin our work together. We will go over the most important parts during that first Intake Session, especially as it relates to confidentiality.
During the Individual Psychotherapy Sessions we will explore your experience within the relationship and dive a bit deeper into your life and past history. Following these sessions we will come back together and every session after that will be a regular Couples Psychotherapy Session where we’ll talk about whatever you may be struggling with and work towards your goals. We can also talk about whether 50-minute or 80-minute sessions might be preferable.
Though I don’t specialize in any one particular type of therapy (there are many), in my work with couples I primarily draw upon Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method. I also like to weave a bit of mindfulness and meditation into the beginning of every session, so if you’re up for it, we’ll start with a mindful minute (don’t worry, I’ll set an alarm!) and move to additional minutes and short guided meditations as our work together progresses.
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Before we set out on the trail, we’ll first do an Intake Session either in person or virtually, much like the Individual Psychotherapy described above. Prior to the Intake Session, I’ll send you a Consent Form, which you must read and sign before we can begin our work together. We will go over the most important parts in that first Intake Session, especially as it relates to confidentiality.
In this first session I will try to get a snapshot of your life and situate myself in your story as best I can. We will also discuss Walk & Talk Therapy specifically including what it might be like to talk about personal things where other people might overhear, and what you might do if we run into somebody you know. I offer Walk & Talk Therapy at two locations throughout the year - Gage Park and the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre. Please see the FAQ’s section for further information.
There are a lot of benefits to Walk & Talk Therapy, but there is also much to consider. Before we head out, we will ensure you’re feeling informed, comfortable, and prepared. And, we can always weave some in-person office or virtual sessions into our work together, or rotate back and forth between the two. In the end, we’re trying to create a care plan that is suited to you and tailored to your specific needs. Of course, change is always welcome and we can adjust that plan at any time.
Areas of Focus
Depression
Anxiety
Mood Disorders
Self-Esteem
Body Image
Relationships
Stress & Burnout
Life Transitions
Identity & Purpose
Substance Misuse
Spiritual & Religious Trauma
Grief & Loss
ADHD
Suicide & Self-harm
Therapeutic Approaches
Although I draw upon several evidence-based approaches, I find myself gravitating to these ones most often.
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Practicing mindfulness and meditation does wonders for our brains and bodies. It allows us to be fully present and observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment or criticism. Doing so increases our awareness and enables us to accept our thoughts and regulate our emotions. It is also one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and calm our nervous systems.
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy recognizes the connections between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It helps us examine the way we make sense of what is happening around us and how these perceptions affect the way we feel. By changing the way we think and behave, we can change the way we feel and improve our overall mood and functioning.
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Emotionally Focused Therapy recognizes that healthy relationships are central to human health and happiness. It is an attachment-based, experiential therapy that helps us recognize and change unhelpful patterns in our relationships, communication, and sense of self. By understanding our need for connection and entering into and managing our emotions, we can change the relationship we have with ourselves and others.
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Dialectical Behavioural Therapy invites us into a delicate balance of acceptance and change - accepting ourselves and our situations on the one hand, and embracing change towards a better life on the other. It offers us helpful strategies to improve our lives and teaches us skills in the areas of interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and emotion regulation.
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Internal Family Systems Therapy recognizes that every person is made up of many parts. It helps us get in touch with the protective and wounded or exiled parts of ourselves, and begin to uncover our true Self, the core of who we are. It is from this core Self that we can bear witness to our own experiences and better understand our motivations and behaviours from a place of compassion, and thus begin to heal.
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Psychodynamic Psychotherapy invites us to make the unconscious conscious and explore the ways in which our past experiences shape our present reality. Through self-reflection and analysis we can better understand how repressed emotions from our past affect current decision-making, behaviour, and relationships. By learning from these earlier experiences we can increase our self-worth and improve our capacity for developing and maintaining more satisfying relationships, including the relationship we have with ourselves.
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Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy recognizes there is so much more to life than what we can see, taste, touch, and smell. It acknowledges our gut feelings, inner knowing, and the seemingly strange coincidences we can’t quite explain and have a hard time putting into words. It moves beyond any one particular religion and makes room for all of them, including the belief in nothing at all. By tapping into the animating energy running through everything and everyone, we can draw upon our inherent wisdom and the mystery of all things, from Creator to quantum physics and everything in between.
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Strengths Based Therapy recognizes the strength and resiliency within each and every one of us. Rather than focusing on our weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings, it invites us to tap into our strengths, skills, and resources. Doing so allows us to acknowledge our innate gifts, inner wisdom, and sources of support, and begin to see ourselves and our experiences as a wellspring of resilience and strength.