"It is that the individual has within him or herself vast resources for self-understanding, for altering the self-concept basic attitudes, and his or her self-directed behaviour - and that these resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided."
- Dr. Carl Rogers
What is Individual Therapy?
How can it help me?
When most people picture therapy, they are picturing a room where a person is meeting with a therapist one on one, to talk about the problems that have brought them to the office. This style of therapy allows a person to work on individual goals they have set for themselves, and the emphasis of this approach to therapy is to facilitate these goals being met. By exploring a person's concerns, their unique situation, and examining the ways they are currently navigating these areas, we can begin to build a picture of what is going on that keeps people feeling stuck. Depending on the situation and the goals, we can select from a number of therapeutic approaches to help build knowledge and awareness of the facets of the problem that we may initially have been unaware of. We can then identify areas where we can implement change, whether it is through learning new tools and skills, or adjusting strategies to approach the problem-- and build a hypothesis about how implementing these changes might influence our symptoms. In these ways, when we then test this approach in, and between sessions, we can then evaluate how well it worked for us, and make adjustments to the areas that may need tweaking.
Of course, the next question that often comes up is how do we know what our goals are for therapy? Very often, these goals are tied to the problem that prompted us to call and book an appointment that first time. We may have had a moment of feeling overwhelmed by our situation, frustrated by a lack or change, or worried that we don't know how to handle what we are being faced with. Maybe, we are just tired with living with the feelings that have become distressing to us, and we just want to know a way to ease this distress. Whether people call the clinic because they feel like they have exhausted every last option; or they are trying to be proactive and get ahead of an issue before it worsens, if we are concerned that there may be something going on that we should talk to a therapist about, there is never a bad time to call and to set up a consultation.
How do I know I might need therapy?
Some examples of common experiences that have brought clients in to therapy:
While some people may be aware that they are struggling with their mental health, or that they have a history of being diagnosed with a condition that they have found therapy to be helpful to treat or manage, many of my clients approach their first session with a feeling, or a set of feelings, that have told them things in their lives have changed, and they want some help fixing this. Many times, this change has brought some degree of stress, worry, or has begun to affect their ability to live their life as the version of themselves that they want to be. Not every problem that brings a person into the therapy office is going to be attributable to a mental illness– sometimes, we have just been dealt a challenging life circumstance that we are struggling to navigate. Whether we are dealing with a life that is becoming increasingly complex, or symptoms that we are wanting to alleviate, if we are unsure about whether therapy is right for us, it never hurts to talk with a therapist and to discuss whether it is time to seek some help. I have experience with providing therapy and treatments to clients for a broad range of mental health concerns, alongside situational and life challenges, and I am more than happy to help you get clarity around your worry, and to discuss where I may be able to help!
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Feeling like we no longer enjoy activities we previous enjoyed, and we have started to feel like our emotions are numb, sad, empty, or like "happy" is hard to find any more.
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No longer feeling capable of handling stressful situations or busy places.
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Feeling overwhelmed at times where we never used to feel overwhelmed before.
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Experiencing panic attacks or impending feelings of doom, and we either don't know why, or can't seem to stop them.
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Getting "stuck" in loops that we just can't seem to break.
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We find ourselves repeating patterns that we no longer want to repeat, and want to understand ourselves better.
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Everything feels stressful, or "too much".
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Our relationships with our friends, coworkers, or loved ones are not going well any more.
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We lost a loved one, and the feelings of loss feel too much.
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It is harder to go to school/work/places we used to frequent. We might not know why.
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We have started crying at times when we don't expect it, and can't seem to stop ourselves.
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We experienced a change in our lives and now we are struggling in ways we haven't before.
Adult Therapy
Offered in-person at our office in Edmonton, or virtually online for anyone within Alberta.
I work with adults across every stage of adulthood, from those who are just starting to step out on their own, to those who are starting or raising their families; to older adults who are facing retirement, as well as seniors who are looking at the next chapters of their lives.
Child & Adolescent Therapy
Offered in-person for both children and teens at our office in Edmonton, or virtually online for teens anywhere within Alberta. Virtual services are limited based on the age and developmental readiness of the child I may be working with.
I offer both individual sessions for my child and teen clients, as well as collaborative parent sessions. Collaborative parent sessions are intended to support parents in knowing what specific skills or tools their child and I have worked on in session, so that they can continue to support their child in using those strategies at home. Privacy and confidentiality are my number one concern when working collaboratively with children and teens and their parents– so when a collaborative session is scheduled, I will meet initially with my client and will discuss with them prior to bringing in their parent or guardian what information they do, and do not, consent to being discussed during collaboration, as well as appropriate limitations to confidentiality if safety is a concern.