My Psychotherapy Approach
In verbal psychotherapy, I work primarily with adults and occasionally adolescents, and have particular experience supporting
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people with intense or overwhelming emotions
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people with eating disorders
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people dealing with self-destructive thoughts and habits
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survivors of assault/abuse
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paramedics, firefighters and veterans
I work to support people in putting shame back where it belongs,
gaining a stronger sense of capacity, and finding relief from harsh
inner worlds and unmanageable thoughts and feelings. My work is
premised on the acknowledgement that systemic injustice and
violence contribute to the personal pain that people experience.
I use theory, evidence-based care, as well as the wisdom of those I
have worked with to inform my practice. I provide verbal psychotherapy and some music therapy online, and/or subject to ongoing health needs and practices we can meet in person at my clinic space in downtown Hamilton.
The modality I draw from primarily is Compassion-Focused Therapy, an empirically supported approach developed specifically to treat individuals with high shame experiences. I follow principles from Health At Every Size ® research and practices. I also have training in and draw from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Narrative Therapy, and am qualified to provide Cognitive Processing Therapy, a structured, evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders.
Throughout my work there is a common thread of learning to have greater power over where the mind goes, which may include attentional training, mindfulness practices, and a practice of kind curiosity about one's internal experience.
As an MTA, my verbal psychotherapy work is also influenced by my experiences in music therapy supporting people to encounter their own emotions or inner worlds in creative ways, and learning to honour and accept what matters to them. Click here to learn more about the role of music therapy in my practice.
Please note that I do not provide verbal psychotherapy with children. Music therapy might be an option for your child!
What To Expect
In our consultation, I'll answer any questions you might have for me, tell you a bit about my approach, and invite you to tell me a little about what you are looking for help with. I'll also invite you to share what your past experiences with therapy have been, helpful or otherwise. The purpose of the consultation is for you to see if I seem like a good fit for your needs. If we decide to start working together, I'll send you my consent form and an intake form with some questions to help set me up to support you the best I can. What you tell me in the consultation or on the intake form is optional, with very few exceptions (like your name and contact information) and is confidential under the same requirements described in my consent form. In our first session, we'll check in to make sure we're still on the same page, and we'll begin looking at the goals or areas we'll be working on, and what those difficulties are like for you. We'll start exploring a way forward that can support you.
