In-person, online, and phone appointments available.
GENERAL COUNSELLING
Professional, non-judgemental and compassionate counselling for a variety of issues, including: stress, anxiety, depression, grief, pet grief, life changes, and relationship problems. I also specialize in working with trauma survivors and those experiencing sexual health problems. Please see below for a detailed description of each specialized therapy.
SPECIALIZED COUNSELLING
Trauma Counselling
I have both research and clinical experience the field of trauma. I've worked extensively with sexual assault survivors, as well as survivors of intimate partner and family violence, veterans, and veteran family members. I take an integrative approach to help survivors feel safe and heard, with the goal of facilitating trauma recovery. This approach includes therapies such as person-centred, emotion focused therapy (EFT), cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), feminism, somatic and logo synthesis.
Sexual Health and Wellbeing Therapy
Sexual health is just as important as our mental, physical, and spiritual health yet is rarely discussed. As a result, those experiencing sexual issues such as pain, erectile dysfunction, and troubles with desire, arousal, and orgasm suffer in silence. Sexual problems can occur for many reasons, including trauma, cancer, relationship troubles, work/life demands, and medical conditions. I take a sex-positive approach when counselling individuals and couples experiencing sexual concerns that includes sex education and evidence-based sexual health strategies to help achieve a satisfying sex life.
Many people are familiar with the book The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. Trauma held in the body can result in physical symptoms such as acute and chronic widespread bodily pain, headaches, gynaecological problems, and digestion issues. Body-centred therapy is collaborative and client-centred. This practice incorporates the body into therapy which can be helpful in accessing traumatic memories and emotions that are often unattainable through talk therapy approaches. Immediate and long-term benefits can occur from receiving body-centred therapy, such as:
Less depression, anxiety, psychological/physical tension, and physical ailments
More sociable and comfortable with touch
Relaxed body posture and increased body awareness
Bowen therapy involves gentle movements over muscle, connective tissue, ligaments, tendons, or nerves that stimulates the body to heal itself, often in a profound manner. Bowen provides relief to both acute and chronic injuries and other health issues. Often considered the "homoeopathy of bodywork", Bowen uses the body's natural healing power to facilitate change.
Reflexology is based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body.The physical image of the body is mapped onto the feet in a logical, anatomical pattern: the toes represent the head, the ball of the foot corresponds to the internal organs and the heel of the foot corresponds to the pelvic region in our body. By applying pressure to these reflexes, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related areas of the body.
Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing that has been used for thousands of years to promote healing. It is based on the idea that energy in the body can become blocked due to factors such as physical injury and emotional turmoil, oftentimes resulting in illness. Through a hands-on approach, Reiki practitioners can improve energy flow, reducing pain, stress and illness, and increasing relaxation.